Writer and director from Colorado Springs hopes to win his first Oscar this weekend

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Nominated for three Oscars, the animated movie sensation "The Wild Robot" is hoping to win big Sunday. It's up for best animated feature, sound, and best original score. The writer and director is a Southern Colorado local. He's been part of other big-name movies, and spoke with KRDO13 about the honor of being nominated again.

Much like its name, this animated movie is about a robot finding a place in the natural world.

"It is about this robot who accidentally becomes a mother to a gosling," says Chris Sander, the writer and director. "And the gosling who she becomes a mother to is never supposed to survive and is a runt."

Chris Sanders, was inspired by the best-selling books and decided to turn 'The Wild Robot' into a movie. Sanders, who wrote and directed the box-office success, was born in Colorado Springs. He loves the authentic characters and storyline.

"If it is something I am going to be writing and directing, I prefer this kind, where there is subtlety of the story is where all the magic lies if that makes sense.".

Sanders says he spent much of his childhood in Denver before he chased his dreams in Hollywood.

"In my last few months of high school I really had no idea what I was going to do with my life and my grandmother was reading the newspaper, The Denver Post, and she saw this article all about this school in California called Cal Arts and Disney Studios which was connected tot he school and a patron of the school realized a lot of their animators were retiring," says Sanders.

He got into the school and began learning how to animate. He's worked on several films, including big name movies, "How to Train your Dragon" and "Lilo and Stitch" -- but credits that defining moment to his grandma.

"The Denver Post and my grandmother reading that article changed the course of my life," says Sanders. "'Lilo and Stitch' would not exist if it weren't for the article and my grandma reading that."

Sanders says "The Wild Robot" will always hold a special place in his heart, and hopes this is the film that finally grants him the biggest honor of all, an Oscar.

"Pretty nervous, I mean it is a thrill, it is," says Sanders. "But this is my 4th time at bat for this particular event, so hopefully, fingers crossed this goes well."

You can watch the 97th Academy Awards this Sunday on KRDO at 5 p.m. MT.