In 1988 the animated film The Land Before Time was released.
The Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film was awarded for the first time at the 64th Golden Globe Awards in 2007 . The Land Before Time is a 1988 American-Irish animated adventure drama film directed and produced by Don Bluth and executive produced by Steven Spielberg , George Lucas , Kathleen Kennedy , and Frank Marshall . Released by Universal Pictures on November 18 , 1988 , the film was a critical and financial success , and spawned a multimillion-dollar franchise with thirteen direct-to-video sequels and a television series ( without involvement from Bluth , Spielberg , or Lucas ) as well as merchandise ( toys , video games , etc. ) and a television series .