This year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, was another success in film showcases. Running March 10-19, the festival hosted filmmakers from all over the globe, all representing a variety of styles and genres, including animated short films. This year there were 11 total accepted animated shorts, but only one could receive the high honor of Best Animated Short.
But just because there was one winner doesn’t mean there weren’t other quality pieces in the ring. With Cannes in full swing, we’re taking a moment to celebrate festivals and to remember great films that have debuted already in 2017. To celebrate animated film, here are six animated favorites from this year’s SXSW festival:
“Wednesday with Goddard”
https://youtu.be/wuKgkEs5XsU
The winner of Best Animated Short was created by the UK’s Nicolas Ménard as a commision for Channel 4’s “Random Acts.” It is about a man named Eugene seeking God. Combining 2D animation with pencil drawings by Manshen Lo as well as a soundtrack by David Kamp, the film takes viewers on a surreal journey to find Eugene’s idea of the divine.
“Pussy”
The short film by Polish filmmaker Renata Gąsiorowska received Special Jury Recognition at SXSW for its unapologetic and hilarious take on female sexuality and every absurd thing that gets in the way of it. The protagonist of the short tries to spend alone time with herself and is interrupted from her private bath.
“Hot Dog Hands”
https://youtu.be/onTO36gU2iQ
Created by San Francisco-native Matt Reynolds, “Hot Dog Hands” is a strange but hysterical film about a woman who can’t stop growing fingers. Even when she tries to type her condition into the infamous WebMD, her hot dog hands get in her way. The rest is comedic chaos.
“Catherine”
Calling all cat ladies! “Catherine” is all about a little girl who loves pets, especially her bright blue cat who brings her comfort and joy. Being bullied at school plus living alone means the cat is Catherine’s only confidant and friend. But Dwight, a boy across the street, is having a hard time getting Catherine to notice something other than her cat … him! The film was created by Britt Raes and produced by Creative Conspiracy.
“Tough”
https://youtu.be/qOIKluqFdSc
Created by Jennifer Zheng, “Tough” is about a grown British-born daughter and her Chinese mother speaking for the first time as adults. The result is a bridge between cultural understanding and childhood clarity. The film combines both Mandarin Chinese and English language for a fulfilling four-minute multicultural experience.
“Birdlime”
This family-friendly stop-motion film by Canadian animator Evan Derushie, who has previously worked on films such as “The Little Prince” (2015), follows a bird dodging birdlime, a substance used to trap birds for export and illegal trade. Though the grey-blue bird in the film successfully averts the dangerous birdlime, he is still captured within a cage and cannot make sense of the strange creatures around him.
What animated films are you most excited to see in 2017? Let us know in the comments below! And learn more about animation at New York Film Academy.
