You don’t need me to point out the extreme imbalance when it comes to the number of women in the film industry. Kathryn Bigelow earning the Oscar in 2010 for Hurt Locker might be a signal that times are changing, but for many they’re not moving fast enough particularly when compared to other arts like literature, theater, and music.
One area of filmmaking that’s been less partial toward women is animation. As a lover of animation, it’s not surprising that this list contains some of my all-time favorite shorts—from Sharon Colman’s character comedy Badgered to Lizzi Akana’s bizarre world in Marvelous Keen Loony Bin, early favorites like Gaëlle Denis’ City Paradise and more recent films like Kirsten Lepore’s Bottle.
Ultimately, a film is judged on its own merits in story, technique, and impact—a point even more true in the democratizing world of online film. These films need no special treatment.
Drama
about
Love
in
Animation
The mysteries of the heart are front in center in London-animator Julia Pott's examination of love, faded.
Dramedy
about
Friendship
in
Stop-Motion
Separated by the sea, a unique duo pass along details of their lives through a bottle. An elegiac animation of minimalist perfection.
Fantasy
about
Friendship
in
3D Animation
Heartwarming tale of two creatures exploring a new world.
Drama
about
Loss
in
Performance
A beautiful performance in sand animation depicting the German invasion of Ukraine in WWII.
Experimental
about
Loss
in
Stop-Motion
A hand-crafted stop-motion that serves as a poignant metaphor for the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's disease.
Drama
about
Family
in
Animation
The isolated world of two sisters is shattered when a visitor arrives to their island threatening to break their discordant harmony.
Drama
about
Loss
in
Claymation
BAFTA-winning claymation explores the suffocating atmosphere in a young boy's household, as he and his father must confront their dog's deteriorating condition.
Comedy
about
Nature
in
Animation
A tired badger battles with a pair of noisy crows for peaceful rest, but inadvertently falls into a much bigger mess when an underground missile station is placed underneath the badger's dwelling.
Adventure
about
Other Worlds
in
3D Animation
A Japanese transplant finds herself in the cold heart of a gloomy and uninviting London. But there's more that lies beyond the surface…
Experimental
about
Life & Society
in
Animation
Quirky, animated film from RISD student, Lizzi Akana, takes us into a bizarre world where despondent characters lack crucial features and monkeys strut with balloon heads.
Experimental
about
Life & Society
in
Animation
A Tuesday morning arrives just like any other Tuesday in this slow and mesmerizing hand-drawn film.
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