Jamón

I'm the kind of person who is always browsing Vimeo for good short films because it's such a fantastic collection. If you're new to Vimeo I recommend at least following "Vimeo Staff Picks", they curate some amazing stuff. I'm also part of the "Everything Animated" group which posts exactly what it sounds like, animated shorts! This is one that I found a while ago and has remained one of my favorites.

Jamon is a Spanish short by Iria Lopez about a pig who lives in a human's world. It's tragic and funny and definitely deserves a watch. I'm a sucker for traditional animation and this one is beautifully done using silkscreen backgrounds.

If you have time please give it a watch! I promise you won't regret it.


Jamón film from iria lopez on Vimeo.

Song of the Sea

This week I wanted to take the opportunity to talk about the Oscar nom no one's talking about: Song of the Sea. In a category with some of the largest animation giants in the industry, Song of the Sea is definitely an underdog, but it's nomination is definitely well deserved.

The story is based around the Celtic myth of the selkie and features two children, Ben and Saoirse. At six-years-old, Saoirse is mute, and has yet to begin speaking. When she discovers a shell flute left behind by her deceased mother, the music introduces her to a world of magic and selkies under the sea. In the end, to keep the tales alive, Saoirse must find her voice.

The artwork in the film is amazing, and the traditional animation style sets it apart from the 3D animation that has taken over the Oscar nominations this year. While its screening has been highly limited, Cornell Cinema will be showing the film in February and I highly suggest that you take the time to go see it.