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The Kid Should See This

Kitbull, Pixar’s hand-drawn, Oscar-nominated SparkShorts animation

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Kitbull is a 2D animation from Pixar’s experimental SparkShorts program. In the completely hand-drawn feature, a first for Pixar, a stray city kitten and an affectionate pit bull form an unlikely friendship in a neglected backyard of San Francisco’s Mission District. The short also deals with the mistreatment of animals—the results shown in one moment may be upsetting some viewers—and the healing that can come with love and care.

kitbull pixar sparkshorts
kitbull pixar sparkshorts
Director Rosana Sullivan explains in the making-of video below:

“I’ve always loved the charm of a hand-drawn image. No two artists will draw the same way. And no two drawings are going to be exactly alike… While we did draw on computers, everything was directly from the artists’ hands onto the screen.”


Update: Kitbull was nominated for an Academy Award in 2020.

Follow this story with these: Joy and Heron, Minoule, and Omelette.

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