I’ve been doing these almost weekly posts about short animated films for most of the year. I’ve discussed twenty four animated films since the end of March, and though it’s sometimes been a challenge to get over my laziness or procrastination, I’ve found it one of the more enjoyable endeavors I’ve ever attempted. I couldn’t tell you how many short films I watched in order to discuss these twenty four, but that was perhaps the greatest pleasure of all.
See, when Entropy began and Peter and Janice asked me if I wanted to do a column, I immediately said yes, though I had no idea what I would want to write about. I came across Fathoms by Joe Russ that week, and decided it would be the focus of my year at Entropy, which presented an interesting prospect for me. To be honest, I had seen very few short films before I began this column. I’ve discussed often my deep love of animation, which is what made this a joy, but, because of my unfamiliarity with the medium and genre, I had a lot of catching up to do.
Rarely has research been such a delight.
I hope I was able to present you all with some new experiences, and I hope you came to enjoy short animated films even just half as much as I’ve come to love them. I feel it’s a little journey we went on together. One where we started as novices and are hopefully a bit better acquainted with what makes short film so awesome.
There are many more films I plan on covering, but I’ll be doing much fewer of these next year. Probably on a monthly or bimonthly schedule. But, anyrate, I want to reshare with all of you my favorite films I discussed this year.
And so a list, numberless.
Fathoms by Joe Russ
This is what began it all, and so I feel the need to tell you again to watch it. It’s truly beautiful and heartbreaking. It touches on so much of what I love in art and thought and life.
The Blackwater Gospel by Bo Mathorne
Sharing this again partly because it’s brilliant, and partly because it’s the most viewed of all my pieces. So I’m treating it as the one you chose as the best of the year. But certainly watch it again. Love it even more than before.
Rosa by Jesus Orellana
I think it’s fair to say that this is my favorite film I discussed. Or, if not favorite, it’s the one that literally blew me away. Can’t recommend this enough.
Playground by Ryosuke Oshiro
Quiet and sort of scratchily drawn, but somehow nearly perfect. Having covered geniuses like Miyazaki and Shinkai, I wouldn’t have imagined that my favorite of these anime shorts would be by someone I’ve never heard of, but this really is magical in ways few films are.
Premier Automne by Carlos de Carvahlo & Aude Danset
Life and Death playing with one another. Something about this is so effortlessly perfect. I could watch it a thousand thousand times and not be done with it.
The Invention of Love by Andrey Shushkov
This, of all the films, is the one that’s burrowed deepest inside me. It lives in my head and heart and sings to me nearly every week. It’s so near and dear to so man of my obsessions and concerns. Watch it again and fall in love.
So there you have it. I could probably list nearly everything I discussed this year, but then it wouldn’t be much of a best of the best, yeah?
Watch these again before the new year and remember the animated journey we’ve gone on through these many short films.
I’ll see you all next year with more films and more fun and more heartbreak and more animation.
