Return to Hairy Hill (French: Retour à Hairy Hill) is a Canadian animated short film, directed by Daniel Gies and released in 2023.[1] Blending two-dimensional, three-dimensional and puppet animation styles, the film is based on the true story of Gies's grandmother, who made an effort to keep her siblings together after they were abandoned by their parents but was ultimately separated from them after they were taken into protective custody and was never successfully reunited with all of them in her lifetime.[2]
| Return to Hairy Hill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| French | Retour à Hairy Hill |
| Directed by | Daniel Gies |
| Written by | Daniel Gies Emily Paige |
| Produced by | Emily Paige |
| Cinematography | Sébastien Gros |
| Music by | Tyler Fitzmaurice Jessica Moss |
Production company | E.D. FILMS |
Release date |
|
Running time | 17 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | No Dialogue |
The film premiered at the 2023 les Sommets du cinéma d'animation.[1]
Plot edit
In an isolated prairie home at Hairy Hill, Alberta, a young girl shoulders the burden of caring for her three siblings and navigating a dysfunctional relationship with their mother. When the mother mysteriously transforms into a bird and abandons her children, this resilient eldest sister struggles to maintain their isolated existence. As the siblings, one by one, undergo a metamorphosis into animals and forsake her for the enchanting forest, she faces a poignant choice: embrace her own transformation and join them in the vast wilderness of their home or defy fate, embracing her scarred humanity, and venture into the towns and cities of the world to forge her own destiny.
Accolades edit
| Year | Award | Category | Status | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Sommets du cinéma d'animation | Grand Prix Guy L. Coté pour le Meilleur film d'animation canadien | Won | [3] |
| Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival | Outstanding Animated Short Film | Won | [4] | |
| GIRAF International Festival of Independent Animation | Top Canadian short Film | Honored | [5] | |
| 2024 | ||||
| VIEW Conference | VIEW Awards 2023 Grand Prize | Won | [6] | |
| Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival | Daniel Koops Award for Outstanding Film Score | Won | ||
| Festival international du film pour enfants de Montréal | Prix de meilleur court-métrage d'animation (Best Animated Short Prize) | Won | [7] | |
| Canadian Screen Awards | Best Animated Short | Pending | [8] |
References edit
- ^ a b Mercedes Milligan, "E.D. Films’ 10-Year Project ‘Return to Hairy Hill’ to Premiere at Montreal Animation Summit". Animation Magazine, May 8, 2023.
- ^ Debbie Diamond Sarto, "E.D. Films Shares 'Retour à Hairy Hill’ Official Trailer". Animation World Network, August 12, 2022.
- ^ "Les prix des 21es Sommets du cinéma d’animation dévoilés!". CTVM, May 16, 2023.
- ^ "Cinéfest reveals 2023 award winners". Sudbury.com, September 28, 2023.
- ^ Mercedes Milligan, "‘A Crab in the Pool,’ ‘The House of Loss’ Win Top Prizes at GIRAF". Animation Magazine, November 27, 2023.
- ^ Mercedes Milligan, "‘Return to Hairy Hill’ Wins VIEW Conference Grand Prize". Animation Magazine, February 28, 2024.
- ^ Frédérique De Simone, "Festival international du film pour enfants : «Le dernier jaguar» remporte le Prix du public". Le Journal de Montréal, March 14, 2024.
- ^ Jamie Lang, "Canadian Screen Awards 2024: All The Animation, VFX, And Video Game Nominees". Cartoon Brew, March 13, 2024.
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