Why Watch? Anything that took 1,357 hours of work and 288,000 jelly beans is at least worth 3 minutes or your time. This Greg Jardin-directed music video for Kina Grannis‘s In Your Arms is a testament to the vibrant visuals that can be made by extreme patience and a quarter of a million candies. The song is a little too sugary, but the effect is really sweet. What does it cost? Just 3 minutes of your time. Check out In Your Arms for yourself:

Whereas Pixar has dominated the category in recent years, the sense that Cars 2 isn’t a shoe-in for awards season is offering a spotlight to a wider field. In fact, it’s also a wider field that will beget more nominees – if there are 16 eligible in the given year, 5 nominees will make the short list. If the numbers stay steady, this would mark the third time since the Best Animated Feature‘s inception in 2001 that there are more than 3 films up for the big prize. According to The Wrap, the list of films that have been submitted for consideration include: The Adventures of Tintin, Alois Nebel, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, Arthur Christmas, Cars 2, A Cat in Paris, Chico & Rita, Gnomeo & Juliet, Happy Feet Two, Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil, Kung Fu Panda 2, Mars Needs Moms, Puss in Boots, Rango, Rio, The Smurfs, Winnie the Pooh, and Wrinkles. Just because they’ve been submitted doesn’t meant they’re all eligible. Several haven’t done qualifying runs in Los Angeles theaters, and many are questionable because of their use of motion capture or live-action blend. In the mo-cap cases of Tintin, Happy Feet Two and Mars Needs Moms, filmmakers have been asked to discuss their methods and intentions with the process in order to prove eligible. The Smurfs and Alvin and the Chipmunks are also animation/live-action hybrids, so their fate is unclear at this time. Without them, and without, say, the Czech Republic’s rotoscoped Alois Nebel, the [Due to Content Scraping and Theft, we have been forced to try abbreviated feeds. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and woud very much appreciate you clicking through to view the full article on FilmSchoolRejects.com]

Why Watch? You’d be amazed what you can do with the frost on some store windows. This jaunty short directed by Hoku Uchiyama features a catchy throwback 20s tune and finger-drawn animation from the Betty Boop era that comes alive on panes of glass as live-action strangers walk by. More a curiosity than a story, it still features some dark comedy that’s strangely perfect for Dia de los Muertos. It’s a witty toe-tapper of a short film that pulls off a crazy, creative idea with flawless, smile-inducing execution. Long story short? It’s just a hell of a lot of fun. What does it cost? Just 3 minutes of your time. Check out Have You Seen My Sister Evelyn for yourself:

Why Watch? It’s from Spike Jonze. There’s no reason you should need to know more about it, but in case you’re curious, this inventive short film (which channels a few of the old Merry Melodies shorts set in libraries) was born out of a partnership between Jonze and artist/purse designer Olympia Le-Tan. With co-director Simon Cahn, Jonze tells the stop-motion story of a skeleton and a young woman from the covers of two famous novels, falling in love and getting into trouble. Vibrant and sweet, it’s a must-see. What does it cost? Just 7 minutes of your time. Check out Mourir Auprès de Toi for yourself:

Why Watch? This is what it might look like if Ken Burns ever made a horror film. This experimental, animated work focuses on a mysterious photograph from the 1930s, and as the camera ducks and dives and expands our view, we find a lot of hidden elements that help solve the puzzle of what’s going on. Gorgeously done with an antique sensibility, it’s a Fantastic Fest alum that might not be for everyone, but if it hits you the right way, it’s delightfully peculiar. What does it cost? Just 5 minutes of your time. Check out the trailer for The Facts in the Case of Mister Hollow for yourself:

Why Watch? Give this short 12 seconds and you’ll stay for 12 minutes. It features a ton of inventive objects in the service of inspired stop motion animation, and the story is one that’s halfway between abstraction and simplicity. And, of course, it was featured at Fantastic Fest a few years back. Its chaos is currently reigning over us, but it’s nice to look back on some quality shorts from the festival’s past. What does it cost? Just 12 minutes of your time. Check out Teclopolis for yourself:

Why Watch? Our spotlight on Fantastic Fest short films from the past continues with an impressive animation bit from Rodrigo Blaas – an animator for Pixar films ever since Finding Nemo. Slightly creepy, slightly cheery, this movie takes us (and a child) to the toy store with wondrous results. What does it cost? Just 5 minutes of your time. Check out Alma for yourself:

Why Watch? When Junaid Chundrigar set out to make this delightful short film, the goal was to pay homage to classic cartoons that could be enjoyed by all ages. He absolutely met that goal. With simple, effective animation, Sheeped Away is the story of a farmer battling a UFO that’s trying to take his sheep away. Despite an epic fight, he has to do it all without waking up his horrible wife. The result is something fantastic and charming. Can’t you see this playing in front of the next Pixar movie? What does it cost? Just 5 minutes of your time. Check out Sheeped Away for yourself:

According to Twitch, the legendary animation house Studio Ghibli will be producing new work from co-founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Miyazaki’s next is described as an “autobiography,” but it’s unclear whether that means he’ll be telling his own story on screen or telling someone else’s (although Dick Cheney just had a book out, right?). As for Takahata – in his first project in 12 years – he’ll be telling a classical Japanese story involving a baby found inside a bamboo stalk who turns out to be a princess. We call that the Reverse Moses. It’s most likely “The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter,” a folktale from the 10th century. That’s speculation based on the description, but if someone else knows their Japanese literature and has a different answer, please feel free to enlighten. Even if these two announced a joint project about watching paint dry, it would still be exciting. Ghibli is perhaps the most consistent studio on the planet – delivering phenomenal work year after year. Miyazaki and Takahata are the heart of it all, so this is like an all-you-can-revel-in buffet of good news for animation fans.

Why Watch? With impressionistic backgrounds and a difficult choice for its main character, this stunning animated short finds beauty on several levels. Urs has etched out a hard life while taking care for his aged mother, but he longs for the light on the other side of the mountain. His mother doesn’t want to leave home, but they’ll both go on a journey of faith, danger, and kitchen chairs. Every element of this tale comes together to make a wondrous, emotional experience. What does it cost? Just 10 minutes of your time. Check out Urs for yourself:

Why Watch? Because WTF stands for “Genius.” The vibrant, skillful blend of puppetry and animation, the hammer-to-nail satire of children’s programming and the huge wad of creativity make this short a winner all around. As a bonus, the song is catchy as hell. This is what everyone is thinking whenever they see kid’s shows as adults. Fortunately, it’s done as smartly as possible. The easy joke is avoided, and the rest is a frantic, jaw-lowering exercise in insanity. What does it cost? Just 3 minute of your time. Check out Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared for yourself:

There’s a lot going on at D23 (which I spent the last two weeks thinking was the new Eminem super group), but so far the most interesting development has been from Pixar and Pete Docter. With the money-making albatross of the Cars franchise off their necks, the studio is set to release Brave next summer, followed by Monsters University the summer after that, an untitled movie about dinosaurs over the Holidays of 2013, and then a concept from Docter the summer of 2014. Essentially, there’s a lot of Pixar to enjoy before we get to it, but /film is reporting that the untitled movie will be set inside your head. Here’s the official synopsis: “Pixar takes audiences on incredible journeys into extraordinary worlds: from the darkest depths of the ocean to the top of the tepui mountains in South America; from the fictional metropolis of Monstropolis to a futuristic fantasy of outer space. From director Pete Docter (“Up,” “Monsters, Inc.”) and producer Jonas Rivera (“Up”), the inventive new film will take you to a place that everyone knows, but no one has ever seen: the world inside the human mind.”

While discussing his filmmaking technique behind Gainsbourg for next week’s Reject Radio, graphic novelist and writer/director Joann Sfar said he was working with John Carls (producer of Rango and Where the Wild Things Are) to produce an animated film called Little Vampire – modeled after his “Little Vampire Goes to School.” In the film, a young vampire who lives with older monsters, and longs for the company of youth. He finds it in a human boy named Michel, whom he befriends. According to Variety, Sfar has likened the tone to a blend between Roger Corman horror and the “Peanuts” comic strip. Which is awesome. When I asked if it would be like his last graphic novel adaptation, The Rabbi’s Cat, he said, “that was made and released in France, and it’s a low budget, 2D animated movie, but Little Vampire will be big. Little Vampire will be the usual standard of animation. We’re finishing the script right now, and I expect it to be very funny.” Sfar will be writing and directing the film, breathing animated life into a bookbound character. No word yet on a possible release date or when the film will go into production.

There are two elements to this bit of news. One, they’re making a live-action/animation hybrid of Hong Kong Phooey. What does that mean? It means that instead of using traditional animation to make a feature length film, Alcon Entertainment will be making something that resembles the original cartoon instead of actually looking like it. Imagine the difference between the cartoon Smurfs and the ones that ended up walking around New York City. Therein lies a major problem with updating animated characters. There is a mile-wide gap between the character as people know and love them, and the character as restylized through a computer. But not to fear, The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Eddie Murphy will be stepping behind the gi to voice the kung fu fighting dog of 70s fame. In the original cartoon, Penry was a janitor that cast off his mild-mannered alter ego and became Hong Kong Phooey whenever there was trouble.

Why Watch? Because this is painstaking, stop motion genius. Some of the best shorts we’ve featured have been stop motion animation. Why? Because the art form (when done right) is captivating and playful. Perfect for the medium. This particular gem from Tomas Mankovsky is a shining example of those two traits. It was made with a camera aimed straight down at the floor, and the result is young man hurrying to get to an important appointment. Lighthearted meets blood, sweat and effort here. It’s nothing short of amazing. Plus, you can check out a ton of behind-the-scenes information on how it was made. What does it cost? Just 3 minutes of your time. Check out Sorry I’m Late for yourself:

Why Watch? Because doing the right thing sometimes means misfiring. This clever animated short gives us an obsessed detective who hears the clear sounds of foul play coming from the apartment above his. What is the horrible, totally un-caught, serial killing butcher doing to that poor old woman? And why does is smell like death and tomato sauce? What does it cost? Just 3 minutes of your time. Check out Defective Detective for yourself:

Between Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated and The Looney Tunes Show, Cartoon Network is so far two for two on their cartoon reboots. But in a further attempt to take the kid programming crown away from rival Nickelodeon, the network has gone back to the nostalgia well again, and this time they pulled out the beloved favorite, Thundercats. Now before everyone stars rioting outside the Cartoon Network HQ, let me say that they are probably one of the most creative networks in the business and the idea of a Thundercats reboot can work in the right hands, and guess what. It did.

Between 1991 and 2004 Jeff Smith released 55 issues of his comic book “Bone” and built a legacy as one of the most beloved comic creators of all time. People love “Bone”. I mean, they’re crazy about it. It’s a shame then that it has never managed to get a film adaptation, despite living in the mires of developmental hell for quite a while now. The good news is there seems to be some new traction for the project, and the new stuff that’s popping up is even impressive enough to have Smith pleased with what he has seen. After both Paramount and Nickelodeon swung and missed with the “Bone” property, the rights got moved over to Warner Bros. where several scripts have been tried out but the third seems to be the charm. WB wants to turn their latest take onto the character into a three part, computer animated, 3D film series, and they’ve even put together a four minute short to show off what it would look like. Series creator Smith told the L.A. Times’ Hero Complex that he is, “actually excited about the movie for the first time in a long time.” That’s probably high praise coming from a guy who has reportedly waded through a ton of crappy film treatments of his baby.

Why Watch? Because one of us has a home. A lonely traveler sticks his thumb out against the cruel world trying to get somewhere. He fills up a canteen at a riverside. He looks on down the road. The trials and tribulations of the highway are made even more drastic and even more endearing when its an action figure attempting to hitch a ride. This stop motion short has a simple method to it that 1) shows how difficult it is to create stop motion outdoors and 2) delivers something magical that stems from seeing a tiny humanoid entity surviving in a giant world of fast-moving cars. What does it cost? Just 5 minutes of your time. Check out Chief Serenbe for yourself:

Why Watch? Because there’s a haunting story hidden inside beautiful animation. The spotlight here is firmly planted on some stunning animated work in this fantastical story featuring a man in a bird mask. What it represents might be anything under the sun, but the storytelling here is as ethereal as it is astounding. A little bit strange, sure, but it’s a blending of several Western and Japanese animation styles melting together like sepia toned water colors, and the magical realism is served incredibly well by it. Truly gorgeous work. What does it cost? Just 4 minutes of your time. Check out Tir Nan Og for yourself: