Princess Dina Bo Bina follows a young princess struggling to live up to her family’s lofty expectations, sending her on an unexpected adventure. Equal parts heartfelt, slapstick, and charming, this delightful Claymation short offers plenty for audiences of all ages to enjoy. Beneath its humor and whimsy lies a thoughtful message: no one is perfect, and… Read more

THE WORM’S EYE VIEW OF THE BIRD The Worm’s Eye View of the Bird takes the question “would you still love me if I was a worm?” very literally, as it is, in fact, about a woman, who falls in love with a worm. I was very taken aback by its masterful balance of absurdist humor,… Read more

Mobius is a 2D animated short film about how all living things will eventually die, but their deaths make room for new life. It is dark and meditative, but also soothing in an odd way, perhaps because of the colorful visuals and gentle narration that borders on ASMR (in a good way). It’s very honest and… Read more

The stop motion animated short film, Encyclopedia Galactica centers around the premise of a universe after the death of mankind. It shows us how after we are gone, life elsewhere will keep going in this massive, expansive, beautiful yet terrifying world. The visuals are the most striking feature of the short. It presents the viewer with shots… Read more

Baby, that’s all I need is a charming stop motion animated music video for the song “Baby, That’s All I Need” by Ross Thorn. The characters and environment are 2D animated on a colorful plane. It reminds me a bit of the felt toys I had as a kid, where there was this block of felt… Read more

My Burning Pianist is a documentary short film about the creation of a piece of performance art: a piano whose keys trigger massive pillars of fire. What makes this short so special in my opinion is how perfectly it captures the creative process, to work tirelessly bringing something into what is ultimately a very transient existence. The piece we see created is… Read more

Hostile Work Environment is a short film which is part satire, part horror, in which a jerkish employee is accused of being a zombie. It’s effective for what it is, exaggerated humor to highlight the unfair truth of office life, with an increasing degree of morbidity throughout it’s run time that peaks at a shocking conclusion. Very… Read more

Fuzzy Surf’s “Don’t Go Overboard” is a highly imaginative music video that incorporates live-action footage, practical effects, and animation. It resembles a stage play, with props mostly made of what appears to be cardboard, decorated with charming cartoon-style paintings. The video has a nautical theme and focuses less on telling a conventional story, instead presenting… Read more

You Play Too Much is a candid animated short film based on the childhood of its Anny and Emmy Award winning writer and director Rob Shaw. What I found remarkable about this short is its beautiful balance of humor and sadness. While the film is presented largely as light hearted, especially through its charming stop motion… Read more

The Elk is a documentary short film about the history of the iconic elk sculpture in Portland that was removed for safekeeping during the 2020 protests. The film shows how something as simple as a work of art can hold so much symbolic value to so many people, and evoke so much thought from them. I found it to be very insightful into the city as a Portland outsider,… Read more