French filmmaker Patrick Jean had made several short animations before hitting the big time with Pixels. Adam Sandler (The Wedding Singer, Funny People) liked it so much that he struck a deal with Jean to turn his simple, high-concept idea into a Ghostbusters-like action comedy. Pixels sees New York invaded by a bunch of 8-bit creatures (such as Donkey Kong and Pac-Man) before the pixilation spreads and quickly takes over the whole world.
Oktapodi, made by a consort of French animators, could easily be used as an example of the animation short movie. In this short short, an octapus fights to save his tentacled lover. Set on the Greek island of Santorini, it is beautiful and funny, and as a vegetarian I am definitely rooting for the octopusses. Oktatpodi's six credited directors: Julien Bocabeille, Francois-Xavier Chainous, Olivier Delbarre, Thierry Marchand, Quentin Marmier and Emud Mokhberi.
Written and directed by Iranian filmmaker Saman Hosseinpuor, Autumn Leaves was voted Best Short Short in the 10th FILMSshort competition. It tells the story of a little girl who wants to stay at home and play with a fallen leaf but must go to school instead. We follow her as she makes her way through the streets until she arrives at school, where leaves are no longer a source of amusement. It is a subtle, dialogue-free film full of beautiful shots and showing a side of Iran not normally seen by Westerners.
Written and directed by the British pairing of Phil Sansom and Olly Williams, The Black Hole is a deceptively simple story that places a fantastical discovery in a mundane world. A short short, it was one of the first to be added to my Best of British. In it, Charlie, a tired office-woker, will xerox something life-changing. Unfortunately, his instinct to use it for quick personal gain will backfire somewhat.