If you're trying to see all the Oscars contenders on the big screen this year, the animated short films category might present a challenge. But one film that's been shortlisted in that category is being shown right now in Louisville.
"Daughter" is part of the 21st annual "Animation Show of Shows," running this week at the Speed Museum.
This year's show includes 10 short films from seven countries. Two of the films are accompanied by mini documentaries that introduce us more closely to their filmmakers.
Founder and producer Ron Diamond said the inspiration to add those documentaries came from an unlikely place: the Olympics.
"NBC realized when they were running the Olympics, they need to tell us something about the athlete, so we can appreciate their challenges," Diamond said. He hopes the filmmaker biopics serve the same purpose.
"The idea is that you kind of go into the world for a little bit, and you begin to discover a little bit about them as a human being. And you realize, wait a minute, the film I just saw was funny, but I didn't realize what the subject of the film was."
Diamond says part of what makes animation special is that it's easier for the audience to suspend their disbelief, right from the first frame.
"We accept what we see from the get go, and we stick with it all the way through, when it's really well done," he said.
He says short films are to feature films, what poetry is to a novel. It can be less literal, and viewers will go along for the ride.
"We're understanding who the people are and what their stories are, and we feel for them," he said. "We go to places you would never imagine."
The "Animation Show of Shows" runs through January 5th, and show times are listed on the Speed Museum's website.
