Animation Show of Shows

Animation Show of Shows
Name	Animation Show of Shows
Established	1998
Location	Los Angeles, California
Type	Short film showcase

Animation Show of Shows is an annual curated touring compilation of animated short films founded in 1998 and presented in venues across North America, Europe, and Asia. The series assembles award-winning and festival-selected work from independent animators, studio filmmakers, and student directors for screenings at institutions, festivals, and industry events. The program highlights films that have achieved recognition at major festivals and awards, bringing together works associated with organizers, producers, and distributors active in animation.

Overview

The program showcases shorts that have been recognized by Academy Awards, Cannes Film Festival, Annecy International Animated Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, and Toronto International Film Festival, among others. Its curator selects entries that have received honors from bodies such as the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, The National Film Board of Canada, Film Independent, Cartoon Saloon, and studios like Pixar Animation Studios, Studio Ghibli, and Aardman Animations. Screenings frequently occur at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, British Film Institute, Tate Modern, Lincoln Center, and academic venues like California Institute of the Arts and School of Visual Arts.

History and Development

Founded by a film professional who assembled programs in Los Angeles, the series expanded from single-city presentations to tours encompassing venues in New York City, London, Paris, Tokyo, Berlin, and Toronto. Early editions featured work affiliated with animation pioneers and production companies such as Chuck Jones, Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Nick Park, and independent studios like Laika (company), Blue Sky Studios, and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Over time the compilation included shorts that had been screened at events such as Telluride Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, SXSW, Edinburgh International Film Festival, and Rotterdam International Film Festival, reflecting evolving trends in short-form animation and auteur-driven approaches.

Format and Selection Process

Programs are curated annually with films chosen based on prior recognition at festivals, awards circuits, and critical acclaim from organizations like Cinémathèque Française, Society for Animation Studies, European Film Academy, Gothenburg Film Festival, and Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films. Selection criteria prioritize artistic innovation linked to filmmakers who have affiliations with institutions such as Royal College of Art, CalArts, RCA, BFS, and production companies including StudioCanal and Channel 4. The tour format often packages 10–20 shorts per program, combining international entries from countries such as France, United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, United States, Poland, Russia, Denmark, and South Korea. Presentations include introductions by curators and occasional panels featuring representatives from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Animafest Zagreb, Animation Magazine, and distribution outlets like Oscilloscope Laboratories.

Notable Screenings and Programs

Past editions have highlighted films that later won Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, BAFTA Award for Best Short Animation, and prizes at Annecy and Cannes' short film competitions. Specific programs have screened works by filmmakers connected to entities like Nick Park (Aardman), Tomm Moore (Cartoon Saloon), Isao Takahata (Studio Ghibli), Satoshi Kon, Bill Plympton, Sylvain Chomet, Aki Kaurismäki, Chris Landreth, Don Hertzfeldt, Adam Elliot, Stephane Aubier, PES (Adam Pesapane), and studios including DreamWorks Animation, Illumination Entertainment, and Gobelins, l'École de l'image. Screenings have been hosted at festivals and institutions such as New Directors/New Films, Telluride, Museum of the Moving Image, Paley Center for Media, and university film programs at USC School of Cinematic Arts and NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Impact and Reception

Critics and industry professionals from outlets and organizations such as Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian have noted the compilation's role in increasing visibility for short-form animators and facilitating distribution deals through platforms like MUBI, Criterion Collection, iTunes, and theatrical partners. Filmmakers whose work appeared in the series have gone on to projects with Netflix (service), Amazon Studios, HBO, Hulu, and established relationships with production houses including Sony Pictures Animation and Warner Bros. Animation. Educational institutions and curatorial programs reference the series when discussing short-film programming at venues like SFMOMA, Canadian Film Centre, and Filmoteca Española.

Collaborators and Contributors

The series collaborates with festival directors, programmers, and institutions including Annecy, Sundance, Telluride, BFI Southbank, MoMA, and distributors such as Cinema Guild and Janus Films. Contributors span a range of practitioners linked to names and organizations like Don Bluth, Hayao Miyazaki (Studio Ghibli), Tim Burton, Glen Keane, John Musker, Ron Clements, Pete Docter, Brenda Chapman, Nina Paley, Laika, Aardman and educational partners at CalArts, Gobelins, and National Film Board of Canada. The touring program also engages with funding bodies and cultural institutions such as National Endowment for the Arts, British Council, Institut Français, and regional film commissions.

Category:Animated short film anthologies