Looking to inspire fresh new work from across the company, animation giant Pixar launched SparkShorts, a programme designed to encourage those who might not otherwise get a chance. The latest short film to emerge is Kitbull, which features an unlikely friendship between two animals.
Written and directed by Rosana Sullivan and produced by Kathryn Hendrickson, Kitbull features a fiercely independent stray kitten and a pit bull chained nearby who is dragged into a dog fighting ring. Slowly but surely, the animosity between the two – mostly from the kitten's side – dissolves and the pair forms a true bond. The rest... Well, you'll see.
It's a sweet and beautifully animated piece, utilising hand-drawn 2D techniques blended with all the computing power that Pixar can muster. It explores a style unlike anything the company has produced, and feels more of a piece with Disney's Feast short{
The other SparkShorts are available on YouTube, including Smash And Grab, chronicling another friendship born in unlikely circumstances. As for Pixar's film output, its next offering will be Toy Story 4, due out on 21 June.
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