Annecy 2019: First Look at Frozen 2 and New Disney Short Films
Skwigly
In what has become an annual tradition at Annecy International Animated Film Festival, Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS) returns with a Bonlieu Theater presentation showcasing the Studios’ latest projects, presented by the filmmakers themselves.
On Friday 14th June, Head of Animation Becky Bresee and Head of Effects Animation Marlon West take to the stage to give an inside look at the making of Frozen 2, and the directors of three new shorts — Just A Thought, directed by Brian Menz, Exchange Student, directed by Natalie Nourigat and Jing Hua, directed by Jerry Huynh — present their shorts in world premiere screenings at Annecy.
The shorts are part of Short Circuit, the Studios’ experimental program that began in 2016 where anyone at Walt Disney Animation Studios can pitch an idea and potentially be selected to create an original short film with the support of the Studio and their fellow artists. The goal of this innovative program is to take risks in both visual style and story, surface new voices at the Studio and experiment with new technical innovation. The program has so far given 20 Disney Animation artists the opportunity to create their own short, most averaging 2-minutes in length. Last year’s award-winning Disney Animation VR short, Cycles, directed by Jeff Gipson, was created within the Short Circuit program as well.
The short films within Short Circuit will be available Spring of 2020 in the US on Disney+, Disney’s upcoming direct-to-consumer streaming service.