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AT HOME

Produced by Karen Toliver and directed by NFL wide-receiver Matthew Cherry, this week’s animated short film was funded through Kickstarter, debuted on YouTube, made its theatrical debut in front of Angry Birds 2 in 2019, and won an Oscar for best animated short film in 2020. Not your typical trajectory for an Oscar-winner. A short film for all ages, the story of the making of the film is as inspiring as the film itself. Check out our suggested activities for more information about how this film came to be.

“Hair Love, is a 7 minute animated short film that centers around the relationship between an African-American father, Stephen, his daughter, Zuri and her hair. Despite having long locks, Stephen has been used to his wife doing his daughter’s hair, so when she is unavailable right before a big event, Stephen will have to figure it out on his own. This sounds simple enough, but we soon come to find that Zuri’s hair has a mind of its own. This story was born out of seeing a lack of representation in mainstream animated projects, and also wanting to promote hair love amongst young men and women of color. It is our hope that this project will inspire.”

— Matthew A. Cherry, Director of Hair Love


 

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