Within the world of animation, most experimentation occurs within short format productions, whether they are high-budgeted commercials, low-budgeted independent shorts or something in between. The growing number of short film festivals around the world attest to the vitality of these works, but there are few other venues for exhibition of them or even written reviews. As a result, distribution tends to be difficult and irregular. On a regular basis, Animation World Magazine will highlight some of the most interesting with short, descriptive overviews.

If you have the QuickTime plug-in, you can view a clip from each film by simply clicking the image.

Lifted (2007), 4:48, directed by Gary Rydstrom (U.S.A.). Contact: Pixar Animation Studios [E] publicity@pixar.com [W] www.pixar.com

Dreams and Desires -- Family Ties (2006), 9:50, directed by Joanna Quinn (U.K.). Contact: Catrin Unwin, Beryl Productions International Ltd. Chapter, Market Road, Canton, Cardiff, CF5 1QE, Wales, U.K. [T/F] 00.44. [0] 2920.226225 [E] studio@beryl@fut.net, studio.beryl@btconnect.com [W] www.berylproductions.com; TV Sales/Distribution: Anna-Lisa Jenaer [T] 00.44 [0] 2920.44193 [F] 00.44.[0] 2920.521.226 [E] annalisa@s4c.uk

Guide Dog (2006), 5:45, directed by Bill Plympton. Contact: Plymptoons, 107 West 25th St. #4B, New York, NY, 10001, [T] 212.675-6021 [F] 212.741. 5522 [E] Plymptoons@aol.com [W] www.plymptoons.com; International sales: Sydney Neter, SND Films, P.O. Box 15703, 1001 NE, Amsterdam, The Netherlands [T] 31.20.404.0707 [E] info@sndfilms.com

No Time for Nuts (2006), 7:06, directed by Chris Renaud (U.S.) and Michael Thurmeier (Canada). Contact: John C. Donkin, Blue Sky Studios, 44 S. Broadway, 17th Floor, White Plains, N.Y. 10601. [E] jcd@blueskystudios.com [W] www.blueskystudios.com

The Danish Poet (2006), 15:00, directed by Torrill Kove (Norway/Canada). Contact: Marcy Page, 3155 Côte de liesse, St. Laurent, Quebec, Canada, H4N 2N4 [T] 514.283.9618 [F] 514.283.3211 [E] m.page@nfb.ca [W] www.nfb.ca/thedanishpoet

Strange invaders with learner’s permits are coming for us all. To keep it fresh for its playdates with Ratatouille, Pixar is holding back clips, but you can watch a short teaser for a limited time at AWN’s Oscar Showcase. © 2006 Pixar.

Lifted
You probably already know and love Gary Rydstrom even if you don’t know the name; he’s been bringing awesome sound design to the movies since Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. The former 20-year veteran of Lucasfilm also designed sound on every Pixar feature from Toy Story to Finding Nemo, and most of the studio’s shorts up to and including Knick Knack. He’s never directed, though, until now, and his opus one in the director’s chair is a little gem called Lifted.

This latest animated short from Pixar will be playing in front of Ratatouille in June, and if you want to come fresh to what will surely be a highly entertaining evening out you’d better stop reading now, because I can barely describe this short without ruining it. It establishes, it reveals the premise, you start laughing, you don’t stop laughing, and it’s over, all in about five minutes flat, he wrote, putting as much text as possible between the spoiler alert and the spoilers to protect his innocent readers, maybe I should go on another few lines, hey do you realize I just got paid for writing a run-on sentence, I either saw a bobcat or a mountain lion while I was hiking the Verdugos, “Triskaidekaphobia” means fear of the number 13.

Okay, okay. Aliens. Alien abductor. Student alien abductor. Spoiled you yet? Lifted opens on a farm at night. All is calm and dark. The porch swing is steady. Then it starts to move. The windmill spins. Inside the house a man stirs in his sleep. BANG, a blinding white light shines in the window. The man rises, still sleeping, and hovers above the bedclothes. Slowly he moves headfirst toward the window. The music swells. The tractor beam hums. Then he bonks his head against the wall.

Cut to inside the UFO, where a shortish green-skinned tentacled thing is sitting next to a very big green-skinned tentacled thing in front of a massive control panel. The short one has a helmet that was made for someone about three grade levels ahead of him. The big one has a clipboard. The student has just pressed what he thought was certainly, definitely the right button, no doubt about it. The abductee bonks his head again. The teacher is not impressed. The student withers. The teacher makes a tick mark on his clipboard.

Engineers, you have seen this control board in your worst nightmares; there are 10,000 knobs, and not one of them is labeled. The student tries one tentatively. Wrong again. He tries another. The abductee’s body shoots straight up and hits the ceiling. The student cries out in frustration and pushes every button at once. To his delight the abductee is now aimed at the window again. Slowly he tractors him in. Then he gets stuck in the window, ass-first.

Then he gets stuck in the tree outside the window. No, no, NO I can’t go on -- it’s just too beautiful. I have to stop. Gary’s a seven-time Oscar winner. The sound is terrific. The visuals are terrific. It’s got Pixar production values. It’s nominated for an Oscar. You’re going. Enjoy.