Return to Hairy Hill explained

Return to Hairy Hill
Native Name:
Director:Daniel Gies
Producer:Emily Paige
Music:Tyler Fitzmaurice
Jessica Moss
Cinematography:Sébastien Gros
Studio:E.D. FILMS
Runtime:17 minutes
Country:Canada
Language:No Dialogue

Return to Hairy Hill (French: Retour à Hairy Hill) is a Canadian animated short film, directed by Daniel Gies and released in 2023.[1] Blending two-dimensional, three-dimensional and puppet animation styles, the film is based on the true story of Gies's grandmother, who made an effort to keep her siblings together after they were abandoned by their parents but was ultimately separated from them after they were taken into protective custody and was never successfully reunited with all of them in her lifetime.[2]

The film premiered at the 2023 les Sommets du cinéma d'animation.[1]

Plot

In an isolated prairie home at Hairy Hill, Alberta, a young girl shoulders the burden of caring for her three siblings and navigating a dysfunctional relationship with their mother. When the mother mysteriously transforms into a bird and abandons her children, this resilient eldest sister struggles to maintain their isolated existence. As the siblings, one by one, undergo a metamorphosis into animals and forsake her for the enchanting forest, she faces a poignant choice: embrace her own transformation and join them in the vast wilderness of their home or defy fate, embracing her scarred humanity, and venture into the towns and cities of the world to forge her own destiny.

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryStatusRef
2023Sommets du cinéma d'animationGrand Prix Guy L. Coté pour le Meilleur film d'animation canadien[3]
Cinéfest Sudbury International Film FestivalOutstanding Animated Short Film[4]
GIRAF International Festival of Independent AnimationTop Canadian short Film[5]
2024
VIEW ConferenceVIEW Awards 2023 Grand Prize[6]
Los Angeles International Children's Film FestivalDaniel Koops Award for Outstanding Film Score
Festival international du film pour enfants de MontréalPrix de meilleur court-métrage d'animation (Best Animated Short Prize)[7]
Canadian Screen AwardsBest Animated Short[8]

Notes and References

  1. Mercedes Milligan, "E.D. Films’ 10-Year Project ‘Return to Hairy Hill’ to Premiere at Montreal Animation Summit". Animation Magazine, May 8, 2023.
  2. Debbie Diamond Sarto, "E.D. Films Shares 'Retour à Hairy Hill’ Official Trailer". Animation World Network, August 12, 2022.
  3. https://ctvm.info/les-prix-des-21es-sommets-du-cinema-danimation-devoiles/ "Les prix des 21es Sommets du cinéma d’animation dévoilés!"
  4. https://www.sudbury.com/local-news/cinefest-reveals-2023-award-winners-7614520 "Cinéfest reveals 2023 award winners"
  5. Mercedes Milligan, "‘A Crab in the Pool,’ ‘The House of Loss’ Win Top Prizes at GIRAF". Animation Magazine, November 27, 2023.
  6. Mercedes Milligan, "‘Return to Hairy Hill’ Wins VIEW Conference Grand Prize". Animation Magazine, February 28, 2024.
  7. Frédérique De Simone, "Festival international du film pour enfants : «Le dernier jaguar» remporte le Prix du public". Le Journal de Montréal, March 14, 2024.
  8. Jamie Lang, "Canadian Screen Awards 2024: All The Animation, VFX, And Video Game Nominees". Cartoon Brew, March 13, 2024.