The ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS returns to theaters across North America this fall, presenting 16 exceptional and inspiring animated shorts from around the world. At a time of increasing social instability and global anxiety about a range of issues, the works in this year’s show have a special resonance, presenting compelling ideas about our place in society and how we fit into the world.

“Because animation is such a natural medium for dealing with abstract ideas and existential concerns, the ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS has always included a number of thoughtful and engaging films,” says founder and curator Ron Diamond. “However, more than in previous years, I believe that this year’s program really offers contemporary animation that expresses deeply felt issues in our own country and around the world.”

These films include Niki Lindroth von Bahr’s Annecy Grand Prix-winning “The Burden,” a melancholy, funny and moving film that explores the tribulations, hopes and dreams of a group of night-shift employees, uniquely capturing the zeitgeist of our time. At the other end of the spectrum, David OReilly’s playful and profound “Everything,” based on the work of the late philosopher Alan Watts, explores the interconnectedness of the universe and the multiplicity of perspectives that underlie reality.

16 animated short films presented in order of appearance:

Can You Do It - Quentin Baillieux, France

Tiny Big - Lia Bertels, Belgium

Next Door - Pete Docter, U.S.

The Alan Dimension - Jac Clinch, UK

Beautiful Like Elsewhere - Elise Simard, Canada

Hangman - Paul Julian and Les Goldman, U.S.

The Battle of San Romano - Georges Schwizgebel, Switzerland

Gokurosama - Clémentine Frère, Aurore Gal, Yukiko Meignien, Anna Mertz, Robin Migliorelli, Romain Salvini, France

Dear Basketball - Glen Keane, U.S.

Island - Max Mörtl and Robert Löbel, Germany

Unsatisfying - Parallel Studio, France

My Burden - Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Sweden

Les Abeilles Domestiques (Domestic Bees) Alexanne Desrosiers, Canada

Our Wonderful Nature: The Common Chameleon - Tomer Eshed, Germany

Casino - Steven Woloshen, Canada

Everything - David OReilly, U.S

Total run time: 93 min

Perhaps the most relevant film in the show is a 50-year-old short that was restored by The ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS with grants from ASIFA-Hollywood and The National Film Preservation Foundation. “Hangman,” by Paul Julian and Les Goldman, and based on a poem by Maurice Ogden, explores themes of injustice and personal responsibility in its tale of a town whose residents, afraid to speak up, are methodically executed by the title character.

Other program highlights include “Dear Basketball,” Disney veteran Glen Keane’s animation of a poem by Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, written on the occasion of his imminent retirement; Academy Award-winning Pixar director Pete Docter’s 1990 CalArts student film “Next Door”; and “Casino,” the latest film from director Steven Woloshen, who, for some 30 years, has been creating award-winning experimental films by drawing directly on film stock.

Funny, moving, engaging, and thought-provoking, the ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS not only has something for everyone, but is a remarkable and insightful microcosm of our world.

For 19 years, the ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS has been presenting new and innovative short films to appreciative audiences at animation studios, schools and, since 2015, theaters around the world. Over the years, 36 of the films showcased in the ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS went on to receive Academy Award® nominations, with 10 films winning the Oscar®. Founded and curated by producer Ron Diamond, the ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS is funded by major studios, companies, schools and hundreds of animation lovers around the world.

SUN JAN 28 | 4:30PM | $10, $7 MEMBERS (+$3 at the door)