One6th

BAFTA-nominated 'Two Black Boys in Paradise' isn’t just an awards story. It’s a five-year journey that turned a deeply personal poem about Black queer love into stunning, handcrafted stop-motion. From reimagining Eden to solving in-camera water reflections, the team built a world where holding hands becomes an act of defiance, self-acceptance, and liberation that mirrored its creators' own lived experiences. We spoke to poet Dean Atta, whose work is adapted for the short, and producer-writer Ben Jackson about how love, collaboration, and self-acceptance shaped one of the year’s most powerful animated shorts. Full feature linked in bio. #animation #animatedshort #bafta #stopmotion

Today's Oscar-qualified short is 'Two Black Boys in Paradise,' directed by Baz Sells and produced by One6th Animation Studio. Adapted from Dean Atta’s poem of the same name, this stop-motion short follows Edan and Dula as they navigate love, identity, and belonging. Its handcrafted aesthetic and symbolic visuals offer a tender, immersive portrait of queer Black adolescence. Made over five years by a dedicated and collaborative team, 'Two Black Boys in Paradise' stands out as a heartfelt celebration of vulnerability, belonging, and self-acceptance. #animation #stopmotion #animatedshort #lgbtq🌈 #oscars #academyawards

NEW WORK! Go behind the scenes on our latest commercial work made in collaboration with BBH London and The Sweetshop. Handmade over 12 weeks, our stop-motion scenes capture the push and pull of modern living; from chaotic commuting to late night computing, we visualise the hidden pressures felt by a miraculous multitasking matriarch. Watch the Ad in full @bbhblacksheep A big thanks to everyone involved! ANIMATION Director: @bazsells Producers: @bazsells , @germanbenjack Art Director: @sanna_rasanen_ Associate Producer: @lewkdavies DoP & MoCo: Ben Jones Animators: @anna.pearson.animation , @sam_rhys_turner MoCo Supplier: @displacement1 Storyboards: Ash Kumar CG Eyes: @duncanrudd Compositing: Mark Pickles Sets and Props: @darklane_studios @_katearthur_ @frankie.tonge.art @andybellart Puppets: @mackandsaund Company Director : @mackandsaund Company Secretary: Sasha Dickson Accountants: Karen Farrell Production Manager: Steve Levinshon Production Assistant: @marshall_flinders , @viking._.princess Workshop Supervisor: @richardpickersgill Digital Sculpt: @bethjupe Digital Support and Applied Imaging:@anthonylfallows , @skeletonbob Sculpt & Mould Making: Noel Estevez-Baker Armature: @frankie.tonge.art , @artfoil Costume:- Barbara Biddulph Silicone: @tinkertoys72 , @emilyjmills Paint: @pauldaviesart Wig: @sanna_rasanen_ Additional Costume: @andybellart AGENCY Creative agency: @bbhblacksheep Executive creative director: Jon Chapman Creative director: Alistair Robertson Medical writers: Rameez Pervaiz, Jonida Ramekaj Design director: Olive Tebby Senior motion designer: Seb Camilleri Managing partner: Clementine Gait Business lead: Dia Chilintan Account director: Laura Walsh Account manager: Kirsty Campbell-Birkett Senior strategist: Mary Parker Strategy director: Sabrina Anderson SVP, Social Excellence: Brian Mook Agency Film producer: Lisa Nicholls LIVE ACTION Production company: @thesweetshopfilms Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green DOP: Stuart Bentley EP: @morganmwhitlock Producer: Theo Youngstein Editor/s: Billy Mead Edit House: TenThree Post: @rascalstudio_ Post producer: Callum O’Brien EP: Jenna Le Noury Colourist: James Bamford

Deeply grateful to the @stopemotionvenice jury for this statement on TBBIP. A jury made up by stop-motion filmmakers who themselves have created some of our favourite stop-motion films to date (@michaelgranberry / @matteoburani_official / @izabela.plucinska.71 ) 🙏🏼

Market crates built for Two Black Boys in Paradise. Cut, textured, painted and assembled for @one_6th . #stopmotion #modelmaking #behindthescenes #artdepartment #setbuilding