HAG won the Special Jury Award at @SXSW 2026 in the animated short competition!
A massive congratulations to @annaginsburg and the incredible crew who worked on the film
The Jury said: “The one word that all the jurors kept repeating for this short was VOICE. This story is both relatable and totally bonkers in the best way, thanks to the craftsmanship and auteurship of the filmmaker. Its zany, high-wire humor is matched by sharp deliberate creative choices that never lose sight of character. We would be excited to rewatch this film over and over again.”
What a time to be a HAG!!! 🧙♀️
Thank you so much to the Film & TV Programmers:
Claudette Godfrey @claudasaur
Peter Hall @peterhallhuman
Jim Kolmar @jimkolmar
Francis Román @aurevoirfrancois
Gabe Van Amburgh @hartva
Blake Kammerdiener @jblakeneyk
Austin Nauert @austinauert
Lindsey Ashley @lkashley
Micaila San Miguel @ladyinablazer
#SXSW #SXSWFilmTV @britishfilminstitute
NEW WORK from Baz&Ben ! Go behind the scenes on their 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, Baz&Ben visualise the hidden pressures felt by a miraculous multitasking matriarch.
ANIMATION:
Director: @bazsells
Producers: @bazsells , @germanbenjack of @one_6th
LIVE ACTION:
Production company: @thesweetshopfilms
AGENCY: @bbhblacksheep
@strangebeasttv senior producer, @beckymperryman and director @alexgamsujenkins had the pleasure of joining episode 9 of the ‘Inside Illustration’ podcast by @theaoi where they talk all things animation!
Hosted by @dr_rachelemilytaylor and a beautiful accompanying illustration by @bybooboo
Listen now by searching ‘Inside Illustration’ on Spotify, Apple or where you find your podcasts.
🐸Day 5🐸
Hi, this is the last day of the takeover.
I don’t usually share my process, so it’s been nice to show a bit of it through these videos.
Today, I’ll be sharing the making of the frog watching TV from the Day 1 video.
I really like frogs, so I imagined a space I’d want to live in while creating this piece.�
Thanks for following along this week— hope you have a great weekend 😎
🎩Day 4🎩
Spectrum by ADOY, produced by Toss Impact, is a collaborative music video where 16 artists each created a part, coming together as a single piece.
What if the things we imagine in our minds could unfold right in front of us? Like a magician’s hat.🤹
From inside that hat, I imagined my own music friends emerging and drifting out into the world, a robot that plays music, a singing bird, a dancing piano, and a butterfly with oversized ears, listening closely.
Maybe we’re already living in a world where all these imagined hats exist side by side.
@strangebeasttv welcomes @_jimmysimpson_ to the roster!
Jimmy draws on skate culture and art history by reworking classic ideas through a modern lens. His clever symbolism often hides playful personal easter eggs through out his work.
We are so excited for Jimmy to join the Strange Beast roster of skilled directors!
click the link in the bio to see more of his work!
#newtalent #DirectorSpotlight #directors #talent #motion @weloveanimations@motiongraphics_collective
🐌Day 3🐌
Kiwihug’s “Small Town Madness!” is a music video I co-directed with live-action director Au Matt, following a strange chase through an odd little town, where a snail monster is determined to devour two guys.
At the time, I was inspired by the monsters in old films like Godzilla, characters that feel rough and a bit clumsy, yet fully convinced of their own menace.
�In a place like this town, it didn’t feel strange for something soft and fragile like a snail to become a monster.
To build a chaotic and uncanny world, I placed the chase across unexpected spaces, a puppet theater, a bakery, a farm, deep in the woods— following the protagonist as they try to escape.
Hope they make it out before turning into a bowl of stone soup.🥣
🐭Day 2🐭
Youzu’s Quicksand is the first music video I directed, and it remains a meaningful project to me.
Inspired by the idea of “quicksand”, a state that’s hard to escape. I wanted to tell the story of a girl slowly sinking into her own negative emotions.
Since those emotions often don’t show on the surface, I approached the character not as visibly depressed, but as someone slightly dreamy and offbeat.
Her negative emotions take the form of a rat, following her around, and eventually consuming her.
To create a mood that feels both dangerous and hypnotic, I used neon green boldly throughout the entire piece.💚
