Seven shorts comprise the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival “Animated Shorts Curated by Whoopi G” presentation. This excellent, diverse group, selected by Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg, screened for the first time in-person earlier today and will play again on June 13th and 15th. The filmmakers of all seven shorts have shared Exclusive Statements with Animation Scoop about what their films — and being a part of Tribeca — mean to them. For info on tickets, visit TribecaFilm.com.

Stop-motion BUDO is about a widow who meets an orange cat. They might need each other more than they initially realize. A unique story and an inventive look.

“We are really looking forward to having our international premiere of BUDŌ at the Tribeca Festival and to be part of the animation section curated by the great Whoopi Goldberg feels incredible and surrealistic. Since Tribeca isn’t an animation specific festival our hope is that the section will stand out in the short film line-up and hopefully attract all the animation lovers out there! During our time living and traveling in Japan the dream of one day shooting on location there was born. By taking the Tokyo alleyways to Sweden, BUDŌ is in a way a homage to that idea. Shooting in the middle of the Swedish winter in a cold garage for five months was a huge challenge, so getting an invite to Tribeca made all the hard work worth it, and we feel very honoured and of course extremely excited to travel to New York and meet the audience. We think BUDÕ will give the festival attendants a fun, handmade and charming treat, all wrapped in a vibrantly weird wrapping. We can’t wait to feel the vibes in the cinema and meet all the beautiful people of Tribeca!” – Directors Amanda Aagard and Alexander Toma

In the Shadow of the Cypress is a compelling and thorough tale of a father and daughter who try to save the life of a whale who has washed ashore. Their emotions and relationship will be put to the test.

“We are absolutely thrilled and honored to have our film selected for the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival. Moreover, it is especially exciting to know that the acclaimed Whoopi Goldberg has played a significant role in the selection process. The Tribeca Film Festival has long been a bastion of independent and innovative filmmaking, and to have our work included in this esteemed competition is a tremendous privilege. We are excited to bring our film to this global stage and engage with the discerning Tribeca audience. This is an incredibly important moment for us as filmmakers, and while we cannot attend Tribeca in person, we look forward to connecting with fellow artists, industry leaders, and film enthusiasts at the festival. With gratitude and anticipation, we eagerly await the opportunity to share our cinematic vision with the world at Tribeca.” — Directors Shirin Sohani and Hossein Molayemi

LUKi and the Lights tells the powerful story of a robot who receives an ALS diagnosis. This has really stayed with me since I screened it a month ago. Quite moving and a touching experience.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be selected for Tribeca’s Animated Shorts, curated by Whoopi Goldberg! “LUKi and the Lights” tells the story of an upbeat robot diagnosed with ALS who must choose how to face his new reality. As the director, I knew this film would address the serious topic of an incurable disease. My goal was to honor the creators of LUKi and all those affected by ALS, including families and, especially, children. It was crucial to depict LUKi’s journey as he navigated the challenges, ensuring he remained resilient and upbeat despite his diagnosis. Many on our team at Big Grin Productions have lost loved ones to ALS, including my producer, Adrian Ochoa. This personal connection drove us to create an authentic story, using animation to explore intimate and nuanced moments without the need for dialogue. I want to express my gratitude to Sascha Groen and Anjo Snijders for trusting us with bringing LUKi to life, and to Global Neuro YCare and the ALS Association, who developed resources to support youth programming and raise awareness about ALS. I’m excited to share this unique story with audiences at Tribeca and beyond.” — Director Toby Cochran

“We’re thrilled and honored to be screening at the Tribeca Film Festival. LUKi & the Lights is a heartbreaking story about LUKi, a robot who gets diagnosed with ALS. Tribeca gives us the platform to highlight this horrible and debilitating disease and help us raise awareness to someday find a cure. The story originated in the Netherlands when Anjo got diagnosed with ALS and they didn’t know how to communicate with their kids about what their Dad was going through. Sascha, his wife, created LUKi to illustrate how the disease was progressing by turning off the light bulbs in LUKi’s joints. I have a personal connection with ALS as my grandfather tragically passed away from it in 1994. We’d like to thank our amazing crew and Global Neuro Y Care for their support.” — Producer Adrian Ochoa

The Mayfly is a sincere, hand-drawn, music and nature-driven short set in The Big Apple. A mayfly named Megalyn makes the most of her time on this planet, moving to her own rhythm.

“The Mayfly is a love letter to New York City and is about following one’s truth, passion and joy in creative expression. Megalyn Mayfly’s short three day life was chronicled by Actress/Singer/Writer Betty Buckley after she witnessed Megalyn’s dance in the lights above Artist Judy Collins’ head at the elegant Cafe Carlyle. The story was set to music by Pianist/Composer Christian Jacob, and exquisitely animated by Director, Sue Perrotto in association with Blu Blu Studios in Poland. It was important to the team to articulate the unique joy, beauty, resilience and energy of this incredible city. It’s a particular honor to be included in the Tribeca Film Festival and share Megalyn’s story with audiences in New York.” — The Team of “The Mayfly”

Nate & John is a heartwarming and well-paced short about two lifelong friends. A journey you’ll remember for a long time.

“Nate & John is a film about the enduring power of friendship and community, that highlights the value of lifelong bonds in a world of increasingly fleeting connections. I am thrilled that “Nate & John” has been selected to be part of the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival. It’s a testament to the hard work that our international team of artists devoted to bringing this project to life. It is truly an honor to be having our world premiere in this historic, innovative festival.” — Director Jumai Yusuf

“Nate & John has been a special project, years in the making. However, it was during the isolation of COVID that we decided it was a story we needed to tell. This animated short is about human connection. This theme was reflected behind the scenes as well, as we brought together a team of talented young individuals from all walks of life, representing diverse backgrounds and experiences. Our whole team is very proud to have ‘Nate & John’ premiere at Tribeca.” — Todd Feldman and Michael Bickel, Unity Animation Project

Ruthless Blade is an energetic swordsman saga involving cats and humans. Filled with surprises.

“Ruthless Blade is an ambitious project aiming to authentically capture the essence of classic wuxia films, like those of King Hu and Tsui Hark, while making them more accessible, especially to younger audiences. Meanwhile, by infusing 3D modeling with hand-drawn textures, We’re blending 2D and 3D animation techniques in innovative ways. This journey has been challenging both conceptually and technically over the past two years. We’ve pondered deeply on what truly represents us and embodies the essence of Chinese animation while being universally resonant. As the sole Chinese animated short at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival, we’re excited to hear feedback from North American audiences, hoping it sheds light on our work and provides them with a unique glimpse into wuxia culture and Chinese animation.” — Director Bo Zhang

And Scrubby is about mother and son creatures covered in purple fur. Their lives are going to change, and they’ll need each other more than ever. Immersive visuals and nice music.

“Being a part of the Animated Short Selection of Tribeca with “Scrubby” is by far the biggest compliment our film has received! It is a great honor for us that Whoopi Goldberg herself curated the program. Our story revolves around a caring relationship between parent and child whose roles might reverse over time. Change can always be scary. We are overjoyed that the Tribeca Film Festival is giving us the opportunity to share this story with many more people. We worked on this project for 2 years at our former school, the Animationsinstitut. Now we’re looking forward to seeing the other excellent films during the festival and above all meet some cool filmmakers from all around the world!” — Director Paul Vollet and producer Paulina Larson