Pixar teases all six short films in SparkShorts trailer for Disney+

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

From the studio that brought you such awe-inspiring animated short films as LAVA, PIPER, and BAO, comes six new Pixar artists' projects: FLOAT, PURL, KITBULL, SMASH AND GRAB, WIND, and LOOP. Each new animation will soon be presented as a part of SparkShorts, a feature coming to the Disney+ streaming platform that hosts new storytellers who are eager to share their tales through the power of "in-house indies."

Earlier this year, the full versions of of PURL and SMASH AND GRAB made their debut, but the new-mash-up trailer brings them back into the spotlight, alongside other animations that are bound to leave you breathless.

Here are the details for all six short films.

FLOAT:

FLOAT introduces the studio's first Filipino characters to their illustrious library of animated shorts. The film tells the story of a father who's trying to teach his infant son how to float, while also remaining hidden from prying eyes. After some time, word of the child's gift reaches society, transmuting the tale into one about acceptance as well as how best to manage an extra-normal abilities. Bobby Rubino, the short's writer and producer, recently told Action News, “It’s based on my own personal story of my son. In the story, the father is dealing with a son that floats, which makes him different from other children.”

PURL:

While society continues to stumble when making strides for equality in the workplace, Pixar has taken it upon themselves to develop an animated short that paints a not-so-pretty picture of the way female employees are seen (and treated) within their chosen professions. Meet Purl, an affable, energetic, and innovative new hire at "B.R.O. Capital" – a male dominated corporation that specializes in providing a safe work environment for dudes who delight in telling raunchy jokes, gorging themselves on after-hours chicken wings, and dismissing the talents of those who don't adhere to their narrow-minded ways of doing business.

When Purl arrives on the scene, her compatriots of the super-corp sausagefest treat her as if she's a non-entity. In time, Purl – who appears in the short as an anthropomorphic ball of pink yarn – tries to fit in by knitting herself a new look and abandoning her "softer" personality traits. Deep down, Purl knows that she's not acting like herself, but it isn't until a yellow ball of yarn by the name of Lacey arrives that she reverts back to her good-natured self. Before long, the environment and energy of B.R.O. Capital changes dramatically for the better, thanks in-part to Purl acting as a bridge between the two genders. PURL is written by Kristen Lester and produced by Gillian Libbert-Duncan.

"My first job, I was like the only woman in the room," Lester comments in a special behind-the-scenes video about the short. "In order to do the thing that I loved, I sort of became one of the guys." Lester then added,"and then I came to Pixar, and I started to work on teams with women for the first time and that made me realize how much of the female aspect of myself I had buried and left behind.”

KITBULL:

For KITBULL, a 2D short written and directed by Rosana Sullivan, with production by Kathryn Hendrickson, a stray kitten and a pit bull form an unlikely bond. As your attorney I advise you keep a box of tissues nearby as you watch this one, because woof, it's "ruff" on the old ticker. Fun Fact: The short was inspired by the act of falling down a kitten video-related hole on the internet.

SMASH AND GRAB:

Directed by Brian Larsen, SMASH AND GRAB tells the story of two antiquated robots  – one meant to shovel and the other meant to hammer – who defy their directives to break-free of their scripted lives. “There was an interesting idea that a robot that is designed for one job does not want to do that job, wants a better life,” Larsen said in an interview. (via EW)

WIND:

For WIND, as directed by Edwin Chang, a grandmother and her grandson are stuck in an endless chasm, left to scavenge the debris around them. Soon, they realize their dream of escaping to a better life.

LOOP:

Last but certainly not least, we have LOOP. Directed by Erica Milsom, LOOP shares a story about a non-verbal autistic girl and a talkative boy who partner for a canoe down an urban lake and will have to learn how the other experiences life to finish their trip. Ugh! Just kill me with feels already, okay Pixar?

And now for the best part of this article … all six shorts will be available to stream on Disney+ beginning on November 12th! In other words, if you're in the market for some self-inflicted emotional-flagelation, look no further than Pixar's raft of SparksShorts! Be sure to have the Kleenex ready, because you're going to need 'em!