Watch: New Pixar short ‘Kitbull’ follows the emotional, unlikely friendship between a dogfighting pit bull and kitten
Feb 20, 2019
Pixar just released their latest animated SparkShort film “Kitbull,” and be warned: you might cry.
What it’s about: “Kitbull” follows a stray kitten living in the mission district of San Francisco who learns to befriend a pit bull who, the film implies, is being forced into dog fights.
In the short, the two become friends after the kitten learns to leave its comfort zone and reach out to the wounded dog.
The animation: Unlike most Pixar films, “Kitbull” is a hand-drawn, 2D animated film with every frame hand drawn and painted by artists, according to director Rosana Sullivan.
Inspiration: Sullivan said the short was initially inspired by internet cat videos and her own struggles with being shy as a child.
“Growing up, I was always very sensitive and very shy and had actually a lot of trouble kind of making connections, making friendship,” Sullivan said, “and so I related to this kitten because it never really stepped outside of its comfort zone to be vulnerable and make a connection.”
About SparkShorts: “Kitbull” is the third addition to Pixar’s new short animated film project SparkShorts, where participating Pixar employees are given six months and limited funding to create their own short film based on their experiences.
Future SparkShorts will be published on Disney’s streaming service Disney+ later this year, according to Pixar.
Get a peek behind-the-scenes of “Kitbull” here: