Return to Hairy Hill () is a Canadian animated short film, directed by Daniel Gies and released in 2023.Mercedes Milligan, "E.D. Films’ 10-Year Project ‘Return to Hairy Hill’ to Premiere at Montreal Animation Summit". Animation Magazine, May 8, 2023. Blending two-dimensional, three-dimensional and puppet animation styles, the film is based on the true story of Gies's grandmother, who made an effort to keep her siblings together after they were abandoned by their parents but was ultimately separated from them after they were taken into protective custody and was never successfully reunited with all of them in her lifetime.Debbie Diamond Sarto, "E.D. Films Shares 'Retour à Hairy Hill’ Official Trailer". Animation World Network, August 12, 2022.
The film premiered at the 2023 les Sommets du cinéma d'animation.
Plot In an isolated prairie home at Hairy Hill, Alberta, a young girl shoulders the burden of caring for her three siblings and navigating a dysfunctional relationship with their mother. When the mother mysteriously transforms into a bird and abandons her children, this resilient eldest sister struggles to maintain their isolated existence. As the siblings, one by one, undergo a metamorphosis into animals and forsake her for the enchanting forest, she faces a poignant choice: embrace her own transformation and join them in the vast wilderness of their home or defy fate, embracing her scarred humanity, and venture into the towns and cities of the world to forge her own destiny.
Accolades
AwardYearCategoryStatusRef Sommets du cinéma d'animation 2023Grand Prix Guy L. Coté pour le Meilleur film d'animation canadien"Les prix des 21es Sommets du cinéma d’animation dévoilés!". CTVM, May 16, 2023.Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival2023Outstanding Animated Short Film"Cinéfest reveals 2023 award winners" . Sudbury.com, September 28, 2023.GIRAF International Festival of Independent Animation2023Top Canadian short FilmMercedes Milligan, "‘A Crab in the Pool,’ ‘The House of Loss’ Win Top Prizes at GIRAF". Animation Magazine, November 27, 2023.VIEW Conference20232023 Grand PrizeMercedes Milligan, "‘Return to Hairy Hill’ Wins VIEW Conference Grand Prize". Animation Magazine, February 28, 2024.Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival2024Daniel Koops Award for Outstanding Film ScoreFestival international du film pour enfants de Montréal2024Prix de meilleur court-métrage d'animation (Best Animated Short Prize)Frédérique De Simone, "Festival international du film pour enfants : «Le dernier jaguar» remporte le Prix du public". Le Journal de Montréal, March 14, 2024.Canadian Screen Awards2024Best Animated ShortJamie Lang, "Canadian Screen Awards 2024: All The Animation, VFX, And Video Game Nominees" . Cartoon Brew, March 13, 2024.Prix Iris2024Best Animated Short FilmÉric Lavallée, "Prix Iris 2024: Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person Leads “Quebec Oscars” Noms". Ioncinema, October 9, 2024.
References