Hurikán is a 2024 Czech animated short film co-written and directed by Jan Saska.
Release The 13-minutes film following the eponymous hero on a nighttime odyssey through Prague has been selected in various international film festivals, including the 2024 Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Hollyshorts Film Festival.
Hurikán was shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards in the category of Best Animated Short Film.
Plot Set in Prague, Hurikán follows the story of Hurikán, who sets out to save his favorite beer stand from closing. Hoping to win the affection of the bartender he admires, he embarks on a quest to retrieve a new keg. What begins as a simple errand turns into a chaotic adventure through the unpredictable and boisterous streets of Žižkov, a neighborhood as unruly and hungover as Hurikán himself.
Style
Hurikán combines elements of classic action cinema and film noir within the setting of Prague’s Žižkov district. Thematically, the film centers on antiheroes navigating a nocturnal cityscape, reflecting both external pursuits and internal conflicts.
The film pays homage to the golden era of Japanese animation from the 1980s and 1990s. It is a black-and-white, 2D animated short that combines traditional cel-style techniques with a digital production pipeline. Despite the use of 3D references during development, all visuals in the final film are hand-drawn and animated frame by frame.
Accolades Since its release, the film has been selected in various festivals around the world: YearFestivalsAward/CategoryStatus2024Annecy International Animation Film FestivalAudience Award for a Short FilmCzech Film Critics’ AwardBest Short Film2025Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film FestivalBest Short FilmSundance Film FestivalBest Short FilmHollyshorts Film FestivalBest Animated Short AwardSXSWBest Short FilmFestival Premiers Plans AngersAudience AwardAnimafest ZagrebAudience Award
See also List of submissions for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film
References
External links
Official Trailer on YouTube.
Hurikán on Unifrance. Hurikán on ČSFD.cz.