I’m Ron Diamond, and I’ve devoted the past 16 years to sharing the very best animated short films by the world’s top animators with students and industry professionals through the Animation Show of Shows.
It’s so important to me that these brilliant films are viewed, and not just by the animation community but by filmgoers everywhere.
I’m here on Kickstarter to fund an expanded program to preserve great films, underwrite the program I present to the animation community, and entertain and reach many of you – people outside the animation community who love a great film. Here’s what you’re supporting with your pledge:
I’ve personally underwritten about two-thirds of the costs for the Animation Show of Shows — that’s more than $100,000 every year. That’s just not something I can continue to do, so I created a non-profit 501(c)3 organization so you can support this popular program with a tax-deductible gift.
The new non-profit status also allows me to apply for foundation grants and matching gifts from employee programs.
I do get honorariums from schools and generous support from the following animation studios: Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Google ATAP, Illumination Entertainment, Paramount Pictures Animation, DreamWorks Animation, 20th Century Fox Animation, Blue Sky Studios, Laika, Sony Pictures Animation, Walt Disney Television, and Walt Disney Toon Studios.
With your generous support I can close the funding gap and continue to inspire professional animators and students with the very best of the year’s films.
Here’s a nice example of the kind of portrait I want to bring you and the level of work produced in my studio. It’s about Dutch animator Michael Dudok de Wit, whose animated short film Father & Daughter won the Oscar in 2000.
In the coming months I’ll produce several documentary profiles of the animators who are selected for the 17th annual Animation Show of Shows. I just returned from a trip to St. Petersburg, Russia, where we filmed the first of this year’s documentary profiles featuring animator Konstantin Bronzit, who created the brilliant film We Can’t Live Without Cosmos.
These short profiles will give you a context to better understand the filmmakers and their films.
The money we raise here beyond our minimum goal will underwrite the cost of these films, and I’ll provide a detailed budget once we go beyond the minimum funding goal.
My ultimate goal is to create new distribution opportunities to bring the best animated shorts to large screens, where they were meant to be viewed.
I’m delighted to report that the first of the films I’m announcing for the upcoming public release is We Can’t Live Without Cosmos, which was featured at private screenings of the Animation Show of Shows this past year.
Cosmos is a joyous and funny and ultimately very touching film about friendship and loneliness, but it’s also fresh and unexpected. I love this brilliant film, and when I watch it I want everyone to be able to see it and be inspired.