Animation Nights New York and Alamo Drafthouse Cinema have joined forces to screen independent animated short films before main features. This alliance offers a distribution window beyond the festival circuit, allowing animated pieces to reach the big screen alongside commercial releases. The first short on the bill is Buzzkill by Peter Ahern, a dark comedy blending modern romance and body horror.
Alternative distribution for independent animation 🎬
The traditional distribution model for short films is usually limited to festivals or digital platforms. This partnership introduces a scheme where shorts are integrated as pre-show content before commercial feature films, leveraging the flow of viewers already attending the cinema. The curation selects pieces with duration and tone compatible with the general audience, using standard DCP digital projection. Buzzkill, with its black comedy aesthetic and 2D animation, serves as a proof of concept for this exhibition channel.
Love, flies, and popcorn: the full menu 🍿
Watching Buzzkill before Obsession promises a peculiar gastronomic experience: first you get served body horror with dating app romance, and then the main feature. It's like ordering a burger and getting an animated insect as an appetizer. But hey, if the audience can handle the scares of a real Tinder date, they'll surely survive this short. At least the popcorn doesn't have real bugs.