Aug 8, 2023

Father-Son Rally Race Becomes Surreal in "Sierra," Directed by Sander Jun, Nominated for Academy Award for Best Short Film

Sander Jun's "Sierra," one of the standout animated shorts of 2022, is currently available online for free.

Part of his father's first (and last) stop-motion short from 1980, "Sierra" is a playful father-son race car adventure told with Jun's signature absurdity. At its heart, the heartwarming family is filled with deep laughs, sentimental moments, and plenty of tumultuous and desperate moves. This is Jun's fourth short film and represents a clear growth and evolution across his body of work.

Visually, the film boasts stylish surrealism interspersed with a subdued palette. Bumpy camera movements, quick cutaways, and an unblinking array of shapes flying across the screen give the audience an adrenaline rush that is as enjoyable as watching an actual race.

Sierra had a great lap around the festival circuit last year, winning awards at Clermont-Ferrand, GLAS (Audience Award), Palm Springs (Best of the Festival), Fantoche (New Talent Award), Ottawa (Public Award), Taryn Black Knight (Jury Award ), among others. It was also a finalist for the 2023 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.

Last November, Jun spoke about the semi-autobiographical story of "Sierra."