Showing posts with label Matthew A. Cherry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Matthew A. Cherry. Show all posts

Monday, February 10, 2020

HAIR LOVE wins Oscar for best animated short film

Chicago filmmaker Matthew A. Cherry took home the Oscar for best animated short film for “Hair Love,” a six-minute film about an African American father attempting to do his daughter’s hair for the first time.

In accepting the award alongside co-producer Karen Rupert Toliver, Cherry — who also directed and co-wrote the film — dedicated his statuette to the late Kobe Bryant, saying ‘may all our second acts be as great as his,’ and to his special guest in attendance, DeAndre Arnold, saying, ‘I want to say “Hair Love” was done to normalize black hair.”

The win is an incredible accomplishment given that the film originated as a Kickstarter organized by Cherry, who spoke of his desire to make a movie about an African-American father’s relationship with his daughter and figuring out how to do her hair. Cherry cited a lack of representation in mainstream animation as a reason for doing the project.

Watch Cherry and Toliver’s acceptance speech below:

Watch the Oscar winning film ‘Hair Love below.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Short film "Hair Love" nominated for Academy Award

Congratulations to former NFL player Matthew A. Cherry! His short film "Hair Love" has been nominated for an Academy Award.

The film tells the heartfelt story of an African American father learning to do his daughter's hair for the first time.

Cherry had this to say about the film's nomination:

"It's very validating, I moved to LA 13 years ago and kinda started over when I retired, and I started as a PA (production assistant) and kinda worked my way up doing music videos and short films -- so to be here now at the highest level is so crazy,"

The film featured Issa Rae. It was written by Matthew A. Cherry, who was also a director and the executive producer of the film. Other directors include Everett Downing Jr. (Animator, "Up") and Bruce W. Smith (Creator, "The Proud Family," Animator, "The Princess and the Frog").

Producers on the film include Jordan Peele, Andrew Hawkins, Harrison Barnes, Yara and Keri Shahidi, N'Dambi Gillespie, Gabrielle Union-Wade, Dwayne Wade Jr., Gabourey Sidibe, Stephanie Fredric, and Claude Kelly.

WATCH THE FILM BELOW