This charming stop-motion animated fable tells the story of a starving fox and a cunning chickadee, who find themselves trapped in a standoff. Without chance on his side, the chickadee turns the tables on the fox by proposing a plan that would feed him for the winter (instead of just a 'snack'). But there's a catch: the two will need to work together to steal the feast.
I wrote this children's fable back in 2008- around the same time I started working as a stop-motion animator. While building on my animation skills in a studio environment, I continued developing this story, until in 2011 I finally decided to go ahead to produce it myself.
Although I had made short films before, I knew I couldn't do this one alone in my basement. So, through my connection to Cuppa Coffee animation studio in Toronto, I put together a team of stop-motion specialists to work on this project. These dedicated individuals are the best in their field, and signed on to this project in support of a good story with a low-budget. This was also my first time running an IndieGoGo fundraising campaign, with which we managed to raise over $2000 from the generous support of friends and family. Along with some additional funding from the National Film Board of Canada, I secured enough to get started. Starting in July, we set up shop in a corner of Cuppa Coffee's studios, and shot the 7 minute film over the next 5 months.
The film premiered at the Montreal World Film Festival - 2012, and has since played in festivals around the world. There's a festival list below, along with a trailer and some making-of vignettes. The film is being distributed worldwide by The National Film Board of Canada.