If you’re an avid social media user, you’ve probably seen this animated short film on your feed. In case you haven’t clicked the link yet, then you’ve totally missed out on something really precious.
Based on a comic strip by Fabio Coala, “The Present” short movie is actually a thesis by Jacob Frey for the Institute of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Postproduction at the Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg in Ludwigsburg, Germany. So far, the film has already been screened at more than 180 film festivals and has won more than 50 awards.
The story revolves around Jake, a boy who’d rather spend most of his time playing videogames in their home. His life changes when his mother gives him a present in a box – which turned out to be a three-legged dog.
The boy initially hated the idea and resented the disabled pet, despite its cuteness. He, however, notices something special about the canine and it eventually teaches him an important, heartwarming life lesson – something that helps him in his own struggles.
You can watch the inspiring short film here:
“The Present” has gained a lot of positive reaction from netizens across the world. Vimeo user Christiane Brito Engman described the movie as “Sweet and beautiful with an inspiring message” while Faye Clemente commented that the video “made me cry literally.”
Alex Assenmacher, on the other hand, praised the film this way:
“Awesome! Everything is so subtle and well directed. The best films are those that you keep discovering things when watching a second, third and fourth time.”
If this is just for a thesis, then we can’t wait to see what Jacob Frey and his team can come up with if, say, they get hired by a big movie company and are backed with enormous support and ample budget. We suspect they’d be able to create more awesome stuff. We will definitely keep our eyes peeled till then!