9 (2005 film)
| 9 | |
|---|---|
 Poster for the short film | |
| Directed by | Shane Acker |
| Written by | Shane Acker |
| Music by | Earganic |
Release date | 21 April 2005 |
Running time | 11 min |
| Country | USA |
| Language | None |
9, created by Shane Acker, is a computer animated 2005 Academy Award-nominated short film, and will be adapted as a feature film distributed by Focus Features.
Plot
9 is a sentient rag doll who appears to be the last of his kind, living in the ruins of a decaying parallel world, and is hunted relentlessly by a twisted mechanical beast that has killed eight of his rag doll kindred by stealing their souls with a canister-like talisman. 9 was formerly accompanied by his friend and mentor, the one-eyed 5, with whom he scavenged the ruins of their world in search of tools that would help them survive. However, the monster attacked 5 and stole his soul with its talisman, though 9 narrowly escaped with a similar, glowing talisman given to him by 5.
In an attempt to destroy the monster, 9 prepares a trap and lures it into an old building where it is briefly subdued, allowing 9 to steal its talisman. The monster breaks free and chases 9 through the building, cornering him on a wooden plank elevated high above the floor. Just as the monster crawls along the unstable plank and approaches him, 9 leaps to safety and knocks the plank down. The monster plummets to the floor below, impaled and killed by the falling plank. After setting up a memorial for his kindred, 9 puts the two talismans together to create a larger canister that releases the souls of all the monster's victims, including 5. Before vanishing, 5's spirit turns to 9 and gives him an approving nod. 9 sets off to parts unknown, leaving the canister behind.
Awards
- Won
- Student Academy Award — Gold Award for Animation
- SIGGRAPH — Best in Show
- Animex — First Prize, 3D Character Animation
- Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation College Awards — First Prize, Non-traditional Animation
- Florida Film Festival, Newport Beach Film Festival — Best Animated Short
- Nominated
Feature film
9 is also an upcoming computer animated feature film adapted from the short film, is produced in part by Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov, and Jim Lemley and is scheduled for release on September 9, 2009. The film will be released by Focus Features.
Shane Acker directed the film and, with Pamela Pettler, wrote the script. The lead voice actors are Elijah Wood, John C. Reilly, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, Martin Landau, and Christopher Plummer.[1][2]
See also
References
- ^ "Shane Acker's 9". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved 2007-02-15.
- ^ "Strong cast lines up for animated '9'". The Film Asylum. Retrieved 2007-03-21.
External links
- Shane Acker's web page
- Interview with Shane Acker, including stills, on animationtrip.com
- 9 at IMDb
- 9 watch full version of 9, the 2005 short film on YouTube