Fantastic Short Film Friday - The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (animated)

And we are back with another installment in our Fantastic Short Film Friday series, as we continue to showcase films released in the "lesser" known form of cinema- the short film.

The Oscar's have just been announced with a lot of fanfare, and while many critics are ooohing and aaawing at the "major" categories, I like to do what I do every year, check out the short film nominations. Now this can prove a daunting task at times since many of the shorts are not easily available (which always makes me wonder how many of the voters have actually seen all the shorts). But I soldier on to bring myself and yourself the looks at what Oscar deems worthy of their special recognition. The first of the bunch I'll be taking a look at is a 14-minute animated short called, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from filmmakers, William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg. This is a stunning work of art, one that leads me to much sadness on why more people aren't made aware of such incredible filmmaking.

Here's the synopsis from the Itunes store:

Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story. Using a variety of techniques (miniatures, computer animation, 2D animation) award winning author/ illustrator William Joyce and Co-director Brandon Oldenburg present a hybrid style of animation that harkens back to silent films and MGM Technicolor musicals. Morris Lessmore is old fashioned and cutting edge at the same time.

Now I can't embed it since you can only watch the full short by downloading it on Itunes, but its a free download! Check out the films website here and then go to Itunes. With just a click you'll be able to see it in all its HD glory. The above description from Itunes is right on point. This feels like the child of Keaton and Oz, of black and white film technology and wonderful technicolor, of the feeling of warmth books can bring to any soul.

Check this out if you love to be filled with the awe of wonder of childhood memories. Check this out if you're a lover of books and the written word. Check this out if you love classic films. Heck, just check this out period. Enjoy this weeks dose of short form goodness in, The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.