Oscar-winning animator Torill Kove, known for her unique style of personal storytelling, now dives into the inspiration for the images in her award-winning short ‘Maybe Elephants’ and how they were crafted.
On the heels of our first behind-the-scenes look at Maybe Elephants, Oscar-winning animator Torill Kove offers more heartfelt reflections on the creative journey behind her latest acclaimed short film. Known for her unique and personal storytelling style, Kove dives into her self-taught roots as an animator, praising the forgiving and exploratory nature of animation.
Kove candidly shares how skipping a formal education in animation allowed her to embrace mistakes and grow along the way. She describes the immense joy of watching her creations come to life, with each frame sparking a sense of fulfillment. Her love for the medium shines through as she delves into her film’s early stages, showcasing initial sketches, character concepts and inspirations drawn from Nairobi’s vibrant landscapes and architecture, and its colorful buses (the matatus).
With her trademark modesty and charm, Kove offers not just a glimpse into her process but also an inspiring testament to creativity, collaboration and the magic of animation.
Maybe Elephants is already making waves: selected to screen at more than 30 international festivals, it has now won four awards. The film scooped the Audience Prize for Short Film at South Korea’s Bucheon International Animation Festival and the Canadian Film Prize at Vancouver’s SPARK Animation Festival, where Kove also received the Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding contributions to the field of animation.
Her fourth film co-produced by the National Film Board of Canada and Norway’s Mikrofilm, the short exemplifies Kove’s signature blend of whimsy, emotion and cultural depth.
Maybe Elephants is one of the 15 films shortlisted for this year’s Oscar for Best Animated Short Film.
--- Missed part 1 of Torill Kove’s creative process? You can find it here.
