Bunny - Oscar® Winning Short Film Explores Dying & Life After Death

Bunny, which was the first film to use an advanced ambient lighting technology known as radiosity, set new standards in cinematic storytelling for the computer-animation industry. In addition to winning the Academy Awary, Bunny has won more than 25 international awards for animation excellence, including First Prize at the International Children's Cinema.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars. Short bursts of violence and anger.

Running Time: 7 Minutes 15 seconds

Discovering Bunny

This Award Winning Animated Computer Animated Short Film was recently brought to my attention by my daughters. This seven-minute short film was included as a bonus feature on the Super Cool Edition of Ice Age DVD. As they were watching the featue, I started listened to the interview Director Chris Wedge about the making of the film and heard mention of metamorphosis and tunnels of light, then started paying more attention. When I watched the video I was touched by the heart-felt story of love, dying and the hope of a reunion with loved ones who have gone before us.

A Bit of Hope for Those who have Experienced a Death

Bunny also helps provide a bit of hope for those who have lost a loved one...a hope that there may be something beyond this life. My husband, who lost his father this spring, was drawn into this short film, touched by this simple but effective cinematic story. A fortuitous coincidence? A message sent from my father-in-law? Who knows, but my husband hasn't been able to kill any moths since seeing the film.

A note for those viewing the film who have experienced a recent loss: Be sure to have a box of tissues near by. You may need them.

View Bunny Online
You can view the film online at the Yahoo Movie Site or by following the links under "Related Guide Picks."

Special Info on Purchasing
Bunny is available as a bonus feature on the Super Cool Edition of Ice Age One DVD. If you are interested in purchasing "Bunny" check the "DVD Features" list to make sure that Bunny is listed as one of the features.

Bunny as an Educational End-of-Life Tool

It wasn't long before I realized, as a death educator, what a wonderful educational tool this short film would be for introducing end-of-life concepts to children of all ages. Since the film is relatively short ~ 7 minutes, it is an ideal ice-breaker for introducing end-of-life concepts. I could see it being used for children, in College level Death and Dying courses, courses for medical or nursing students and even in support groups. Showing the film is a way of giving everyone a common experience as a starting place for discussions on a variety of topics including aging, dying, the dying experience, the presence of angels, the belief in something beyond.

Bunny will have will have viewers laughing, crying and then thinking. Perhaps Bunny will be enjoying life as a end-of-life educational tool.

From the Blue Sky Studios

Written and directed by Chris Wedge, one of the founders of Blue Sky Studios, Bunny began as an effort to stretch the limits of the company's proprietary lighting software. What makes Bunny unique is its warm, photorealistic style. Using radiosity, an advanced computer rendering technique that mimics the most subtle properties of natural light, Wedge and his crew were able to create a dimensionality and organic realism never before seen in a computer- animated film. In his acceptance speech for the Academy Award director Chris Wedge acknowledged that Bunny was a labor of love and thanked the Studio for allowing him to follow his heart and for "pouring so much of yours into Bunny." His heart-felt message of love and hope comes though, leaving the viewer feeling warm at the end.

This Oscar® Winning Best Animated Short Film also explores the concepts of love, dying, reunion and life after death, with loving care, humor and realistic, beautiful computer imagery.

_{Bunny Images Poster and Moth © Blue Sky Studio.}