Kitbull

Lore & Background

Kitbull originated from Rosana Sullivan's enjoyment of viewing cat videos. She started sketching a little black kitten in 2013 while working on a feature film project at Pixar. A colleague showed her a video of a cat arching its back and trying to act tough, then falling off a counter; Sullivan was entertained by the contrast between the cat's self-perception and reality, prompting her to draw a tiny kitten embodying that contrast. The story evolved from a simple depiction of a cat into a personal narrative about a lonely cat and a dog forming a connection, inspired by Sullivan's deep love for animals and her experience working in shelters during college, where she encountered pit bulls and learned about their negative reputation.

Reader's Guide

Kitbull is significant as the third short in Pixar's SparkShorts program, which gave employees six months and limited budgets to produce animated shorts. The short was entirely hand-drawn and hand-painted, with Sullivan noting that the kitten's frenetic energy could best be captured through hand-drawn animation within the limited resources and six-month timeline. The creators invented their own pipeline and walked around San Francisco's Mission District with a selfie stick held low to the ground to see the neighborhood from the kitten's point of view. Critical reception has been generally positive, with praise for its story, emotional tone, themes, characterization, and animation. The short was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, and its themes of isolation, empathy, and vulnerability resonated with Sullivan, who identified with the kitten's shyness and difficulty forming friendships.

Did You Know?

• Kitbull is the third film in Pixar's SparkShorts program.
• The short was released on YouTube on February 18, 2019, and has received over 100 million views as of August 2023.
• Sullivan said the creation originated from her enjoyment of viewing cat videos.