Animated Short “Hair Love” Makes Theatrical Debut August 14

Photo: SONY PICTURES ANIMATION

โ€œHair Loveโ€ is a heartfelt animated short film that centers around the relationship between an African-American father, his daughter Zuri, and the most daunting task a father could ever come across โ€“ doing his daughterโ€™s hair. The short, a passion project from Matthew A. Cherry, will be making its theatrical debut in North America on August 14th, 2019, playing in front of โ€œThe Angry Birds Movie 2,โ€ from Sony Pictures Animation and Rovio Animation.

Directed by Cherry (executive producer, โ€œBlacKkKlansmanโ€), Everett Downing Jr. (animator, “Up,” “WALLยทE”), and Bruce W. Smith (creator, โ€œThe Proud Family,โ€ animator, โ€œThe Princess and the Frogโ€), โ€œHair Loveโ€ is a collaboration with Sony Pictures Animation that was launched as a Kickstarter campaign in 2017 with a fundraising goal of $75,000. Strong support led to the campaign amassing nearly $300,000, making it the most highly-funded short film campaign in Kickstarter history.

โ€œTo see this project go from a Kickstarter campaign to the big screen is truly a dream come true,โ€ said Cherry. โ€œI couldnโ€™t be more excited for โ€˜Hair Loveโ€™ to be playing with โ€˜The Angry Birds Movie 2โ€™ in front of a wide audience and for the world to see our touching story about a black father trying to figure out how to do his daughters hair for the very first time.โ€

โ€œHair Loveโ€ features the voice of Issa Rae (โ€œInsecureโ€) as the young girlโ€™s mother. The short is produced by Karen Rupert Toliver, Stacey Newton, Monica A. Young, Matthew A. Cherry, and Lion Forge Animationโ€™s David Steward II and Carl Reed. Peter Ramsey (โ€œSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseโ€) and Frank Abney (animator, โ€œToy Story 4โ€) serve as executive producers.

โ€œThis is such a special story that means so much to us,โ€ added Ramsey, โ€œMatthew has rallied an insanely talented group of people to get this short made, and to be able to share it with the world is a gift. We hope that audiences can feel this teamโ€™s dedication up on the big screen, we are incredibly proud of it.โ€

The shortโ€™s co-executive producers include Jordan Peele, Andrew Hawkins, Harrison Barnes, Yara and Keri Shahidi. The shortโ€™s associate producers include Nโ€™Dambi Gillespie, Gabrielle Union-Wade & Dwayne Wade Jr., Gabourey Sidibe, Stephanie Fredric and Claude Kelly.

Physical production of โ€œHair Loveโ€ has taken place at the Los Angeles-based animation studio, Six Point Harness (โ€œGuava Islandโ€).

The picture book โ€œHair Loveโ€ was released by Kokila Books/Penguin Random House releasing on May 14, 2019, and became a New York Times Bestseller.

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