
βHair Loveβ 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 β doing his daughterβs 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 βThe Angry Birds Movie 2,β from Sony Pictures Animation and Rovio Animation.
Directed by Cherry (executive producer, βBlacKkKlansmanβ), Everett Downing Jr. (animator, “Up,” “WALLΒ·E”), and Bruce W. Smith (creator, βThe Proud Family,β animator, βThe Princess and the Frogβ), βHair Loveβ 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.
βTo see this project go from a Kickstarter campaign to the big screen is truly a dream come true,β said Cherry. βI couldnβt be more excited for βHair Loveβ to be playing with βThe Angry Birds Movie 2β 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.β
βHair Loveβ features the voice of Issa Rae (βInsecureβ) as the young girlβs mother. The short is produced by Karen Rupert Toliver, Stacey Newton, Monica A. Young, Matthew A. Cherry, and Lion Forge Animationβs David Steward II and Carl Reed. Peter Ramsey (βSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Verseβ) and Frank Abney (animator, βToy Story 4β) serve as executive producers.
βThis is such a special story that means so much to us,β added Ramsey, βMatthew 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 teamβs dedication up on the big screen, we are incredibly proud of it.β
The shortβs co-executive producers include Jordan Peele, Andrew Hawkins, Harrison Barnes, Yara and Keri Shahidi. The shortβs associate producers include NβDambi Gillespie, Gabrielle Union-Wade & Dwayne Wade Jr., Gabourey Sidibe, Stephanie Fredric and Claude Kelly.
Physical production of βHair Loveβ has taken place at the Los Angeles-based animation studio, Six Point Harness (βGuava Islandβ).
The picture book βHair Loveβ was released by Kokila Books/Penguin Random House releasing on May 14, 2019, and became a New York Times Bestseller.