you don’t have to be alone.
snow bear is a hand-drawn animated short film by oscar-nominated director aaron blaise. featuring over 11,000 traditional drawings, the film blends classic 2s animation with a modern cinematic story. many viewers have described the film as nostalgic—capturing the warmth, craftsmanship, and emotional storytelling of classic hand-drawn animation. that feeling is intentional. snow bear was created one drawing at a time in the spirit of the disney renaissance era.
about the film:
when a lonely polar bear can’t find a friend… he makes one.
created with more than 11,000 drawings , animated over three years , and crafted entirely by one artist, oscar-nominated director and disney veteran aaron blaise (_brother bear, mulan, beauty and the beast_).
the independent animated film has gone on to win nearly fourty international awards to date including oscar-qualifying honors. awards include:
– best animated short – santa fe international film festival, boston film festival, three rivers
– audience choice awards – florida film festival, cleveland film festival, nantucket & more!
– best family film – zagreb animation festival, cordillera
– planet in crisis award – jackson wild film festival
– jury award for environmental impact – scad savannah film festival
– best International short – animation dingle
– grand prize – toronto animation arts festival iIntentional (taafi)
– and many more from festivals worldwide…
it was also an official selection in competition at annecy, tribeca, san francisco, chicago
and many more. we are so happy to share it with all of you!
about the film
snow bear is a hand-drawn story about empathy, nature, family, and the rapidly changing arctic. we are proud to have worked alongside: polar bears international https://polarbearsinternational.org
national parks conservation association (npca) https://npca.org
if you want to help protect the real wildlife and wild places that inspired this film, please visit the links above.
about the filmmakers
directed & animated by: aaron blaise
written by: aaron blaise & nicholas burch
produced by: nicholas burch
music by: mark mancina & marlon e. espino
sound by: skywalker sound
learn animation from aaron:
https://creatureartteacher.com
official website
snow bear – behind the scenes