Director Matthew A. Cherry’s animated short film Hair Love

Sony Pictures Animation has released a clip from director Matthew A. Cherry’s animated short film Hair Love, which is currently playing ahead of Sony Pictures Animation and Rovio Animation’s The Angry Birds Movie 2.

Co-directed by Cherry and Everett Downing, Hair Love raised $300,000 on Kickstarter back in 2017. That’s the most any short film, animated or not, has ever achieved on the funding platform.

Hair Love, is a 6 minute animated short film that centers around the relationship between an African-American father, Stephen, his daughter, Zuri and her hair. Despite having long locks, Stephen has been used to his wife doing his daughter’s hair, so when she is unavailable right before a big event, Stephen will have to figure it out on his own. This sounds simple enough, but we soon come to find that Zuri’s hair has a mind of its own.

“It was important to get this story out there and we are so grateful to Sony Pictures Animation for their generous support in helping us make that happen,” Cherry himself noted of the deal and roll-out plan. “They have championed it from its early stages and we cannot wait to share the project with the world.”

The film was produced by Karen Rupert Toliver (EVP, Creative for Sony Pictures Animation), Stacey Newton, Monica A. Young, Matthew A. Cherry, David Steward II, and Carl Reed (the latter two of Lion Forge Animation) Executive Producers include Peter Ramsey (Oscar winner for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Frank Abney (Pixar) Co-Executive Producers are Jordan Peele, Andrew Hawkins, Harrison Barnes, Keri and Yara Shahidi Associate Producers: N’Dambi Gillespie, Gabrielle Union-Wade & Dwayne Wade Jr., Gabourey Sidibe, Stephanie Frederic, and Claude Kelly