Chutes
2023 · 5m · USA
Directed by Kenzie Sutton
Genres: animation
Tones: darkly comic, surreal, whimsical
A young girl struggles to be present in her life while navigating the arbitrary rules of society, capitalism, and consumerism through the lens of childhood toys.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Childhood toys conscripted as anti-capitalist puppets — five minutes of stop-motion sneering at the system. Short, weird, and not asking permission.
Sutton's toy-store animism inherits the cracked plastic sincerity of Don Hertzfeldt, though the political legibility leans pedagogical. The Vimeo numbers and warm comments suggest genuine resonance despite the familiar critique.
17.8K views and a 4:52 stop-frame piece tagged Animation/Stop Frame on Vimeo — the runtime is the point, that's just enough room for toy-as-metaphor without overplaying the hand. Jason Sondhi commenting 'Impressive work!' is a real signal; he picks short animation for a living.
Reviews
A delightful, bizarre rollercoaster of clever visual metaphors that deftly captures the interplay between social relationships and wanton materialism.
Kenzie Sutton's 'Chutes' — an investigative look at capitalism and society through the guise of toys — took the Grand Jury Prize in the Animated Short category.
Festivals
- AFI Fest 2023, Grand Jury Prize for Animated Short
- New Orleans Film Festival 2023, Special Jury Mention