Kitbull

Director: Rosana Sullivan

Kitbull is a 2019 American animated short film and viral video directed and written by Rosana Sullivan and produced by Pixar Animation Studios. The main stars of the film are a confident abandoned kitten and an abused pit bull dog, who begin an unusual friendship. The film focuses on the treatment of animals by humans and the reputation of the pit bull dog breed.

After being posted on YouTube, Kitbull has been viewed over 94 million times. The film garnered a lot of praise from critics for its story, emotional tone, theme, characterization and animation. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Kate Schweitzer said Kitbull “sends a powerful message about the treatment of animals” and that “whether you consider yourself a cat or dog lover,” Kitbull “will reinforce your love for all animals and make you want to hug your pet a little tighter tonight.” She also said Kitbull “may even open up more meaningful conversations about pit bulls’ reputation as an aggressive and dangerous dog breed.”

Benjamin Bullard wrote that Kitbull depicts “both the terrifying and magical side of how humans interact with animals”, and Shannon Connellan commented that while animation rarely “addresses the devastating subject of animal abuse”, Kitbull “does so with heartbreaking insight”.

Bridget Sharkey of the Arizona Daily Star said that while “it’s less than nine minutes long,” Kitbull “packs a seriously strong emotional punch in such a short amount of time.” She goes on to say that the film tells a “heart-warming story” that would “make even the most hardened and cold-hearted viewer shed a tear”, adding that it sends a “powerful message” and is an “exceptional film”.