We saw the Animated Short Film compilation that is currently making the rounds of the cinemas, consisting of the official Oscar nominees and an additional group of films that nearly made it to the final list for this year.

There were many good ones, and three or four amazing films. I liked the very funny Pixar film “Lifted” and also the visually stunning “One Rat Show” by Charlex Films, both of which were very solid CG entries. Disney offered the haunting “The Little Matchgirl”, which was surprisingly dark for a Disney product.

But for me the star of the show was “The Passenger” by Chris Jones. Yes, you read that right: One of the near-winners of the Animated Short Oscar this year was done by one person. The movie is fantastic – it’s scary and funny and gorgeous. It’s fast-paced, professionally cut with beautiful atmospheric effects. I’ll buy it in a heartbeat once it’s out on DVD.