The ending of today's short isn't a terribly shocking one when it happens, because it feels like the filmmakers have been setting it up from miles away. But that's not a criticism, really.

"Simon Beck is a snow artist who creates huge designs in the snow by simply walking in a pair of snowshoes. He believes that inspiration goes before motivation, and nature's perfect patterns inspire him to create something new every time out."

This one ends up being significantly darker than Cubes, and almost more of a warning than a meditation. The importance of our memories as fundamental and irreplaceable building blocks of our humanity comes through loud-and-clear, though. Some memories are not worth giving up, no matter the alternative.

I suspect the soundtrack of classic tunes had something to do with how quickly I was reminded of Pixar's solitary robot, but there are a number of other similarities, as well, including some really nice anthropomorphization and some excellent sound work.

This one, like so many shorts about kids and their dads, really hit me in the gut. And then, I got to the ending. Wow. 

Yes, this is most definitely an ad. But if you're a Wes Anderson fan (as I am), sitting through a commercial seems like a small price to pay for as Wes-Anderson-y a short as we've seen yet.

"The film picked up an unexpectedly wide audience when Quentin Tarantino liked it so much he requested it was screened before his hit Pulp Fiction for its cinema release. "

Really reminds me of "Myst;" the fun and the scary, both. And that's always a plus. 

Another of their shorts, "Wildebeest," is probably just as -- or even more -- apropos, but it's accuracy is probably a bit too frightening for me to take this week. So let's go with the funny, shall we? Enjoy!

And that's the real takeaway for me, no matter the criticisms: I'm just really, really glad to see the original series back in the news, inspiring and challenging filmmakers of all ages.

A year ago, I stumbled across a fantastic teaser for a short film named "Borrowed Time." It didn't say when the final product would appear, but it certainly did its job perfectly; I was hooked. The visuals were wonderful (unsurprising, given its creators' Pixar roots), but there was something lurking in the background that really felt ...different to me. Not quite sure what it was, but it was there.

Today's short is mostly just a chase film, but I really loved the way it cleverly repurposes the Rock, Paper, Scissors game of our (various) youths. And I love that it has a ton of heart. And I really love its art design, especially for Scissors. Very, very scary.

It's true, as Short Of The Week points out, that this short's story is not what one would call "ruthlessly" original -- in fact, it's pretty much a "one-trick pony." And the look and sound of the robots feel like little more than WALL·E Lite. But it's great fun to watch, all the same. And the Anthropomorphism Level of its (single) creator is Definitely Expert.

"Anna contemplates a big decision while waiting for someone in a cafe."

"An animated film based on Stephen Leacock's witty account of a young man's first brush with banking. When he tries to make his deposit, he is so intimidated by the institution that nothing he says comes out right."

A gentle little short about an old lady who seems to be passing over perfectly acceptable treasures for the sake of the broken and mundane...yet who is doing exactly the opposite.

Lest I bury the lede under an avalanche of self-interest, though, today's short isn't actually about me. It's about Ruben Pardo, a charming and energetic 75-year-old elevator operator who's as full of life and joy as anyone could hope to be at that age. Or at any age, actually.

In Celtic mythology, Tír na nÓg ("Land of the Young") is used to describe a portion of the Otherworld -- a supernatural realm of "everlasting youth, beauty, health, abundance and joy."

This one's from Léo Brunel, a third-year student at MOPA. It's really short. And it's genius. I especially love the way it feels sort of gymnastic-y, except the participants are...not. Really not.