BUDŌ Short Film (2024)

Watch ‘BUDŌ Short Film’ (2024) – a stunning animated shorts by Amanda Aagard & Alexander Toma. A visual journey blending martial arts and animation. Click now!

🐱🏙️ BUDŌ Short Film (2024) by Amanda Aagard & Alexander Toma 🇸🇪✨

Watch the award-winning animated shorts “BUDŌ Short Film” (2024). A mesmerizing animation on the path of the warrior by Amanda Aagard & Alexander Toma.

📋 Quick Facts

• Year: 2024 🗓️
• Runtime: 14-15 minutes ⏱️
• Country: Sweden 🇸🇪
• Language: Japanese (with subtitles) 🗣️
• Genre: Stop-Motion Animation, Comedy-Drama, Fantasy 🎨
• Directors: Amanda Aagard & Alexander Toma 🎥
• Status: Oscar-qualifying winner, Tribeca Special Jury Mention 🏆

Watch the Shorts:

🎭 Synopsis

BUDŌ Short Film (2024); A lonely widow named Miho lives a quiet life in her small Tokyo apartment 🏠. On her daily trip to the supermarket, she meets a stray cat 🐱 who follows her home.

What starts as innocent companionship quickly escalates—the cat makes itself “more comfortable than she could ever imagine” 😱. As the feline grows increasingly dominant (and bizarrely supernatural), Miho’s peaceful existence transforms into something strange, hilarious, and unexpectedly touching 💕. Read more; Boost best farm business management, profits & streamline operations.

🌟 Cast & Creative Team

• Mayuko Lindström as Miho (voice) 👵
• Emrik Lindström, Kiyomi Nishimatsu, Mai Mashiro in supporting roles 🎭
• Animation: Mikael Lindbom (head of animation), Amanda Aagard & Alexander Toma also animated 🤏
• Music: Isak Lundholm (anime-inspired soundtrack) 🎵
• Production: Amsaga + Film i Väst 🇸🇪

🎨 Stop-Motion Magic

• Scale: 1:8 ratio—Miho puppet is 17cm (6.7 inches), cat ranges from 7cm to 40cm wide! 📏
• Handmade everything: MDF bases, paper/clay props, felted cat—only 2 items 3D printed ✋
• Two main sets: 4.5-meter Tokyo street exterior + detailed interior apartment 🏗️
• Production time: 4 years total (2020-2024), including pandemic delays and 5 months of shooting in a “cold garage” ❄️🎬

🏆 Major Awards & Festivals

• Tribeca Film Festival 2024: Special Jury Mention – Animated Shorts (curated by Whoopi Goldberg!) 🗽
• Palm Springs International ShortFest 2025: Best Animated Short (Oscar-qualifying!) 🌴🏆
• Göteborg International Film Festival 2024: Swedish Shorts selection 🇸🇪
• AFI Fest 2024: Official Selection 🎬
• Uppsala International Short Film Festival 2024 🎪
• Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival 2025 (South Korea) 🇰🇷

💡 The Origin Story

BUDŌ Short Film (2024); During COVID-19 lockdown, Amanda Aagard started building miniature Tokyo sets based on her memories of living in Japan 10 years prior. Alexander Toma saw the potential and wrote the script in 1-2 days!

BUDŌ Short Film (2024); The set was designed before the story—a unique reverse process 🔄 They wanted to “shoot in Japan without leaving Sweden” 🇯🇵🇸🇪

😂 The Humor

• Giant felt cat butt hole—”not on my list of things to see today” 🍑😹
• Typical orange cat behavior—chaotic, demanding, strangely lovable 🧡🐈
• Veterinarian’s voice praised as “so good” by Swedish audiences 🩺🎭
• Closing credits music—”some of the best I’ve heard in a minute” 🎶

💖 Key Themes

• Loneliness & companionship 👵💔➡️💕
• Aging in urban isolation 🏙️
• The absurdity of pet ownership 😼
• Japanese culture through Swedish eyes (homage to Miyazaki) 🎌
• Finding joy in unexpected places ✨

🔥 Critical Reception

• “Impeccable, so new so fresh, funny, emotional, refreshing—I can’t believe it’s their first animation!” 🤯
• “An obvious homage to Miyazaki, but in stop motion… looks fantastic” 🎌
• “Soothing and melancholy soundscape (until it suddenly doesn’t)” 🎵😱
• “I could have watched a longer version of this” ⏳
• “The moral is that orange cats are always a little strange” 🧡😹

📺 Where to Watch

• MUBI: Available on the platform 📱
• Premium Films: Distribution rights for licensing 🎬
• Festival circuit: Still touring internationally (BIFAN Korea, etc.) 🎪

---

Bottom Line: BUDŌ Short Film (2024); This 14-minute Swedish-Japanese stop-motion gem is a charming, bizarre, and unexpectedly moving tale of loneliness and feline takeover. With its handcrafted detail, Oscar-qualifying win, and Miyazaki vibes, it’s proof that the best animations come from passion projects born in cold garages during pandemics! 🇸🇪🐱🏆