“An Almost Christmas Story”, the third and final instalment in five-time Academy Award winner Alfonso Cuarón’s holiday shorts collection for Disney+, is set to premiere this month.
Cuarón is the movie’s creator. His first short film, “Le Pupille”, received an Oscar nomination in 2022.
Meanwhile, last year’s “The Shepherd” was shortlisted for an Oscar in the Live Action Short Film category.
The short animation film is directed by David Lowery, who serves as a producer alongside Cuarón and Gabriela Rodríguez.
“An Almost Christmas Story” is inspired by the true events of a tiny owl Moon, who was rescued from New York City’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in 2020.
The trailer reveals how the curious young owl unexpectedly found himself stuck in a Christmas tree destined for Rockefeller Plaza. In his attempts to escape the bustling city, Moon befriends a lost little girl named Luna.
“Together, they embark on a heart-warming adventure, discovering the magic of the holiday season and forming an unlikely bond as they journey back home to their parents,” a statement read.
The talented voice-over cast includes Cary Christopher as Moon, newcomer Estella Madrigal as Luna, Jim Gaffigan as Papa Owl, Mamoudou Athie as Pelly and Alex Ross Perry as Dave The Dog.
They are joined by Gianna Joseph as Peaky, Phil Rosenthal as Punt, with Natasha Lyonne as Pat and John C. Reilly as The Folk Singer who performs four songs in the short, two of which are original songs.
Meanwhile, the animated production is completing its film festival circuit.
This includes the Hamptons International Film Festival, the Santa Fe International Film Festival, the Chicago International Film Festival, Morelia International Film Festival, the Montclair Film Festival, Animation Is Film, the São Paulo International Film Festival, the SPARK Animation Festival, the World Animation Summit and the Bogotá Short Film Festival.
∎ “An Almost Christmas Story” premières on Disney+ on November 15.
Watch the trailer here: