Maybe Elephants


Maybe Elephants is a 2024 Canadian-Norwegian animated short film written and directed by Academy Award winner Torill Kove. The 16-minutes animated film about family and memories has been selected in various international film festivals, including Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Spark Animation Film Festival where the film won the Canadian Film Prize. The film is listed as part of the qualified shorts under consideration in the 2025 Academy Award Best Animated Short Film Category.
The film was named to TIFF's annual Canada's Top Ten list for 2024.

Plot

Three teenage sisters find themselves uprooted from their small town in Norway when their mother decides to move to Nairobi, Kenya, in an attempt to escape the dark cloud that has been following her. The film is inspired by Kove's own experiences, in the same fashion as her previous short Me and My Moulton.

Release

Since its release, the film has been selected in various festivals around the world:
AwardDateCategoryRecipientStatusref
Annecy International Animation Film Festival2024Cristal for Best Short FilmTorill KoveNomitated
Spark Animation Film Festival2024Canadian Film PrizeTorill KoveWon
Animation Is Film Festival2024Short Film Grand PrizeTorill KoveNomitated
American Film Institute Festival2024Shorts Program : Family FriendlyTorill KoveNomitated
London International Animation Festival2024Figures in FocusTorill KoveNomitated
Bucheon International Animation Festival2024Audience PrizeTorill KoveWon
Vila do Conde International Short Film Festival2024International CompetitionTorill KoveNomitated
Canadian Screen Awards2025Best Animated ShortTorill Kove, Lise Fearnley, Maral Mohammadian, Tonje Skar ReiersenWon
Quebec Cinema Awards2025[Prix Iris for Canadian Screen Award for Best Animated Short|Best Animated Short Film|Best Animated Short Film]Torill Kove, Lise Fearnley, Maral Mohammadian, Tonje Skar ReiersenWon