Argentine director Nicolás P. Villareal’s acclaimed short On/Off has entered the Guinness World Record as the “most awarded short” in history after receiving 1,125 awards since its launch in Los Angeles in 2020. The California-based director’s insightful short uses unique geometric figures and famous artists such as Beethoven and Frida Kahlo to make an important statement about the not neglecting artistic passions and creativity in our distracted modern age.
“Having obtained the Guinness Record gives the short another opportunity to achieve greater reach, impact and importance with the message, which is the most important thing,” says Villareal, who is also the exec art director of visual development and traditional animation at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.
On/Off obtained the Guinness World Record on January 24, 2023 after receiving 1,125 awards during its successful festival run. It is the first short film in history to reach and exceed 1,000 awards. The short offered a look at what creative geniuses like Frida Kahlo, Da Vinci, Beethoven and Tesla would do if they had access to new technologies.
The film was produced by the Red Clover Studios team, an animation studio led by Villarreal, in California. The director is currently working on a live action feature suspense film with a tentative shooting date at the end of 2023.
You can read our interview with the director here:
You can watch the short’s trailer below:
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