Snow Bear is a 2025 American animated short film written and directed by Aaron Blaise (known for the 2003 Academy Award-nominated feature Brother Bear). The 11-minute wordless animated film following the life of a lonely polar bear was selected in various international film festivals, including the Annecy Film Festival, the Tribeca Film Festival and Animafest Zagreb. The film was entirely animated by Aaron Blaise himself over the span of three years.
Snow Bear is currently available to watch on Blaise's YouTube channel.
It was shortlisted for the 98th Academy Awards in the category of Best Animated Short Film.
Plot A lonely male polar bear named Glen lives on an unforgivable ice floe in the Arctic. After failing to befriend an arctic fox, an orca and some Canada geese, he decides to create his own out of snow. He spends his days with it watching the aurora borealis, playing hide-and-seek, eating seals, sliding down snowbanks and even imitating nearby walruses together.
One morning, the snow-made bear starts melting. Glen tries to save it, but is unable to. Eventually, after mourning the loss of his "friend", he discovers an Arctic island with green grass. While exploring, Glen discovers another snow-made bear made by a female polar bear named Luma. The two become mates and make another snow bear to be friends with Luma’s snow bear.
Accolades Since its release, the film has been selected in various festivals around the world: YearFestivalsAward/CategoryStatus2025 Annecy International Animation Film FestivalYoung Audience AwardCleveland International Film FestivalBest Family Short Audience Choice AwardAnimafest ZagrebBest Film for Children and YouthEl Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara (FICG)Rigo Mora PrizeHollyshorts Film FestivalBest Animated ShortTribeca Film FestivalBest Animated ShortSan Francisco Film FestivalFamily Short AwardSanta Fe International Film FestivalBest Animated Short Jury Award Jackson Wild Planet in Crisis Award - Short Form2026Annie AwardsBest Animated Short SubjectOutstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Television/Broadcast Production (for Aaron Blaise)
See also List of submissions for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film
References
External links
Official Website Snow Bear on YouTube