Jim Henson Short Films
NR • 1965 • Adventure
While Jim Henson is best known as an innovator who created some of the most widely beloved television series and films of all time including The Muppet Show, Sesame Street, Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal, he also made a string of experimental films that pushed the boundaries of what the wider public associated with his name and the film medium in general. This collection features a number of these short films, bringing the visionary’s early experimental work to new audiences.
Episodes
Time Piece
A man runs from time in this Oscar-nominated experimental live-action short film written by, directed by, produced by - and starring - Jim Henson.
Alexander the Grape
Reconstructed from film, audio, and storyboard elements, this unfinished 1965 cut-paper animated short from Jim Henson relates the fable of a young grape with big ambitions.
Wheels That Go
This experimental short by Jim Henson centers on Henson's son Brian as he watches wheeled vehicles on the street and plays with wheeled toys, expanding his understanding of the world.
Ripples
An experimental live-action short film by Jim Henson, created for Montreal's Expo '67, exploring how ideas are formed and the workings of the mind.
Run, Run
Shot by Jim Henson and Frank Oz, this experimental short film features Henson's daughters running through woods saturated by the colors of autumn into the warm embrace of their mother.
Cat and Mouse
Jim Henson interprets a composition by jazz drummer Chico Hamilton, combining paint and cut paper animation to portray the dance between predator and prey.
Drums West
Hand-animated by Jim Henson, Drums West was created by manipulating many small pieces of colored paper whose movements were meticulously timed to an exhilarating drum solo by jazz great Chico Hamilton
Shearing
Paired to a musical composition by Chico Hamilton, Jim Henson experiments with animation techniques using cut paper, drawing, and painting under the camera to convey emotions evoked by aural experienc