How "Hair Love" went from Kickstarter project

to Oscar-winning film
By Washington Post, adapted by Newsela staff on 02.10.20
Word Count 655
Level 800L

A scene from "Hair Love," which won an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film. Image from: Sony Picture Animation

In 2017, Matthew A. Cherry created a Kickstarter fundraiser. Cherry hoped to raise money for an
animated short film. It was about a young black father. The man learns how to do his daughter's
hair.

Cherry made the short film "Hair Love" happen after seeing a flood of internet videos. They
focused on black fathers. The men carefully tackled their daughters' curls.

Three years later, Cherry has won an Oscar for his vision. The Oscars are awards given to some of
the best films. "Hair Love" won Best Animated Short Film.

In just under seven minutes, "Hair Love" follows Zuri, a 7-year-old with a lively mop of kinky
curls. The girl wakes upon a special day and tries to do her hair with the help of a video made by
her mother, a natural-hair vlogger.

It does not go well.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Finally — Stylish Puff Buns

Enter Zuri's father, Stephen, a young, tattooed man with dreadlocks and the same caramel skin as
his daughter. He also tries (and fails) to do Zuri's hair. Stephen nervously attempts to part her
thick curls. His daughter breaks into tears. Stephen tries again. He moisturizes and detangles
Zuri's curls section by section — before twisting them into a stylish row of puff buns.

Cherry said he had two goals with "Hair Love." He wanted the film to encourage kids to enjoy their
natural hair. He also wanted the film to show what he had seen in those internet videos. They
showed black fathers deeply present in their children's lives.

The response to the Kickstarter was overwhelming. Cherry's effort blew past its first $75,000 goal.
It also topped a second $125,000 goal. It pulled in more than $280,000. This set a record for
animated shorts on the crowdfunding platform.

The project attracted a number of famous backers. Actresses Yara Shahidi and Gabourey Sidibe
were among them.

As "Hair Love" got underway, Cherry asked for advice from Karen Rupert Toliver. She's a longtime
animation leader who had brought the "Rio" and "Ice Age" series to Fox. Toliver decided to work
on "Hair Love" as a side project.

Project Was Personal

"There's never been a project that hit me so personally as 'Hair Love.' Living with black hair my
whole life, growing up in Texas," said Toliver, whose company picked up the short last March.
"There were so many layers to the project that really just spoke to me personally. And I was like, 'It
has to get done.'"

"Hair Love" was also a side project for Cherry. The one-time NFL player was then working at
Jordan Peele's production company Monkeypaw. Peele is credited as a co-executive producer on
the short film. Still, "Hair Love" was Cherry's first major animation project.

Plot Twist

The story echoes Cherry's early films. The short's emotional ending reveals why Zuri's mother was
unavailable to do her hair. The plot twist came from Cherry's days as a music video director.

"I always try to think of twist endings. You want to try to keep people entertained and kind of take
them on a roller coaster of emotion," he said. "I just always had the ending in mind."

Cherry shared side-by-side photos of his hair — short in one image, from when he was doing his
Kickstarter campaign, and grazing his shoulders in a recent photo. "That's how long animation
takes," he joked.

He has heard from dads who feel "seen" after watching "Hair Love." He's received photos of little
girls watching the short closely — and often not for the first time. "They really see themselves in
it," he said. Older fans have told Cherry they wished they had something like it when they were
growing up.

In that way, the Oscar win feels especially meaningful. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences has again been criticized for overlooking actors and artists of color.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

"You just have to continue doing the work," said Cherry.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Quiz

1 Read the section "Finally — Stylish Puff Buns."

Which selection from this section supports the conclusion that Matthew A. Cherry got a lot of support for "Hair Love"?

(A) His daughter breaks into tears. Stephen tries again. He moisturizes and detangles Zuri's curls section
by section — before twisting them into a stylish row of puff buns.

(B) Cherry said he had two goals with "Hair Love." He wanted the film to encourage kids to enjoy their
natural hair. He also wanted the film to show what he had seen in those internet videos.

(C) Cherry's effort blew past its first $75,000 goal. It also topped a second $125,000 goal. It pulled in more
than $280,000. This set a record for animated shorts on the crowdfunding platform.

(D) As "Hair Love" got underway, Cherry asked for advice from Karen Rupert Toliver. She's a longtime
animation leader who had brought the "Rio" and "Ice Age" series to Fox.

2 Read the introduction [paragraphs 1-5].

Select the sentence from the section that shows that "Hair Love" might earn recognition as a top short film.

(A) In 2017, Matthew A. Cherry created a Kickstarter fundraiser.

(B) Cherry hoped to raise money for an animated short film.

(C) Cherry made the short film "Hair Love" happen after seeing a flood of internet videos.

(D) Three years later, Cherry has an Oscar nomination for his vision.

3 What caused Matthew A. Cherry to make "Hair Love"?

(A) He wanted to create something that he knew would win an award.

(B) He wanted to make a positive film about black hair and black fathers.

(C) He wanted to work with Karen Rupert Toliver on a short film.

(D) He wanted to do something that honored his time as an NFL player.

4 According to the section “Plot Twist,” how did Matthew A. Cherry decide to end his film?

(A) He put in a scene that was about a music video.

(B) He put in a scene that featured a roller coaster.

(C) He made a surprising and moving ending about Zuri's mother.

(D) He made a happy and exciting ending with Zuri and her father.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.

Answer Key

1 Read the section "Finally — Stylish Puff Buns."

Which selection from this section supports the conclusion that Matthew A. Cherry got a lot of support for "Hair Love"?

(A) His daughter breaks into tears. Stephen tries again. He moisturizes and detangles Zuri's curls section
by section — before twisting them into a stylish row of puff buns.

(B) Cherry said he had two goals with "Hair Love." He wanted the film to encourage kids to enjoy their
natural hair. He also wanted the film to show what he had seen in those internet videos.

(C) Cherry's effort blew past its first $75,000 goal. It also topped a second $125,000 goal. It pulled in
more than $280,000. This set a record for animated shorts on the crowdfunding platform.

(D) As "Hair Love" got underway, Cherry asked for advice from Karen Rupert Toliver. She's a longtime
animation leader who had brought the "Rio" and "Ice Age" series to Fox.

2 Read the introduction [paragraphs 1-5].

Select the sentence from the section that shows that "Hair Love" might earn recognition as a top short film.

(A) In 2017, Matthew A. Cherry created a Kickstarter fundraiser.

(B) Cherry hoped to raise money for an animated short film.

(C) Cherry made the short film "Hair Love" happen after seeing a flood of internet videos.

(D) Three years later, Cherry has an Oscar nomination for his vision.

3 What caused Matthew A. Cherry to make "Hair Love"?

(A) He wanted to create something that he knew would win an award.

(B) He wanted to make a positive film about black hair and black fathers.

(C) He wanted to work with Karen Rupert Toliver on a short film.

(D) He wanted to do something that honored his time as an NFL player.

4 According to the section “Plot Twist,” how did Matthew A. Cherry decide to end his film?

(A) He put in a scene that was about a music video.

(B) He put in a scene that featured a roller coaster.

(C) He made a surprising and moving ending about Zuri's mother.

(D) He made a happy and exciting ending with Zuri and her father.

This article is available at 5 reading levels at https://newsela.com.