Italy-based Studio Croma Animation announces executive producer addition as Oscar-shortlisted stop-motion short prepares for free online release
Two-time Academy Award winner Kim Magnusson has joined “Playing God” as executive producer, lending his support to the Italian animated short as it competes on the Oscar shortlist for Best Animated Short Film.
The nine-minute stop-motion film from Italy-based Studio Croma Animation made history earlier this month as the first Italian animated short to reach the Oscar shortlist of 15. Magnusson’s involvement extends beyond the current campaign – he’s also attached to the studio’s next project, an animated feature titled “TO THE WILDER”.
“When I first saw ‘Playing God,’ I was blown away by the simplicity and unique production technique,” said Magnusson. “The film is so simple and yet so grand in its story – you can see anything in it, from God’s creation of mankind to today’s issues about the elite class.”
Magnusson, whose credits include “Election Night” (1999) and “Helium” (2014), connected with Playing God’s producer Rodolfo L. Masedari during the film’s festival run, at Not Film Festival in Italy. His decision to join both the short’s Oscar campaign and the studio’s next feature signals confidence in Studio Croma’s craft-focused approach to animation.
“After meeting with the team, it felt natural to get involved. I’m honored to be part of both ‘Playing God’ and their next project” said Magnusson. “Working with Kim feels like finding the right partner at exactly the right moment,” said Burani and Gheller. “He immediately understood what we’re trying to do with handcrafted animation, and his experience will be invaluable as we both navigate this Oscar campaign and scale up to our first feature.”
A Handcrafted Vision. “Playing God” was animated entirely by a single person – producer Arianna Gheller – over the course of seven years. The film is an unapologetic statement about artistic integrity in an era of increasing AI adoption in animation.
“Only the manual process gives you complete artistic expression,” Arianna Gheller, the only animator in the film, explained. “For us, it was about not making compromises to our vision. Doing it well, not fast. That human quality in every frame is irreplaceable.”
Festival Success and Free Release. The announcement comes after fifteen months of remarkable festival success: 180 official selections and 92 international awards, including major wins at two Oscar-qualifying festivals – Tribeca Film Festival and Animayo. The film premiered at the International Critics’ Week of the Venice Film Festival and won Italy’s prestigious Nastro d’Argento award.
In order to further connect with its audience, the team will release “Playing God” for free streaming on YouTube from December 22nd through January 11th.
“So many people have asked us where they can watch the film,” said Burani. “And since the movie is fundamentally about community, we really care about sharing it with people rather than gatekeeping it. This felt like the right moment to make it accessible to everyone.”
Looking Ahead: “To the Wilder”. Magnusson’s continued involvement with Studio Croma extends to their next project, “To the Wilder” an animated feature set in a crumbling metropolis. The film follows a young man and his mother navigating a world where AI has revealed the existence of paradise after death.
The feature is currently in early development, with Studio Croma maintaining the same commitment to handcrafted stop-motion animation that distinguished “Playing God.”
About the Film. “Playing God” is a meditation on human fragility, marginalization, and the need for belonging. It explores how rejection and judgment shape individuals, while demonstrating how unity and resilience can transform marginality into strength and community.
Executive producer Rodolfo L. Masedari describes it as “a snapshot of the historical moment we are living in, favorable to tyrants and dictators who try to reshape the world’s destiny through wars and oppression. A dark time, but one that allows us to glimpse a glimmer of light by rediscovering a sense of belonging and community. That’s what the movie represents for me.”
The final five Oscar nominees will be announced on January 22nd, with the Academy Awards ceremony taking place in Los Angeles on March 15th.
