A collage of scenes from BRAINROT, a short film by Alex Semenov starring Thomas Middleditch: glowing blue-eyed man on his phone, winged man near a robot, robots building a pyramid, and space lab robots with a floating astronaut. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

The Idiot Future is Now: Alex Semenov & Thomas Middleditch Plug the Cure for “BRAINROT”

Director/animator Alex Semenov, whose Simpson’s Couch Gag is simply the darkest ever, just dropped us his latest black comedy – a sci-fi take-down of scrolling culture starring the voice of Thomas Middleditch (Silicon Valley). [Watch]

Four animated children lie in a circle on grassy ground, surrounded by small, pink creatures with ears and tails. Flowers dot the scene, creating a peaceful, whimsical mood inspired by Great Outdoors Colorado ad “Take Your Brain Out” by Anna Mantzaris. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Anna Mantzaris Coaxes Kids to “Take Your Brain Out” for Great Outdoors Colorado

Working thru Denver agency Sukle, Passion Pictures director Anna Mantzaris applies her talents for warm and fuzzy stop-motion to the heavy lift of getting youngsters away from their screens and into the great outdoors. [Watch]

Illustration of five pairs of legs wearing different pants and shoes, each with a small, seated person reading or using a device within the fabric or folds—evoking the layered storytelling in "Our Uniform" short film by Yegane Moghaddam. Dark blue background. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Yegane Moghaddam Unpacks Her School Days in Iran With “Our Uniform” Short Film

After a stellar festival run (a big win at Annecy and an Oscar nom), animator Yegane Moghaddam’s highly inventive mixed media short Our Uniform, based on her school days in Iran, is now available for your viewing pleasure. [Watch]

Four illustrated portraits of artists: top left features a person with red dots and sunglasses; top right shows a person with spiky hair and a paintbrush; bottom left depicts a bearded man in blue; bottom right is a woman in colorful clothes, celebrating the 2026 CalArts Producers' Show Opening. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Stay in Character: 2026 CalArts Producers’ Show Opening

CalArts animation seniors Sofia Kondrasheva and Veda Lee co-direct a small army of their fellow students on this rousing, character-packed trip through art history for the school’s 2026 Producers’ Show Opening. [Watch]

A desk with a miniature construction scene—workers, scaffolding, and cranes from Studio Bump Underconstruction building concrete letters spelling "home." Tools, blueprints, and construction vehicles are scattered around. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

Process & Materiality: Studio Bump Builds Up the Brand Film

If a brand film for your own studio should be fun to work on, co-founders/directors Uri Lotan and Kobi Vogman at Studio Bump in Tel Aviv certainly met the mark in this jaunty mock stop-motion piece called Under Construction. [Watch]

A blue parakeet stands on the edge of an open birdcage lined with newspapers. In the cozy, warmly lit room, a bed, bookshelves, and a lamp set the scene—just like in Perlin & DOM&NIC’s "The Bird. Frame from Stash Magazine article.

The Perlin & DOM&NIC Break Out “The Bird” for Erste Bank

Launched in 2025 by creatives from MPC and The Mill (and fresh off this Spike Jonze spot), London VFX shop The Perlin team with directors DOM&NIC on a clever feathery escape for Austrian banking giant Erste thru Jung Von Matt Donau. [Watch]