The art of “Gruff,” a film that’s handmade

A new short film called “Gruff” features extraordinary artwork by filmmaker Julian Curi. But it’s not computer animation. Curi drew all of his characters and backgrounds by hand on paper, manipulated his drawings like puppets before the camera, and used computers to erase the wires, giving his film a uniquely intimate feel. The film centers on the relationship between its heroine, Hazel, and her emotionally distant father, Abuelo, a character loosrly based on Curi’s own father. Curi talks with correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti about creating his unique film, which got its start via crowdsourcing on Kickstarter.