“Pokey Pokey” is a surreal, darkly comic animated short film by Junjie “Jake” Zhang, blending bright 2D character animation with wildly exaggerated environments to explore the tension between innocence and the chaotic world that surrounds it. The film follows a devoted father trying desperately to shield his son from the unsettling truths of their violent, hyper-sensory city — a place overflowing with noise, color, temptation, and danger. Zhang’s style is playful yet unsettling: candy-colored visuals clash with grotesque imagery, creating a world that feels absurdly humorous on the surface but deeply symbolic underneath. Through sharp satire and distorted cartoon aesthetics, Pokey Pokey examines over-protection, fear, innocence, and the overwhelming desire to keep loved ones safe in an unpredictable society. Festivals & Awards 🏆 Major Awards & Honors: ● Winner – Special Storytelling Designation, Adobe Design Achievement Awards 2015 ● Best Animation, Bucharest Short Film Festival 2016 ● Winner – Animation Day in Cannes, Animaze Daze Festival (France) ● The Best 2D Project, The Vision Feast 2016 ● Best Animation, Diversanima Festival 2015 (Chile) ● Special Mention: Animation, Festigious Film Festival 2016 ● National Award: Special Mention, Shnit International Short Film Festival 2016 ● Best Sound, The British Animation Film Festival (London) ● Foreign Film Bronze Award, 13th Global Chinese Universities Film and TV Festival (Hong Kong) ● Silver Medal, 1st Golden Shuanmazhuan Student Film Festival (China) ● Second Place – Audience Award, Animation Shorts Competition Nominated / Finalist ● Nomination – Best Animation, Adobe Design Achievement Awards 2015 ● Finalist – Student & Youth Media, 59th CINE Golden Eagle Award ● Nomination – Best Animation, USC First Look Film Festival 2016 Official Selections (Partial List) ● Bogota Short Film Festival 2016 (Colombia) ● 43rd Athens International Film + Video Festival 2016 (Academy Award® Qualifying) ● Santa Fe Independent Film Festival 2016 (USA) ● Toronto Reel Asia International Film Festival (Canada) ● DC Shorts Film Festival (USA) ● Kyoto International Student Film & Video Festival (Japan) ● Tally Shorts Film Festival 2016 ● Dam Short Film Festival 2017 (USA) ● 6th Ars Independent Festival 2016 (Poland) ● 12th Monterrey International Film Festival 2016 (Mexico) ● Court Métrange International Festival 2016 (France) ● BANJALUKA International Animated Film Festival 2016 ● 12th Budapest Short Film Festival 2016 (Hungary) ● Havah International Short Film Festival 2016 ● KLIK! Amsterdam Animation Festival 2015 ● 17th San Diego Asian Film Festival (USA) ● Underexposed Film Festival 2016 (USA) ● RabbitFest International Animation Festival 2016 (Italy) ● Corfu Animation Festival 2015 (Greece) ● CutOut Fest International Animation & Digital Art Festival (Mexico) ● USC First Frame Festival (USA) ● Animasyros International Animation Festival (Greece) ● Indiearth Animation Film Festival (India) ● Kuala Lumpur ECO Film Festival (Malaysia) ● Spark Animation Festival 2015 (Vancouver, Canada) ● Laguna Film Festival 2015 (USA) ● Weyauwega International Film Festival 2015 (USA) ● 66th Montecatini International Short Film Festival (Italy) ● Twister Alley International Film Festival 2016 (USA) ● The DRAWTASTIC Festival of Drawing & Animation 2016 (USA) ● Animation Attack! 2016 ● ANNY: Animation Nights New York 2016 (USA) ● ANNY Best of Fest 2016 (USA) ● Xining FIRST International Film Festival (China) ● ScareLA 2016 (USA) ● A Night of Horror / Fantastic Planet Film Festival 2016 (Australia) ● British Animation Film Festival 2016 (UK) ● Berkeley Video & Film Festival 2016 (USA) ● 6th Irvine Film Festival 2017 (USA) Credits: MAIN CREW • Jake (Junjie) Zhang — Director, Animator, Story, Producer • Zhen Zeng — Producer • Shangning Wang — Story, Graphic Design • Xu Zhou — Story • Pantawit Kiangsiri — Music Composer • Katie Gately — Sound Designer • Ross Huguet — Voice Cast • Zun-Hin Woo — Music Conductor • Daniel Blanck — Sound Engineer • Bethany Sparks — Sound Supervisor • Chris Bonis — Sound Mix • Mar Elepano — Production Supervisor ADDITIONAL ANIMATION • Fan Feng • Jinzhi Du • Jinyue Wang