''A Spark Story'' is a 2021 American

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

directed by Jason Sterman and Leanne Dare. Focusing on ''

SparkShorts ''SparkShorts'' is a series of American independent animated short films produced by Pixar Animation Studios. It consists of a program in which Pixar's employees are given six months and limited budgets to develop animated short films that were or ...

'' directors Aphton Corbin and Louis Gonzales, the film is a co-production between

Pixar Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...

and Supper Club, and marks the former's first fully live-action project. The film was released on September 24, 2021, on

Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...

Synopsis

The film centers on ''

'' directors Aphton Corbin and Louis Gonzales as they work to bring their projects '' Twenty Something'' and '' Nona'' to the screen.

Cast

* Aphton Corbin as herself * Louis Gonzales as himself * Pete Docter as himself

Development

On January 29, 2020,

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...

announced that an untitled documentary series focusing on the ''

'' series was in development for

. The series, which provides "an immersive look at the next generation of

filmmaker , was executive-produced by Brian McGinn, Jason Sterman, and

David Gelb David Gelb (born October 16, 1983) is an American film director and co-founder of Supper Club, a production company. He is most known for his documentary work on the subject of food and cuisine, including the 2011 film '' Jiro Dreams of Sush ...

. On July 21, 2021, it was reported that the project was being redeveloped as a feature film under the name ''A Spark Story'', with McGinn, Sterman, and Gelb as producers. Sterman also directed the film alongside Leanne Dare. Pixar produced the project alongside Supper Club.

Release

''A Spark Story'' was released on September 24, 2021, as a

exclusive film.

Reception

Meredith Woerner of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' stated that the documentary film manages to attract attention on talented Pixar's employees and their stories, allowing the audience to know better about their journey as creators. Tony Betti of ''The Laughing Place'' gave the film a positive review, saying "at times, the cinematic nature overpowered the actual content. Dramatic camera pans of the directors thinking while sitting at a table, in a screening room, or even in their own home while cooking breakfast almost take away from the credibility of the subject matter at hand. That said, the same dramatic shots of the Pixar campus are a highlight, especially for fans, who otherwise aren't allowed anywhere near these buildings." Sabrina McFarland of ''

Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.

'' rated the movie 4 out of 5 stars, praised the positive messages and role models, stating the film promotes perseverance, dedication, and ambition, while complimenting the movie for its depiction of diversity.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Spark Story, A 2021 films American documentary films Disney documentary films SparkShorts 2020s English-language films 2020s American films