Animation Professor John Losacco Wins International Award for “The Perfect Present”

John Losacco, assistant professor of instruction in the School of Design, in Columbia’s animation lab. John Losacco, assistant professor of instruction in the School of Design, in Columbia’s animation lab.
Santa’s Workshop, the setting in “The Perfect Present.” Santa’s Workshop, the setting in “The Perfect Present.”
Scuffle the elf at work.Scuffle the elf at work.
A young girl opens "the perfect present.” A young girl opens "the perfect present.”
Columbia College Chicago Animation professor John Losacco wins Best Animated Short Film in North America for “The Perfect Present.”

When Assistant Professor of Instruction John Losacco set out to create “The Perfect Present,” he wanted to make something that looked and felt different from mainstream animation—a film that combined visual experimentation with a deeply personal story. That vision just earned him the Best Animated Short Film in North America award at the Kids International Film Festival, where the film will screen in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in January 2026. 

“The inspiration for ‘The Perfect Present’ was rooted in the animated films of UPA, a pioneering mid-century studio that helped define modern animation design with shorts like ‘Gerald McBoing Boing,’” Losacco says. “I wanted to do a film with a unique art style that I haven’t seen in a while. I wanted to experiment with line weight, color, textures, and shadows.” 

Losacco also drew from one of his biggest creative influences: independent animator Bill Plympton. “He’s always created his films with unique styles that I’ve found exciting. Sometimes he uses pencil and paper, other times chalk and textured paper. I just love that I never know what he’s going to do next—but I know it’ll be interesting and unique.”

 
Losacco completed “The Perfect Present” using a mix of traditional and modern animation tools. “I really wanted my film to be animated traditionally. I used Harmony, but I still did my pencil tests by hand—no puppets. Using modern tools in Harmony, I was able to create effects that are much easier to implement now versus 50 years ago. They’re actually the same techniques we teach in ANIM 330.” 

The film’s main character, Scuffle the elf, embodies a theme Losacco knows well: imposter syndrome. “That has always played a big part in my life, so I decided to make it the focus of my film. My main character constantly struggles with feeling like they’re not good enough. But in the end, someone finds sincere joy in their work. We have to remember we can’t compare ourselves to others—we just have to try to be the best we can.” 

As a faculty member in Columbia College Chicago’s School of Design, Losacco applies that same message in the classroom. “I really encourage my students to try something new and unique to them. I give them a lot of freedom so they can explore their own creative voice, and I do my best to facilitate that instead of forcing them into a specific style.” 

Losacco is already at work on his next animated short. Tentatively titled “Who Knows,” the film follows an owl searching for friendship and belonging.

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