Her Five Little Monkeys, which runs 1 minute and 33 seconds, has been accepted at children's film festivals throughout the United States and Brazil. The adaptation of the children's counting rhyme, which begins "Five little monkeys jumping on the bed," was selected for the Toronto International Children's Film Festival this month.
Jeff Otto, academic director of media arts and animation at the Art Institute, praised Five Little Monkeys for its character design, color and setting.
"It's a very complete piece that will reach out to all audiences," said Otto, who described Kudzmas' style as playful and witty.
Her first short, The Sacrifice, about a bizarre, sexual tribal ritual, was a finalist in Uncle Joe's Twisted Comedy Shorts Film Festival in California four years ago, she said. The adult film, which runs 1 minute and 39 seconds, was bought by an animation company for its Web site.
The Warminster resident added voice to her next project, another adult-themed short titled The Egg, running time 53 seconds.
"America still has the idea that animation is for kids. . . . Our generation has a fixed look. They think of cartoons on Saturday morning," Kudzmas said.
She added that adult animation was more accepted overseas. "In Japan, there are 40 prime-time animation series. The most we've had is nine."
It wasn't the market that prompted Kudzmas to appeal to a younger audience, however.
"I hadn't done anything my kids could see," said Kudzmas, who works on a computer set up in the corner of her bedroom.
Her third project, Five Little Monkeys, with its pastel colors and singsong rhyme, features the voices of her three teenage children.
Princess in the Glass Tower is the working title of Kudzmas' latest effort. She said that she already has devoted two years to the project and that it would probably take at least another 18 months to complete the 15-minute film.
