How We Hamsters Die, 6min., USA
Directed by Phoebe Burdick, Mio Gribskov
A comedic 2D animated short film that tells the absurdly tragic stories of hamsters from the after-life. Built upon interviews & true stories, the film aims to entertain while promoting responsible pet ownership and proper treatment of hamsters. Prepare to laugh, cry, and gasp in shock as this mixed-media, documentary-style film takes a look into how and why this colorful cast of pet hamsters died.

https://www.instagram.com/howwehamstersdie

Get to know the filmmakers:

1. What motivated you to make this film?

Mio: This film was born from my childhood guilt. I had hamsters as a kid, and I definitely did not take good care of them. My second hamster had a really long and painful death after falling off the second story of the house, and that guilt has stuck with me for years. It is a common belief that hamsters make great first pets for kids, so many parents will get pet hamsters for their kids not knowing how much responsibility and research is needed to properly care for one. It’s also been a trend on the internet where people will post their crazy hamster death stories online and laugh over how bizarre they always are. With this film not only did I aim to be silly and make people laugh, but I wanted to bring attention to why these crazy hamster deaths happen and what we can do as responsible pet owners to prevent it.

Phoebe: I was motivated to make this film because I believed in the message of proper pet ownership. I grew up with many different animals and my mother raised me with a strong sense of responsibility and education for the care of little critters. I also was interested in making a film with slapstick humor, like the Looney Tunes cartoons I watched as a kid.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?

Mio: The idea for the film was conceived in February 2024 and we finished production in May

2025. So a little over a year!

Phoebe: Yep!

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?

Mio: Morbidly adorable.

Phoebe: “What’s Cute?”

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?

Mio: The biggest challenge we faced while making the film was definitely trying to figure out the story. Unlike most other films, ours doesn’t follow a traditional story structure. The first thing we did was go around and collect crazy hamster death stories from our classmates, friends, and family. We collected over 40 stories and then had to pick and choose the best ones to showcase in our film. Trying to figure out how to take a bunch of completely separate stories and somehow turn it into a cohesive four-minute film that flows well and makes sense was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It took months of meetings and so many different versions of the script and animatic to finally hone in on a version we had full confidence in.

Phoebe: Another big struggle for us was actually creating the Hamster Afterlife. We went through a phase where our team created an entire Hamster City, complete with trains, a bar, a gym, and a Hamster animation studio! We ultimately decided it would be best to go for simplicity, but it was hard to let go of all those fun concepts!

5. There are 5 stages of the filmmaking process: Development.
Pre-Production. Production. Post-Production. Distribution.
What is your favorite stage of the filmmaking process?

Mio: Mine is the first one, development! The very beginning is what I like to call the vomit stage, because that’s when you can just throw out any crazy ideas you have and not have to worry yet about logistics. We would have team meetings where we would end up rolling on the floor laughing from the crazy and wacky ideas we were sharing with each other. It was very important to me that everyone on the team felt welcome to share their ideas no matter what their role was on the film. I think having so much collaboration, laughter, and excitement during the early development of the film really shows in the final product.

Phoebe: I’m fond of the Production phase because we got to witness our ideas actually coming together and it was pure magic. Our team did such an amazing job and we were rolling on the ground laughing so hard at some of the animation frames!

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

Mio: The funny thing is, I never expected to be a director! I always thought I didn’t have what it took to direct, so for my senior capstone project I assumed I would just join another group as an animator. But when Phoebe and I came up with the pitch for our film, I knew the idea was SO GOOD that I was willing to do ANYTHING to make it happen. In a burst of passion I took the terrifying leap to direct. It was so fortunate that I found people who believed in the project just as much as I did, and I am still so honored that they put their faith in me as director. Leading a collaborative team to create something amazing was such an exhilarating experience that I would love to do it again, even if it was very stressful.

Phoebe: I have always been a bit of a performer and I have been interested in animation for pretty much as long as I can remember. For me it was like acting except I got to hide behind the scenes. In high school, I directed a comedic animated version of Hamlet and I knew I would be chasing that high for the rest of my life!

7. What film have you seen the most times in your life?

Mio: Probably School of Rock. I never get tired of it no matter how many times I see it. It’s a very silly film with an inspiring message about having confidence in yourself that always stuck with me growing up.

Phoebe: I watched Surfs Up a lot growing up and its mockumentary style actually became a big inspiration for our film!

8. In a perfect world: Who would you like to work with/collaborate with on a film?

Mio: In all honesty, I would do anything to get the Hamster crew back together! We had some of the funniest and most creative artists on our team and I had an absolute blast making the film with them. We all went our separate ways after graduation so unfortunately I don’t think that’s possible right now.

Phoebe: Same for me! I loved working with my peers on this film and I’d love to create something together again! I would also enjoy bringing in other young artists too. Everyone has a story to tell.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

Mio: It’s been great! We’ve been able to apply to so many festivals because of how easy the process is. It’s been absolutely amazing to have our film be shown all over the world!

Phoebe: Ditto!

10. What is your favorite meal?

Mio: My Mom’s udon noodle soup! Tastes just like home.

Phoebe: Mio makes delicious chicken tortilla soup!

11. What is next for you? A new film?

Mio: I’ve been taking a much needed break after graduation, and since the job market for animation is so bad right now I’m not sure if I can break into the industry any time soon. But I’ve been working as an artist and animator on a fun passion project with another team, a video game called Pocket Pickers. It’s about a robber who died on a heist, trying to steal back his sins from a bank vault in hell. I’m continuing with the whole death theme I suppose. I do really hope I can make another film at some point. I’ve had some ideas rattling around in my head.

Phoebe: I’m exploring where life takes me. I’ve also been struggling to find a job in animation, so I’ve turned to more medical or environmental work to make a living. I would still love to continue making art and another film. So many possibilities!