‘Hair Love’ Oscar Shows a Route to Better Representation in Hollywood

The big win for the short film is an inspiring bridging of popular demand and critical acclaim.

Last night at the 92nd Annual Academy Awards, Hair Love took home the Oscar for Best Animated Short, becoming the third Kickstarter-funded film to win an Academy Award. Hair Love’s journey to the Oscars started with a Kickstarter campaign in 2017, with nearly 5,000 backers pledging $284,058 to help make director Matthew Cherry’s film about an African-American dad learning to do his daughter’s hair.

When the Hair Love team took the stage to claim their Oscar, thousands of fans around the world — including so many of their Kickstarter backers — took to Twitter to celebrate the moment. It also continued the conversation about the voices and stories that are too often overlooked by Hollywood. Matthew and many other creators come to Kickstarter because it’s a place where people — not studio executives — can have a say in what stories get told.

Here, we share some highlight commentary from fans celebrating the win:

What else can we make together? Check out upcoming Kickstarter films you can back today.