Alameda's Masha Ellsworth mastermind behind Pixar's short film Bound'

"Ukrainian-American storyteller Masha Martynenko Ellsworth's new short film, Bound, is a fresh retelling of a well-known Ukrainian folk song, Nese Halia Vodu (Galya Carries Water). The Alameda-based independent filmmaker and lead technical director at Pixar Animation Studios presents a pebble-size animated film in less than four minutes, behind which is an avalanche of Ukraine's rich history and cultural traditions. The song's lyrics tell of young love between Gayla and Ivanko, a farm boy prone to passionate gestures."

"Bound had a six-day run at San Francisco's Little Roxie Theater in late July and has been picked up by multiple film festivals. Recently, the simple narrative told in cross-stitched animation with vocals from soprano Oleksandra Zabashta and baritone Alejandro Andres Danylyszyn gained visibility as an Oscar-qualifying short film. That the love story at the heart of Bound speaks to audiences worldwide seems inevitable."

"During a recent interview, Ellsworth, 42, describes growing up in Chernihiv, a city in northern Ukraine. Chernihiv today has roughly 300,000 residents and an East European atmosphere and design, with numerous parks, educational institutions and cultural activities. Ellsworth says Chernihiv has historically offered a comfortable setting where many people choose to retire after ending hard-driving careers in other municipalities. The city's location itself shaped my family history, says Ellsworth."

Bound retells the Ukrainian folk song Nese Halia Vodu (Galya Carries Water) as a concise cross-stitched animated short under four minutes. The film centers on young love between Gayla and Ivanko, portraying heartache, rapture, relationships and the fragility of human connections. Vocals come from soprano Oleksandra Zabashta and baritone Alejandro Andres Danylyszyn. The film screened for six days at San Francisco's Little Roxie Theater, has been picked up by multiple festivals, and gained visibility as an Oscar-qualifying short. The narrative emphasizes how small acts can produce cataclysmic change, an idea rooted in Ellsworth's family history. Ellsworth grew up in Chernihiv, near Chernobyl, and experienced post-disaster monitoring.

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