Animated Short SAFE ZONE Has Qualified For Consideration At the 99th Academy Awards

SAFE ZONE, an animated short written and directed by Ahmad Alameldeen, has qualified for consideration in the Animated Short Film category at the 99th Academy Awards following a theatrical run in Santa Monica, California.

Drawing on Alameldeen's 12 years of humanitarian frontline experience with the UN and Red Cross, the film explores the danger and vulnerability civilians face when trying to access food and humanitarian assistance during conflict.

SAFE ZONE follows a desperate girl who breaks away from her mother to retrieve a stray aid parcel, unaware she is walking into a sniper's trap. Presented in stark black and white and without dialogue, the film focuses on the human experience rather than identifying a particular country or conflict.

The story was informed by Alameldeen's experience organizing food distribution for families in need. When distribution day arrived, many of the people the supplies were intended for were unable to reach them.

'Some families were trapped on the way, some were killed, and others were scattered and turned back. You stand there with the food ready, and the people it was meant for cannot reach you,' Alameldeen recalls.

That experience helped shape a film about the consequences of conflict that extend beyond the immediate violence of battle. SAFE ZONE explores how the absence of food and access to humanitarian assistance can place civilians in increasingly dangerous situations.

The film also reflects Alameldeen's interest in using animation to communicate experiences that audiences may struggle to encounter directly. Its black-and-white imagery and absence of dialogue invite viewers to focus on the characters' circumstances without requiring knowledge of a particular political or historical context.

A HYBRID APPROACH TO ANIMATION

SAFE ZONE combines traditional artistic foundations with AI-assisted animation. The filmmakers began with original hand-drawn graphite sketches, developing the imagery digitally in Procreate before using AI-assisted tools to introduce movement.

The team retained creative control over the story, characters, storyboards, shot lists, camera positions, editing, grading, music, and sound design.

'The AI tool did not invent anything on its own,' Alameldeen explains. 'We chose this way because we wanted to keep control over every frame, so the tool served our work instead of leading it.'

The production process also revealed limitations in the technology, particularly when the team attempted to portray children experiencing extreme distress. For Alameldeen, these challenges reinforced the importance of the human experience behind the film.

The film's creative approach offers a perspective on hybrid animation that moves beyond a simple debate about whether AI should be used in filmmaking. Instead, it examines how emerging tools can support a creative vision while leaving artistic decisions and emotional interpretation in human hands.

FROM HUMANITARIAN WORK TO FILMMAKING

For Alameldeen, SAFE ZONE represents a transition from humanitarian work into a new creative medium. Rather than reconstructing a specific conflict, he developed a fictionalized story that draws on the recurring vulnerability of civilians who face barriers to essential assistance.

One particularly important element of the film is its portrayal of children who think about their families and communities even when they themselves are hungry. This attention to compassion and dignity gives the film a perspective that extends beyond suffering alone.

SAFE ZONE has qualified for consideration in the Animated Short Film category at the 99th Academy Awards and is available to Academy members through the Academy Screening Room.

The film's qualification provides a new opportunity to bring its story and production approach to film-industry audiences, journalists, and viewers interested in humanitarian storytelling and independent animation.

ABOUT SAFE ZONE

SAFE ZONE is an animated short written and directed by Ahmad Alameldeen. Inspired by his humanitarian frontline experience, the film follows a girl in a besieged city who risks her safety to retrieve an aid parcel. The production combines original hand-drawn artwork, digital illustration, and AI-assisted animation.

Film information: https://filmfreeway.com/safezone-animatedshort / Theatrical listing: https://www.laemmle.com/film/safe-zone

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