The story of an ordinary American dog struggling to find his place in the modern world, he points his beak toward the Old West in search of purpose and meaning.

Director Biography

Michelle Pozen is a Chicago-based Ukrainian-American artist. Onion Dog is her first festival submission as a director. She holds a BFA in Animation, Interactive Arts and Media from Columbia College Chicago.

Director Statement

Onion Dog is special to me because I grew up with the song. My stepfather, Josh Lanza, worked on it over many years as it became a local crowd favorite in Seattle. When Josh asked me about making a video, we knew we wanted colorful, varied scenery and visuals. I briefly tried using claymation, but soon realized it needed the flexibility of 2D animation.

Josh and I discussed it at great length, agreeing on a story and tone, and planned each scene together. I built out the visuals and did the animation, collaborating with background artist Lilly Rocha, whose atmospheric Americana landscapes gave the film much of its character. I first met Lilly at CTN in Burbank, and I was fortunate to connect with her there and continue working together since. There was a moment when I showed Josh one of the test character sketches I’d done, and we both thought: that was him — Onion Dog. From that point on, we felt like we were on the right path. I grew up watching Soviet cartoons and had many global influences as an artist and animator. For this film, I drew on classic cartoons and 60s limited animation, as well as modern versions of that aesthetic like Clone High and my classmate Kevin Johnson’s Kenya’s Symphony (whose main character appears here as an easter egg). Visually, the film shifts between literal storytelling and abstraction. It follows the story of a misfit dog who keeps pushing himself along despite setbacks. I aimed for a world that nods to Disney grandeur while weaving in gags, Old West references, and cartoon nostalgia — a kind of pop-cultural folklore collage. This is my first film. It went through many revisions, and not every choice is one I’d repeat, but it marks the starting point of my work as a director.