Out of 5,000 filmmakers from across 148 countries, the Sony Future Filmmaker Awards 2024 nominated Hall in their Animation category. The stated goal of the program is to provide a gateway for emerging talent with an original perspective on storytelling.

Mira has also screened at two Oscar-qualifying festivals. When shown at the 2023 SCAD Savannah Film Festival, Hall won two awards including "Best Horror Short" and "Best Short Spotlight" - a surprise for the underdog production competing against some truly impressive competition.

"I was eating a salad and they called my name once. But it didn't register. Then they were unsure if I was even there so they called my name again and I finally stepped up," Hall said, remembering the night.

The awards are a long-time removed from the project's conception around 2020. Eva Louise Hall - a graduate of KCAI ('12 Animation) - calls Mira a "COVID film" that "kept her going for a while." The scale of time is already extended for stop motion animators and Hall compares the work to choreography or a dance performance in very slow motion.

But slow does not mean dull. Hall said the process had her wearing many different hats: a writer this month, an animator another, and editor the next. While working on her script, Hall would often sculpt characters simultaneously to help her understand who her subjects really were - learning about her creations as they were born.

It's not uncommon for stop motion to be used for surrealism or horror but Hall attempts to subvert certain expectations of the medium. Hall separates herself by making a psychological impact "tonally" as opposed to defaulting to intense imagery. Through this approach - she says - it allows audiences to interact with difficult parts of the human condition.

Above: Still from Mira provided courtesy of Eva Louise Hall

Mira is about the darker side of creative collaboration. The titular character is an accordionist. The musician falls prey to a water demon who takes advantage of their relationship. Hall says she worked on the script for six months prior to production. Filming took three years. She put it together while working full-time, hitting it hard during the Summer and Spring.

The experience of the one-woman-production has helped Hall realize the value of a team approach. She already has some Kansas City collaborators lined-up as she prepares for her next film. At the same time, she's also working on raising capital and pursuing screenwriting opportunities.

Above: Eva Louise Hall with her creations. Provided courtesy of the artist.

Hall also continues to develop as an educator. In the 2024-2025 academic year, she will be teaching KCAI Animation Seniors for the first time. Previously, she had only taught Sophomore and Junior stop motion and experimental animation classes.

"So much planning goes into the curriculum. Ultimately though, you're responding to the room and what excites them in the conversation. And the last year has been very exciting," Hall said, noting "electric" creative energy and participation among students aware of her success.

Personally, the recognition has also fueled her own "creative fire." Hall said her experience has helped her realize that there are pockets of the filmmaking industry willing to embrace dark stories with female-centric perspectives - stories like the ones she wants to tell.

Above: Still from Mira provided courtesy of Eva Louise Hall