Father Christmas (1991 film)
Father Christmas is a 1991 British animated short film starring Mel Smith as Father Christmas. Created for Channel 4 and first broadcast on Christmas Eve 1991 in Britain, the story is an adaption of two books written by Raymond Briggs - Father Christmas and Father Christmas Goes on Holiday - and is the second animated adaptation of Briggs' work made for the channel, following the 1982 animated short The Snowman.
| Father Christmas | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Dave Unwin |
| Written by | Raymond Briggs (books) |
| Produced by | John Coates |
| Starring | Mel Smith (UK) William Dennis Hunt (US) |
| Music by | Mike Hewer |
| Distributed by | Channel 4 (TV) Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (home video) |
Release date | 24 December 1991 (UK) |
Running time | 26 min (British runtime) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The story focuses on a stereotypical vision of Father Christmas with a down-to-earth twist, living in contemporary Britain with his pets and reindeer, coping with everyday domestic chores, who recounts to the viewers about a holiday he took before preparing for another Christmas.
The film was dedicated to the late animator John McGuire. It was later released as part of a DVD bundle alongside The Snowman, before being released separately in subsequent home media releases.