Far from the Tree is a 2021 American animated short film written and directed by Natalie Nourigat and produced by Ruth Strother.

Initially written as humans, the raccoon main characters proved a challenge for the animators, owing to a struggle to find the balance between anthropomorphism and realism.

Far from the Tree premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 15, 2021, and was later released on November 24 of the same year alongside theatrical screenings of Encanto.

Natalie Nourigat, director of Short Circuit film Exchange Student (2020), pitched three concepts that she had written in her sketchbooks.

[2] Though the film initially depicted humans, those characters were scrapped when the team began delving into themes of parenting, intergenerational trauma, death, and hurt.

[2] Nourigat noted the abundance of raccoons in their natural habitat while on a research trip to Cannon Beach, Oregon, and immediately considered them as the short's main characters.

[4] The team took inspiration from real-life raccoons; according to Strother, "they basically are like cartoon characters", meaning there was a way of animating them as appealing while allowing them to behave as they would in their natural environment.

Cannon Beach's cloudy sky, gray sand, Evergreen trees, and foggy, distant mountains created an unusual color palette for the film's setting.

[10][11] Deadline Hollywood called it "a real keeper, worth the price of admission alone",[12] while The Hindu acclaimed its themes of parenting as "the cherry on the top of the jolly confection".

[13] Parenting magazine Romper stated that it provides deep insight into parent-child relationships and manages to delve into sensitive familial issues.