Is it possible that losing a sense of smell could be a good thing? In Louis Morton’s charming and humorous short film NOSE HAIR, a young boy has the condition known as anosmia; his olfactory system does not function. In the film, 10-year-old Nate feels ostracized from his peers when he learns about his condition. But, a friendly pie-maker gives Nate a tip on how to use the condition to his advantage.

NOSE HAIR is a 10-minute animated film written by David Guest and directed by Louis Morton. The film received funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation through its program with University of Southern California (USC). Morton consulted with Emily Liman on the scientific accuracy of the script. At USC, Dr. Liman runs a laboratory which focuses on biological mechanisms for interpreting sensory information. She is a professor of Biological Sciences in the section of Neurobiology.

The film has been selected to screen at festivals around the world including: the International Children’s Film Festival in Bangladesh, the Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival, the St. Louis International Film Festival, the Alameda International Film Festival, and the Anibar Animation Festival in Kosovo. It is premiering online on Sloan Science & Film, and will henceforth be available in the streaming library of Sloan-supported short films available to watch anytime. NOSE HAIR will be included in future editions of the Sloan Science & Film Teacher’s Guide, which makes these films available for the classroom.