I'm Gonna K*** Myself Tomorrow!
2D Animated Black Comedy
Nigeria | July 2026 | 9 min 26 sec | English
Logline & Synopsis
LOGLINE: A young boy prepares to take his life while his family watches a comedy show in the living room.
Synopsis
A father and mother sit in the living room, watching a comedian perform a stand-up routine, as their daughter lies on the floor, engrossed with her phone. Midway through the show, their son enters the room, bruised and roughed up, and announces "I'm Gonna Kill Myself Tomorrow!"
When this fails to get a reaction, he goes around the house getting the things he needs to end his life as his family enjoys their show. An experiment in style and substance, the film juxtaposes morbid subject matter with comedy, highlighting the sort of painful realities that people use comedy to escape.
Director's Statement
A few years ago, I had a vague idea: a short film that follows a murder that takes place within the backdrop of a standup comedy special. Fast forward a year, a George Carlin special gives me another vague idea: a man attempts to kill himself, but the logistics of it prove more than he can handle.
Some time before 2025, I rewatched Wes Anderson's The Royal Tenenbaums. The scene where Luke Wilson's character attempts suicide struck me. Particularly his last words before he does it: "I'm going to kill myself tomorrow." The idea of someone saying that, and then proceeding to kill themself in the moment, turned a wheel in my head. Then when I remembered the older ideas, it all came together into this interesting piece of black comedy.
There's a sort of desensitization that goes on when someone around you seems suicidal but never acts on it. Of course there's pity, but soon it gives way to a quiet irritation, then indifference as time goes on. Often we're distracted from their pain by the pain in our own lives, which we then distract ourselves from with entertainment. And as comedy is a tool to ease pain, it is just as often a tool to inoculate ourselves from feeling the pain of others. That's what this film is about; capturing suicidal despair and indifference in as simple a manner as possible.
— "S.A.D." Alaka
Craft & Artistic Vision
Director Biography
Daniel "S.A.D." Alaka is a Nigerian animator, comic artist, illustrator, and filmmaker whose storytelling blends sharp visual humor with emotional depth. An alumnus of Covenant University and the EbonyLife Creative Academy, his debut short Tito's Tiger Book (2023) screened at RendaCon, Lifa, and QFEST. His second short, About Sarah (2025), premiered at the S16 Film Festival, winning the "Rising Star Award".
Animation & Visual Style
Written, animated, and edited by Daniel himself in an extensive five-month process after work hours, with background design by Precious "Peasel" Nwachukwu (former layout artist at Basement Animation Studios).
The main character is uniquely drawn with visible line jitter ("boiling lines") and sparse coloring, contrasting with the rest of the cast drawn in static lines and full color. This represents him literally fading into the background while visually conveying his internal turmoil. The visual aesthetic draws inspiration from limited animation UPA classics like Robert Cannon's Gerald McBoing Boing and John Hubley's Rooty Toot Toot.
Sound & Score
The film features no music or score. Instead, the narrative is framed entirely by a stand-up comedy special performed by comedian "Nate Odagwu" (voiced by Great Osagwu). Recorded semi-improvised in a room, the string of random jokes creates happy accidents as it lines up with the dark events on screen.
Key Credits
Director & Writer: "S.A.D." Alaka
Animation & Editing: "S.A.D." Alaka
Background Art: Precious "Peasel" Nwachukwu
Voice Roles: Great Osagwu, Ebun Alaka, Oshla Abimiku, June Olu, Adebayo Oduwole
