Father Christmas is a 1991 British animated short film which adapts two books written by Raymond Briggs - Father Christmas and Father Christmas Goes on Holiday. Produced by Blooming Productions Ltd. at TVC London for Channel 4 Television Company Ltd., in association with Palace Video and GAGA Communications, the film premiered on Channel 4 on Christmas Eve 1991 in Britain, and was the second animated adaptation of Briggs' work made for the channel, following the 1982 animated short The Snowman. The film stars Mel Smith as Father Christmas and was dedicated to the late animator John McGuire.

Plot

After delivering presents on Christmas Eve, Father Christmas returns to his house in contemporary Britain. As he settles down and warms up, he greets the viewers and explains how he is busy throughout the year caring for his reindeer and pets, tending to his garden and doing the housework and shopping. Fed up with it one year, he explains how he decided to go on holiday for a change, as the film goes back to the day when he made that decision. After debating on where to go to, Father Christmas decided on France and converted his sleigh into a camper van. After placing his dog and cat into a kennel, his reindeer fly him to his destination.