STONE HEART
2021 | Sci-Fi, Drama | Brazil | 8 min
War, epidemics, resources scarcity and social collapse turned human beings in deformed stone figures trapped to their worst vices. Suddenly, a flower appears and sets one of the “stone walkers” free.
THE DIRECTOR
Born on an Island with strong artistic tradition in the Amazon River in Brazil. Humberto Rodrigues is an artist with 10 years of experience in the business. With passion for the craft, he specialized at Gobelins school in Paris. He currently directs Tv, cinema, tech and game projects with content published in channels and platforms around Latin America and Worldwide.
MISSÃO BERÇO ESPLÊNDIDO
2020 | Animation | Brazil | 4min
In the future, the government is totalitarian and our leader is an immortal head in a cybernetic mason jar.
THE DIRECTOR
Joel Caetano is the director of award-winning films such as ‘Encosto’ (2013), ‘Judas’ (2015), ‘Casulos’ (2017) and ‘Cova Human’ (2019) that were selected by film festivals around the world. He is also one of the directors of the anthological feature ‘As Fábulas Negras’ (2015) which is co-directed by José Mojica Marins (Zé do Caixão), Petter Baiestorf and Rodrigo Aragão. His most recent film, 'Cova Humana', have screened at more than 40 festivals and won 4 awards: Best Short Film at Comic Con Floripa (Brazil), Best Editing at Sarmiento Sangriento in Argentina, Best Short Film at Cine Phenomena in São Paulo and Honorable Mention at FECIM, all in 2019. Joel also provides post-editing service (editing, visual effects and color correction) on works by other filmmakers, in addition to working as an educator, giving workshops and lectures on cinema throughout parents.
THE GRAVE OF SAINT ORAN
2021 | Fantasy, Drama | Australia | 8min
Narrated by the masterful Neil Gaiman and based on his poem In Relig Odhrain, this is a tempestuous tale of sacrifice and faith. Director Jim Batt brings Gaiman's poem to life with beautifully illustrated paper cutouts, meticulously animated using stopmotion techniques and in camera visual effects.
THE DIRECTOR
Jim Batt works out of New York & Melbourne. Drawn to strange stories and unique imagery, he has made many wonderful things, from music videos to experimental feature films. He has worked with Neil Gaiman, Jay Z, Laverne Cox, John Legend, and with frequent collaborators Molly Crabapple and Kim Boekbinder. His award-winning work has shown around the world from the screens of Times Square to the Sydney Opera House and at festivals including Sydney Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, ENCOUNTERS, Stuttgart Animation Festival, Raindance, Australian Centre for the Moving Image and more.
MEOW OR NEVER
2021 | Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Comedy, Musical | United Kingdom | 9min
In a madcap musical, a catstronaut travels the galaxy looking for the meaning of life when she encounters a space pup eager to help - but only gets them into trouble at every turn!
THE DIRECTOR
Neeraja Raj is a film director, writer and animator working in film, television, and commercials. Her acclaimed film Meow or Never was shortlisted for the Student BAFTA Awards, won the Women in Animation Best Film Award and Digicon6 Asia Silver Award in 2020. Her films have been screened and awarded in festivals including SIGGRAPH Asia, Sitges and more. She received her MA in Directing Animation from the National Film and Television School, UK (2020) and her B. Des. from the National Institute of Design, India (2017). She worked at The Walt Disney Company in 2016, developing an original IP, and as a stop-motion animator for GuardiansEvo, APTN Kids, Canada in 2017. In 2018 and 2011, she was the first place winner in Emirates Airlines International Festival of Literature. Her latest short film The Girl Who Built a Rocket created for international NGO WaterAid is currently playing on Channel 4 in the UK.
RE-ANIMAL
2021 | Action, Thriller | Spain | 12min
A series of crimes is devastating the city and there is only one person who is capable of finding the culprit: Toni Clues. When Mr. and Ms. Mendoza are murdered, their family decides to hire him. But time is against him as new victims begin to appear and the police are nowhere to be see. He will have to use all his track-hunting skills to try to solve the mystery: who is behind such gory deaths?
THE DIRECTOR
Born in the eighties, Rubén studied Fine Arts at the University of San Carlos (Valencia). He has been professionally dedicated to stopmotion animation as animator/modelmaker for 6 years.
SELF-ACTUALIZATION OF THE WEREWOLF WOMAN
2021 | Short | Canada | 4min
A werewolf thinks she has her life figured out until a late night chance encounter changes her mind.
THE DIRECTOR
Conall Pendergast is a writer, director, illustrator, and animator. He directed and animated the films "Dot," "The Cyclops Diet", and most recently "Self-Actualization of the Werewolf Woman," which screened at FrightFest, Fantastic Fest, CineFantasy, and others. Live action films as writer/director include "Flesh Freaks" ('An impressive little film that defies its minuscule budget' - Rue Morgue); "Kill Them and Eat Them" ('An experience not to be missed' - The Baltimore Sun); and "Legend of the Seven Bloody Torturers," which played at over 20 film festivals worldwide including the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, Toronto After Dark, and the New York Horror Film Festival. Conall's feature screenplay "Dog" placed in the BlueCat finals and the ScreenCraft Fellowship quarterfinals; "Deserter" in the BlueCat semifinals and the Big Break quarterfinals; and "Sapien" in the Big Break quarterfinals and the Stage 32 Blood List Top 10. Conall has created animated content for numerous corporate clients and edited television series, documentaries, dramatic shorts, and the dramatic feature "The Basement." He designed and illustrated the educational comic book "Pipe Dreams," which won the National Canadian Public Relations Society’s Gold Award for Print Projects.
MY DEAR QUARANTINE
2021 | Short, Animation | Poland | 5min
"My Dear Quarantine" is a short, simple story from the time of pandemic–a poetic view of isolation, loneliness and boredom.
THE DIRECTOR
Ewa Maria Wolska – puppeteer, theatre director, stop-motion animator. She graduated from Theatre Direction at the Theatre Academy in Warsaw, Puppetry Art Department in Bialystok as well as from Polish Philology and Cultural Studies in the University of Lodz. She founded Teatr FRAKTAL (FRACTAL Theatre), that creates original, poetic and intimate theatre forms. Her works are known for their rich visuality and experimenting with sounds by creating special musical instruments for each performance. Her most important performances are « Adventures of Peddy Button » by Stefan Themerson (Pinokio Theatre in Lodz), « Pomelo is in love, with the frog, the rain and many more » (FRACTAL Theare) inspired by the book of R. Badescu and B. Chaud, « Biba Fish » (FRACTAL Theare) inspired by “Tales from the Deep Sea” by Monika Kompaníkova and performance dedicated to blind kids “Nothing, Wild Ant, Adam and Eve” by Malina Prześluga (Animation Theatre in Poznań). During pandemic she created her first animated films: „my dear quarantine” (she won 12 awards on international film festivals for it) and „small. quite small” (Grand Prix of the International Puppetry Video Campaign, UNIMA Korea). Ewa Maria Wolska won the Reward of the Author’s Association ZAiKS at the 8. Forum of Young Directors, Stanisław Wyspiański Academy of Theatrical Arts, Kraków 2018; Reccomendation of the Artistic Committee for the program of theater tours – Teatr Polska in 2019 and Scholarships: from the President of Białystok (2015 and 2018), the President of the City of Lodz (2019) and the Ministery of Culture and National Heritage (2019).
DOG’S FIELD
2021 | Short, Animation | Poland | 11min
Animals closed in a flat with a decomposing corpse of their owner try to survive. In this difficult situation one of the dogs finds out that love for its owner is stronger than animal instinct
THE DIRECTOR
Michalina Musialik is an animator and animation films director. Graduated Polish National Film School in Łódź. She was working for polish animation studios as Fumi Studio, Yellow Tapir Films, Animapol, Letko.