ANIMATION SHORTS
SCREENING
Friday 23 June – 12.00
CANDLELIGHT
(UK)
SYNOPSIS
In a dusty attic, a tall dinner candle springs to life. As the playful and curious candle explores, learning to hop, skip and dance, it discovers a second candle. The two play and dance their way through the attic, falling in love.
However, a shocking discovery is made when both candles realise that the heat from their combined flames, whenever they touch, causes them to rapidly melt. Splitting up, the two must decide whether life without the other can still be magical, or if they want to sacrifice everything for love.
Writer/Director: Scott Newton
Producer: Richard Gordon
Cast: Vicky McClure, Abigail Pidgeon, Bethany Asher, Mercedes Assad, Solaya Sang
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Scott Newton has worked in the film, animation and games industries in Belfast since 2013, across various productions. ‘Candlelight’ is the first animated short film he has written and directed, for Jam Media with the support of NI Screen.
CLOWNING AROUND
(UK)
SYNOPSIS
A Clown dreams of being a Circus performer, but soon learns that practice makes perfect!
Director: Robert Brown
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Robert Brown is an Award Winning Freelance 2D Animator / Director / Illustrator / Author working in both traditional hand-drawn and digital animation. He has over 30 years experience working in the Animation Industry and has animated on a variety of productions from pre-school children’s series to full length feature films as well as his own personal short films.
He animated on the legendary Hollywood director Chuck Jones’s film ‘Peter and the Wolf’, which won an Emmy Award in 1996.
For more information about his work please visit his website.
www.rbanimation.com
FORGET ME NOT
(Canada)
SYNOPSIS
A story about giving yourself the chance to love again, strong lasting connections and new beginnings.
Writer/Director/Animator: Naomi Grim Borja
MEET THE DIRECTOR
FRIENDLY FIRE
(Israel)
SYNOPSIS
A friendly soccer game between an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian boy that takes place on the West Bank barrier starts to escalate into an uneven battle.
The film was painted frame by frame on the wall and become part of the ongoing conflict by staining the wall with over a hundred liters of paint.
Writer/Director/Producer: Tom Koryto Blumen
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Tom Koryto Blumen is an animation creator from Israel, on his works he aspires to create a connection between format and context by using specific locations.
his graduation film “Friendly Fire”, shows a unique animation technique that he developed in order to mix together his passion for graffiti and animation.
FULL MOON
(US)
SYNOPSIS
Full Moon tells a story about a little girl and her big sister celebrating Halloween. The little girl wonders about the man who she believes lives on the moon, who she also believes might need her help. Her big sister helps the little girl carry out her well-intentioned deed.
Directors: John Vo, Ken Yoffe, Ellen Weisberg
Writers: Ellen Weisberg, Ken Yoffe
Producer: Abby Vo
Cast: Liv Piper Williams, Liz Fodor
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Ken Yoffe is a pediatrician (Chelmsford, MA). He also holds a doctorate in genetics. Ellen Weisberg is a cancer researcher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Principal Associate in Medicine at Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA), with a doctorate in pharmacology.
Ken and Ellen are part-time children’s book authors. Publications include short stories and poetry published in PKA’s Advocate (bimonthly literary publication), The Writing Disorder (quarterly online literary journal and print anthology book), Bewildering Stories, and Natural Solutions (holistic health magazine). Ellen’s cancer memoir, “From Both Sides,” which received the 2019 Mariner Award from Bewildering Stories, describes one person, two perspectives: that of the cancer researcher and that of the cancer patient. Ken and Ellen have also published several children’s geography books, readers, an anti-bullying book and a multicultural picture book, and two novels through small independent presses. Their YA book, ANGEL ROCK LEAP, received a positive Kirkus review and other editorial reviews, and was selected for the Goodreads List of Best Women’s Contemporary Fiction. Their children’s geography book, ALL ACROSS CANADA, and their anti-bullying children’s book, FRUIT OF THE VINE, received positive Kirkus reviews, Readers’ Favorite, and other editorial reviews.
John Vo, founder of Lonely Lane Productions, is an executive specializing in finance and operations for content and creative startups. He has over eleven years of experience running a creative agency as CEO, COO and Head of Finance, as well as commercializing content properties. He has had a hand in producing content totaling over one billion views.
MIDDLE WATCH
(UK)
SYNOPSIS
As World War Two draws to a close, a sailor aboard ship on the Indian Ocean must do his duty. Watch must be kept, the horizon scanned for enemy craft and the bubble trails of deadly torpedoes, launched by stealthy submarines. Haunted and scarred by conflict and the loss of fellow shipmates, our sailor’s task is the Middle Watch, or the graveyard watch, as old mariners call it. But, as he goes about his duties, in the small hours of the morning, his routine is shattered by an encounter that could tip the balance of his delicate state of mind.
Directors: John Stevenson, Aiesha Penwarden
Writer: John Stevenson
Producer: Giles Healy
Cast: Boris Hiestand
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Based in Los Angeles, John Stevenson is an English / American director probably best known for his work with Pixar and Dreamworks. In 2008, he won an ‘Annie’ and was nominated for an Oscar for directing Kung Fu Panda.
Based in London, Aiesha Penwarden is an Indonesian-English Animation graduate of Falmouth University, Cornwall. She works as a story artist, production designer and film director. Middle Watch is her first film.
NEVER MIND THE GAP
(UK)
SYNOPSIS
A little Scouse guinea pig is pursued through a surreal London Underground station by a persistent fox.
Writer/Director: Jacqueline Katherina Petsch
Director: Steve Roberts
Producer: Shaun Clarke
Cast: Steve Roberts
MEET THE DIRECTOR
I am an animator, photographer and artist that specialises predominantly in traditional, analogue techniques and practices. Having recently graduated from Central Saint Martin’s, I currently reside in Hastings, East Sussex.
OLIVE PLANET
(Germany)
SYNOPSIS
A boy, Jihad, lives in his father’s cage, who is lieutenant colonel at the olive military. Jihad must also go to a military academy, but his dream is to become a footballer. The Uprising, which is taking place on the Olive Planet, arrives in the city Taubez, where they live. Jihad decided to stand by the uprising against the government and the army, but of course secretly. As he is working as a gravedigger, the Yasmin agents pick him and his boss up to take advantage of their serves in the Yasmin department, where Jihad discovers a horrible thing, that could cost him his life.
Writer/Director/Producer: Shehab Fatoum
Animation: Yann Le Bot
Cast: Joshua Hupfauer, Luise von Stein, Omar Shaker, Shehab Fatoum, Mohammed Tamim, Talal Husin, Lea Taake, Rama Alsayasneh, Alaaeddin Alali & Hayan Hassoun
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Shehab Fatoum was born in Salamieh (Syria) in 1994, where he also gained his first theater experience. In Germany he was a member of the “Theaterspiel” Witten and the Junges Theater Mülheim an der Ruhr before completing his acting studies at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen from 2018 to 2022. While still a student, he made guest appearances at the Bochum theater and at other theaters in the Ruhr area, such as the Freudenhaus theater in Essen and the Kohlenpott theater in Herne. In addition to acting, he makes short films that have already been shown at a number of European film festivals. He was awarded the Folkwang Prize in 2022 for the short film “Olive Planet”. In “A Report for an Academy” Shehab Fatoum can now be seen for the first time at the Essen Theater.
www.shehab-fatoum.com
PLEASE!
(Belarus)
SYNOPSIS
Mothers in every part of the world dream of one thing: to be calm for their children. In this film there are 9 mothers from all over the world because the mother carries the child for 9 months.
Writer/Director/Producer: Aliaksandra Markava
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Aliaksandra Markava is an independent filmmaker.
Graduated from the Faculty of Screen Arts of the Belarusian State Academy of Arts. She worked as a documentary Director at the national film Studio “Belarusfilm”. Participant and prize-winner of different international film festivals. Member of the Belarusian Union of Cinematographers.
This is Aliaksandra’s first experiment in the animation genre. Her daughter helped to make the dolls costumes.
Filmography:
“Please!” – 1 min. 14 sec., animation, 2022
“Where Luna Lives” – 85 min., documentary, Full -length debut, 2021
“Hope” – 26 min., documentary, 2019
“Inclusion” – 26 min., documentary, 2018
“A Quiet Street” – 28 min., documentary, 2018
“The Last Date” – 29 min., documentary, 2016
PRAZINBURK RIDGE
mmm
(UK)
SYNOPSIS
In 1916, with the first World War upon Britain and his international sporting career cut short, Yorkshire rugby hero Douglas Clark enlisted in the army. In 1917, he found himself on the mud-soaked battlefields of Ypres, in Belgium, during the Battle of Passchendaele. As part of the Army Service Corps, he was tasked to deliver munitions to artillery batteries shelling the front lines. During one fateful ammo drop, his team were attacked with gas and shell, and Clark had to rely on his old rugby training to save himself and his fellow soldiers. He would never be the same again.
Based on a true story, PRAZINBURK RIDGE is Martin Bell’s first proper animated short after almost two decades in the computer animation industry. Now a film visualisation supervisor, his credits include JURASSIC WORLD, NO TIME TO DIE, 1917, and THE WHEEL OF TIME. Most recently he was Visualisation Supervisor on BATGIRL. With little-to-no budget, and Bell as the only visual artist, PRAZINBURK RIDGE was made possible by utilising commercially-available assets and cutting-edge techniques such as a real-time pipeline in Unreal Engine with live dynamics and simulation, alongside motion/performance capture as well as more common animation practices.
The film premiered September 24th 2022 at Wigan & Leigh Film Festival and won the Best Animation award.
Writer/Director/Producer: Martin Bell
Animation: Martin Bell
Cast: Edmund C. Short, Ciaran Crawford, Christopher Winchester, Ian Clayton
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Martin has been creating computer graphics all his life. Originally from a Yorkshire mining community, Martin moved to London and became a CG artist over 15 years ago. As a film visualisation supervisor, Martin works with directors to create, animate and plan huge action sequences for blockbuster franchises such as Jurassic World, Marvel, Fast & Furious, James Bond, and the DC Universe. His credits also include THE LITTLE MERMAID, ALADDIN, 1917, and THE WHEEL OF TIME. An ambitious writer/director, in 2021 his true-crime drama DEAD MAN’S HILL earned a “Reader Recommended” accolade on The Black List, and he intends to shoot a feature film version of it in 2023; and he has recently completed production on his 10-minute long solo CGI animated film, PRAZINBURK RIDGE, a sports-slash-war drama created in Unreal Engine using cutting-edge virtual production techniques.
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SCHRODINGER’S CAT:
A QUANTUM TALE OF LOVE AND ENTANGLEMENT
(USA)
SYNOPSIS
Physicist Erwin Schrodinger’s famous thought experiment comes to life in this quantum mechanical adventure as the iconic Cat quests for his heritage, his identity, and his creator. For anyone who has ever pondered the mysteries of life and death, time travel and eternity, and the paradox and possibility of parallel realities, this brilliantly animated pilot and subsequent series will offer viewers of all ages light-hearted insight and hope!
Director/Producer: Ron Noble
Writer/Creator/Executive Producer: Suzanne Nichols
Cast: Ron Noble, Suzanne Nichols
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Ron Noble’s career highlights include directing Nickelodeon’s Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys, Rocket Power, As Told By Ginger, and winning the Outstanding Children’s Animation Program Emmy Award® as an animation director on Rugrats. Producer and Director on internationally awarded films including “Mort” and “Living With Ridalyn.” Story Artist on animated series at Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, PBS and more. Ron lives in L.A. where besides making cartoons, he plays guitar in a band when he isn’t out exploring other countries, surfing or snowboarding. Find out more at http://nobletownstudios.com/
THE BOY WHO PORTRAYED MONSTERS
mm
(Spain)
SYNOPSIS
In the twilight of his life, Francisco de Goya reflects on his black paintings in his Quinta on the banks of the Manzanares. Why did I do them?
Directors: Víctor Izquierdo, Pablo Sánchez
Writer: Leonora Lax
Producer: Joshua Escribano
MEET THE DIRECTOR
LULLABY
(Kazakhstan)
SYNOPSIS
A young family lives in a mountainous area near a small lake. Their baby is sick. Nothing helps. The father prays to the gods, tying ribbons to the sacred tree. He invites baksy to the house. Baksy discovers an evil spirit that strangles the life force from the child. He fights against the dark forces, but he defeats, and the exhausted baksy leaves their house, letting the helpless parents alone in their misfortune and misery. At night, the desperate mother goes to the lake and begs the great Umai Ana for help. With the rays of moonlight, the goddess of motherhood and family hearth appears in the yurt. There starts a fierce battle between good and evil for the life of a child. An ancient lullaby, intertwoven with ancient prayers, runs like a red thread through the entire film. It is the last thing the parents cling to hope in their hearts, and it becomes a hymn of victory over evil, light over darkness, and life over death.
Writer/Director/Producer: Dilshat Rakhmatullin
Writer: Aya Alimbayeva
Producer: Gulmira Ablapova
MEET THE DIRECTOR
Rakhmatullin Dilshat Nazhukovich – Kazakhstan director of animation films.
Born in 28.08.1985, Baiseit village, Almaty region.
In 2004 graduated from Almaty College of Decorative and applied arts named O.Tansykbayev (AKDPI), on a specialty “Easel painting”.
In 2011 graduated from T. K. Zhurgenov Kazakh national Art Academy (KAZNAA), “Cinematography and TV” faculty, Animation Directing department.
Since 2008 founder and director of the «Dala Animation» studio.
THE MOON FOLLOWED ME TO FALMOUTH
(USA)
SYNOPSIS
A seafarer sings the story of how he, as a young man, left Falmouth looking for a new life on the High Seas. During his voyage, he recounts how the moon began to follow him, watching his every move. After months at sea, the ship arrived at a topical island where the moon lead him to his first true love awaiting on the beach. But the moon became envious of their love, drove them apart, and forced the young man, heartbroken and alone, back to Falmouth. Every time he looks up at the night sky, the moon is always there, reminding him of a love lost so many years ago.
Director: Joël Gibbs
Producer: Zach Stevens
Senior Producer: Brent Rogers
Executive Producer: Kurt Rosenberg
Animation: Armada
MEET THE DIRECTOR
A native of France with over 15 years in the creative industry and 10+ years at Magnetic Dreams, Joël Gibbs has a dual Masters in Art and Production Creation from Université de Haute Bretagne Rennes 2. Upon graduation, Gibbs was hired at Magnetic Dreams and has been producing some of the company’s best content since. Not just a director but also an expert compositor, Gibbs’ creative vision can be seen across a multitude of projects for Dell, Marvel, Samsung, Nickelodeon, Chick-fil-A, and more. While at Magnetic, Gibbs directed both the Thor and Loki and Iron Man Extremis motion comics, a total of 130 minutes for Marvel. These long form narratives remain enormously popular as streaming content on various platforms. Gibbs is known for his versatility across various artistic styles, knowledge of multiple software packages, and innate creativity.