Animation Competition 3

What if the world suddenly came to an end? Without being post-apocalyptic, these films entertain this possibility narratively and experimentally. Japanese warriors are juxtaposed with classical museum exhibits, while being away from one’s homeland is the only possibility ahead. From book adaptation to sound versus image projection, and group paranoia to deconstructed human movements, nothing here is to be taken for granted. A fire may destroy everything but the power these films convey is enough to keep you alert long after the end credits.

Castle

During the period of the 'Provinces at war', many lives were lost. A castle architect discovers the possible role of a tearoom as a place for warriors to regain humanity.

The Physics of Sorrow

Sometimes, the apocalypse is a strictly personal affair… We are all immigrants, even if the only country we’ve left behind is childhood, abandoning it along with our collections of chewing-gum wrappers, toy cars, games, and pecks on the cheek. We don’t truly feel at home until we open up our suitcase – this “time capsule” holding the hidden treasures of our youth.

The Physics of Sorrow is the first fully-animated film created using encaustic painting, a technique developed in antiquity. Directed by Theodore Ushev, the film is inspired by Bulgarian author Georgi Gospodinov’s novel The Physics of Sorrow and narrated by Rossif Sutherland.

Still Lives

Still Lives is an experimental stop motion animation starring traditional figurines from folk art from various times and places. Accompanied by a soundtrack of narrators facing the pressures of modern life, these characters explore the theme of busy stillness from different points of view in seven separate scenes: a couple on an antique bridal box breaks up, turning into Tinder; an ancient statue in a glass showcase grows tired of hearing about the dynamic potential of shared workspaces, and the runner on a clay jar is stuck in a never-ending workout session.

KIDS

This animated short explores group dynamics. How do we define ourselves when we are all equal?

4:3

Twelve separate animated projections combine to develop a whole rhythmic dialogue exploring the intrinsic relationship between sound and image using 16mm film, paint and a projector. 4:3 is available as a short film, an immersive installation, and in virtual reality.

Dont Know What

The basic idea of DONT KNOW WHATis to combine entertainment cinema and avantgarde film/video art. Through the method of single frame editing, in which the first step focuses on the sound, this hyper-realistic film transforms into fantastic, surreal, structural and even abstract film.

And Then the Bear

That very night, houses will burn. Men and women will tremble. Hordes of children will come together and howl as they dance alone on the ashes like wild bears. It only takes one cry to awaken them all from their slumber!