Shorts Animation Competition 1

How do you navigate from the nuclear family to the end of the world? The short animation films in this year’s competition go all the way to show us both our smaller and larger world with a new pair of eyes (and eyeglasses). Sometimes they are too daring, talking about our post-survival world in just a few minutes and in black-and-white; at other times, they are too funny, reminding us that art and the artists themselves are not hidden behind a beautiful content, but they are people with flesh and blood – and they need themselves to survive. Curious, energetic, complex but relatable, aesthetically diverse, they may fall into coming-of-age stories, stories of relationships, social responsibility, politics and democracy, or simply the absurd and the unexpected. The interplay between reality and abstraction holds strong; also the quest for our own personal truth (never a conventional one), entails a lot of eccentric but well-targeted episodes along the way. Enjoy!

Vassilis Kroustallis

Terra Incognita

Following life on a mysterious island, inhabited by immortal beings. These beings lead a pre-civilized life forgotten by time, spending their endless days in hedonistic lethargy. Through anecdotal vignettes, the film tells the story of what happens when these beings are visited by the outside world, and whether or not there is a greater meaning to it all.

Steakhouse

The steak has been marinating for a few days now. The pan is heated. Franc’s stomach is rumbling. But Liza’s co-workers surprise her with a birthday party. Will she be home on time?

L'amour en plan

After 20 years of living together, Carine, Fabrice and their son Simon have a well-ordered daily life. While Carine is restricted to household chores, Fabrice spends his time watching television. Each in a different space, their eyes no longer meet.

Granny's Sexual Life

Trigered by the revealing way of dressing of one of their granddaughters, four old women, reflect on their memories of old times when they themselves were young and how different the relationships between man and women were back then. Their voices merge into one single voice, that of the grandmother Vera, who tells her story in proper details.

Impossible Figures and Other Stories I

After a huge explosion, only an old couple remains in an abandoned city. An old woman wanders tediously through empty streets. She passes by the statues of some now completely irrelevant and long-forgotten victories. In the shop windows, she sees some abandoned and dead mannequins. In short flashback, we get to see those, who will never return to the city. Marta Pajek’s film is a post-apocalyptic portrait of the world where the human being and its existence means no more than a split second. The film is the missing part of the trilogy 'Impossible Figures and other stories'.