Rise Early

Annick Odom | US/FRANCE

Year: 2024

Run time: 6:24 min.

Synopsis:
This is a short animation inspired by mechanical crankies, moving panoramas created to tell stories. The song was written by Annick Odom and the fiddle tune was written by Henri Colombat, performed by Sweet Joe Pye (Annick Odom, Henri Colombat, and Lucas Henri), a band based in France and the USA.

Bio:
Annick Odom (she/her) is a Belgian-American musician born and raised in West Virginia. She works as a performer-composer, songwriter, bassist, clarinetist, storyteller, and folk singer. She creates "hauntingly beautiful" (Classical Post) music, often inspired by Appalachian folk tales and ballads. According to Dutch broadcaster VPRO, "every song is an adventure because of her experiences and her view of the world where she grew up." Annick writes frequently for her own voice with chamber ensemble.

Website

THE BORDERS NEVER DIE

Hamidreza Arjomandi | Iran

Year: 2024

Run time: 14:50 min.

Synopsis:

A couple (Kurds of Iraqi Kurdistan) have decided to cross the border because of the war in their land. The woman is pregnant. They have difficult and impassable roads ahead of them.

Cricket

Natalia Ryss | Russia

Year: 2023

Run time: 8:00 min.

Synopsis:
One day, a childless peasant family had a son... a cricket.

Bio:
Creator of animated and experimental shorts. Works as an independent filmmaker and in collaboration with different producers. Prefers non-conventional structure of narration, uses expressive editing and mixing of art-techniques. Participant of many international festivals such as Ann Arbor, Hiroshima, Ottawa, Anima Mundi, Anima Belgium, Stop Trik, Monstra, Tricky Women, DOK Leipzig, Animaphix, KROK ... Was born in Rostov-on-Don. Graduated from Art College in Rostov-on-Don (designer) in 1988 and art graphic faculty of the Russian ‐ State University of Cinematography named after S. Gerasimov in 1995.

Website

Spider-Zan

Maryam Khodabakhsh | Iran

Year: 2023

Run time: 12:45 min.

Synopsis:
Negar is a young girl who loses something that causes trouble for her right on the day of her proposal ceremony.

Bio:
Maryam Khodabakhsh is an accomplished Iranian director, screenwriter, and editor known for her successful "WORLD CUP" short films, which have received over 70 international selections. With 17 awards and 16 nominations from renowned film festivals, she has established herself as a prominent figure in the industry. In addition to her filmmaking career, Maryam Khodabakhsh serves as a respected jury member for esteemed film festivals, including the 14th WaterSprit Film Festival, WUIFF festival, and flow film festival. She believes in the power of every individual's unique voice and considers cinema as a means to connect with people and make a positive impact.

ÉCHALE GANITAS

Miriam Delgado | Mexico

Year: 2023

Run time: 8:09 min.

Synopsis:
A brief reflection on my dad's struggle with multiple myeloma (a type of cancer in the blood) and overall, a reflection about life.

Bio:
Miriam Delgado is a student in her final year of her bachelor's degree in Social Research and Public Policy with a minor in Film at NYU ABU DHABI, located in the United Arab Emirates. Miriam loves photography since she first discovered it at the age of 13, she loves reading in her free time, writes for different online newspapers and magazines and dreams of transforming the education system in her country.

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Animated Diaries of War: COFFEE

Sophia Kornienko | US

Year: 2023

Run time: 5:10 min.

Synopsis:
An animated documentary about the war in Ukraine.

Animated Diaries of War: COFFEE is an animated short film based on an authentic interview with Olha Ostapenko and her daughter Milana, Ukrainian refugees who survived the first weeks of the war in their native city of Sumy in northeastern Ukraine. We recorded this interview in Belgium in April 2022. As of September 2023, the Sumy region is still being shelled.

This is an independent production on the intersection of journalism and animation, utilizing the latest generative AI models as a conceptual choice. This approach is aimed at revealing the contrast between technological breakthrough and the anachronism of the Russian invasion, representing a clash of civilization and obscurantism.

Bio:
Sophia KORNIENKO コニンコー is a journalist using the medium of animation to tell real stories

Website

Phool Dei

Kartik Mahajan | India

Year: 2024

Run time: 7:22 min.

Synopsis:
What began as a classroom assignment on the forgotten festival of flowers in Uttarakhand soon evolved into a passion project deeply rooted in the region’s rich heritage. The story Phool Dei gained depth and nuance from firsthand observations of the changing landscapes of Uttarakhand’s villages and cities.  Located in the fictional realm of Dev Bhoomi and nestled among majestic mountains, the narrative of the story is about the festival of flowers that celebrates the culture and togetherness of Uttarakhand, seen from the perspective of a small girl Medha as she goes on a Magical and an Adventurous journey to collect flowers for her village before it turns into a ghost village. The film focuses on the impact of migration in Uttarakhand, India in the last 5 years and shows the helplessness of the change through the journey of the main character.  From character design to every individual flower, the essence of Uttarakhand is captured, both in terms of inspiration and in stylizing the original art form, such as the Aipan style of the state. Prioritizing simplicity in terms of animation while still holding to its authenticity, the film breathes life into not just the human characters but also the landscapes. The spirits of the mountains, depicted in the film, echo the mystique and warmth inherent in every Pahadi (people from Mountains). With its stylized backdrops, “Phool Dei'' captures the grandeur of Uttarakhand’s landscapes and the genuine spirit of its people.  With themes of change, adventure, magic, and the undeniable force of nature, “Phool Dei” is both a tribute to Uttarakhand’s traditions and a poignant commentary on the challenges it faces.

Bio:
Kartik Mahajan is an Animator, Filmmaker, Illustrator & Story Teller based in Uttarakhand, India. He completed his bachelors in Communication design from National Institute of Design, Madhya Pradesh in 2023. Specializes in various fields of arts and design such as 2D Animation, Stop Motion, Illustration, Concept Art and Character Designing. He enjoys creating stories and characters which are inspired by local stories, folktales and myths from India.

LUNCH HOUR WITH THE PRESIDENT

Pamela Perrine | US

Year: 2021

Run time: 5:29 min.

Synopsis:
A married couple's morning chat, shifts from political to heartwarming, when a grandfather shares his excitement about the gift to his grandson, a gift that gets more exposure than he ever imagined.