It’s time to announce the full program for our screening on Thursday April 11, 2013. We have scoured the world to bring you this selection of excellent short films from Canada, Sweden, Spain, Iceland, the UK, and the US. If you like what you see, why not save some money and get your advance tickets now?
TYPESETTER BLUES
Dir: Hector Herrera (Director will be in attendance for a Q&A)
Canada – 2012
Beastly Bards is a collection of animated shorts featuring loveable monsters. Each short is a distinct piece, written in rhyming verse and inspired by the poetic styles of Edward Lear, Shel Silverstein and Robert Service. The animation features clean lines with a textural mixed-media approach and incorporates a classic mid-century modern esthetic. The shorts are narrated by some of the best voices of the Canadian stage and screen: Gordon Pinsent, Jayne Eastwood, and Kenneth Welsh.
Typesetter Blues is the first “chapter” of Beastly Bards and debuted at TAAFI 2012. Set in a printshop, it is familiar story of heartbreak on the job, with a humorous spin. Narrated by Gordon Pinsent.
- Official Selection – Toronto Animation Arts Festival International
- Finalist – Adobe Design Achievement Awards (Animation)
Duration: 3:00
HALF-A-PANTALOON
Dir: Hector Herrera (Director will be in attendance for a Q&A)
Canada – 2012
Half-A-Pantaloon is the second “chapter” of Beastly Bards. In the style of a public service announcement, it warns the viewer of the perils of wearing shorts in professional situations. Even charming monsters can’t get away with sartorial blunders. Narrated by Jayne Eastwood.
Duration: 5:00
VOICE OVER
Dir: Martin Rosete
Spain – 2012
I-will-not-tell-you-whose voice leads us through three extreme situations that are actually the same… Will you survive?
From Luis Berdejo, the writer of REC and REC 3: Genesis comes this ten minute epic, which has screened at more than 80 film festivals around the world and picked up more than 30 awards.
- Best of the Fest – New York City Shorts Festival
- Audience Award – Couch Fest
Duration: 10:00
FRIEND OF FLIES
Dir: Emil Gustafsson Ryderup
Sweden – 2011
For want of friends, a little boy seeks fellowship among flies. Once he has gained their confidence, he finds himself in possession of endless power. But the power is not the solution to everything, and how is a child to master such responsibility? Using only three colours, black, white and red, Friend of Flies deploys a striking visual aesthetic to tell a melancholy tale about the loneliness of childhood.
- Official Selection – Fantasia Film Festival
- Official Selection – Chicago International Film Festival
Duration: 13:00
LAS PALMAS – AUDIENCE AWARD WINNER
Dir: Johannes Nyholm
Sweden – 2011
A middle-aged lady on a holiday in the sun tries to make new friends and have a good time. The role is played by a one year old girl (the director’s daugher Helmi), the rest of the cast are marionette puppets.
- Official Selection – Sundance Film Festival
- Official Selection – Directors’ Fortnight, Cannes Film Festival
Duration: 13:00
DRAGON BABY
Dir: Patrick Boivin
Canada – 2012
In this Kill Bill-inspired short short, the filmmaker’s son Romeo takes on a stuffed dragon with some awesome kung-fu moves. This has been viewed more than 26 million times online, but don’t go looking for it yet. You want the big screen experience!
Duration: 1:00
BELLY
Dir: Julia Pott
UK – 2011
I can feel you in my Belly.
- Official Selection – Sundance Film Festival
- Official Selection – South by Southwest Film Festival
- Official Selection – AFI Film Festival
- Official Selection – Worldwide Short Film Festival
- Canal+ Award – Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival
Duration: 8:00
THE PIRATE OF LOVE
Dir: Sara Gunnarsdóttir
Iceland – 2012
Daniel C, a truck driver, records an entire CD of ballads for Sherry. Can his music conquer his loneliness?
- Official Selection – New Directors/New Films
- Official Selection – AFI Film Festival
- Official Selection – Telluride Film Festival
Duration: 10:00
PENNY DREADFUL
Dir: Shane Atkinson
USA – 2012
The story of a kidnapping gone horribly wrong.
- Audience Award – Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival
Duration: 17:00
This will also be the first screening where we award one of our filmmakers with a $100 prize. Be there to have your vote count! Buy your tickets now!