Tag: Animated Shorts

TheNFB’s Hothouse 15 Shorts Now Streaming: Fresh Voices in Canadian Animation

Experience the creativity of Hothouse 15, the National Film Board of Canada’s program showcasing emerging Canadian animators. Six eclectic shorts, each exploring the theme People Watching, are now streaming worldwide, offering a glimpse at the future of Canadian animation.

National Film Board of Canada logo promoting Hothouse 15 editionThe National Film Board of Canada’s long-running animation program has once again opened its doors to new talent. Beginning today, six shorts from Hothouse 15 are streaming worldwide, showcasing a range of visual styles and stories tied together by this year’s theme: People Watching.

Each filmmaker had just 12 weeks to complete a one-minute piece, and the results are as eclectic as ever. For those unfamiliar, Hothouse was created in 2003 to nurture emerging animators, and it has since launched the careers of over 90 talents. Names like Patrick Doyon (Dimanche), Howie Shia (Marco’s Oriental Noodles), and Eva Cvijanovic (Hedgehog’s Home) all honed their craft here before gaining international recognition.

The NFB Lineup

Get a Grip
Abbey Collings (Boylston, Nova Scotia)

A charming stop-motion short featuring Gus MacDuffin, a puffin who discovers his wings are actually hands—and learns to embrace his uniqueness. The film explores how watching others shapes self-beliefs and identity, all while staying true to oneself. Its gentle story plays out with endearing visuals and subtle humor. A delightful blend of whimsy and introspection.

Stop-motion puffin with hand-like wings in Abbey Collings’ short Get a Grip

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Five Favourite Fantasia Short Films — Weird, Wild & Wonderful

We’re not done with this festival yet as there are five favourite Fantasia short films to put on the spotlight!

Fantasia 2025 Movie Poster and Five Favourite Fantasia Short FilmsThe 29th annual Fantasia Film Festival has wrapped, and I’m already looking forward to what next year will bring. I’m still catching up on all the fantastic works showcased this year, especially the short films—and I’ve carefully taken the time to highlight the ones that truly stood out. This roundup features my five favourite Fantasia short films. Two were compelling enough to deserve their own dedicated posts: L’écrivain (The Writer) and Mother of Dawn—follow the links to read more about those.

Dreaming of a Whale

Premiered July 19, 2025

Dreaming of a Whale is a dreamlike short film written and directed by Shuzuku. This tale follows a young girl who hears a mysterious message on the radio—an emotional broadcast that is poetic and beckoning. Compelled by this cryptic signal, she sets out on a journey that leads her to the shoreline, where the truth behind the message and its narrator may finally surface.

Visually, the film is striking. The animation has a soft, textured quality reminiscent of early Studio Ghibli works. The colors and movement feel as though viewed by a soft lens, blurring the line between memory and imagination. Whether achieved through analog or digital techniques, this visual approach deepens the sense that we’re inside a waking dream.

The story itself feels intentionally minimal—more of a tone poem than a plotted narrative. We follow the girl not to get answers, but to feel what she feels. It reminded me of Queensrÿche’s “Silent Lucidity.” This song overlays perfectly with the film’s visuals because it delivers the yearning–that sense of needing to find that inner peace which exists in both works.

Ultimately, Dreaming of a Whale leaves you with a quiet hope—that both the girl and the disembodied voice on the radio find peace in their journey, whether it ends on land or beneath the waves.

Dreaming of Whale Short Film

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