Tag: Short Film

The NFB at Annecy 2023 Competition Film Slate

A diverse range of works the National Film Board of Canada have helped produced will be in competition and exhibition at Annecy, France starting later this week!

The NFB - National Film Board of Canada LOGOThe National Film Board of Canada (The NFB) is returning to the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival with a very diverse slate of films, including works by or about festival mainstays Janice Nadeau, Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski, Theodore Ushev and Diane Obomsawin. Taking place this year from June 11 to 17, the Annecy festival is the world’s largest event dedicated to animated films.

Young Audiences Short Films in Competition

Harvey Promotional Movie PosterHARVEY by Janice Nadeau (9 min)

Co-produced by Marc Bertrand (NFB’s French Program Animation Studio) and Reginald de Guillebon ( Folimage), with the support of the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée. Head of Development: Corinne Destombes (Folimage).

  • A luminous look at loss and bereavement, seen through the eyes of a child with an overflowing imagination. Adapted from the graphic novel of the same name by Hervé Bouchard, illustrated by Montreal filmmaker Janice Nadeau (La Pastèque).

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Presenting The Top Three Shorts From The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival!

We offer our choices as the best short film winners from the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival.

39th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film FestivalThe 39th annual Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival had lots of shorts and a bunch of movies to enjoy. It wasn’t too hard to decide on what to check out since, like other events worldwide, to restart properly following the global health scare is tough. To begin, I’ll look at my three most favourite shorts, and although two of them follow upon a similar theme, just where it goes is different:

Mom if I were a Vampire Short PosterMom, If I Were a Vampire

Wen (Ting Chiu) doesn’t want to be a momma’s girl, and life at school is rough in other departments. But when she gets in with the right crowd, with Jo (Yu-Xuan Wang) as the “it” girl, the friendship forged is no different from what I recall from Vampire Princess Miyu, a classic anime I have fond memories of.

Although there’s no similar character dynamic since most of the manga and animated series involved the title role without a human companion, what’s presented here would make for a good jumping in point for a live-action adaptation! In this case, it’s to expand upon. The LGTBQ angle isn’t anything new, but how its handled is quite deft!

In what the two characters encounter are bullies and stalkers. Also, I think Wen wants to be turned. She has a lot of feelings to get out and to explore that requires a longer story. This piece made by Deborah Devyn Chuang is certainly worth seeking for the neo-noir colour aesthetics!

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A Geek’s Guide to the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival

We offer our list of must sees at the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and they include a mix of short animated works along with three features!

39th Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film FestivalAll hands are on deck for the 2023 Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, and it’s resumed being a mostly in-person event. A small selection of works will be made available online and what attendees should check out are its shorts program! All the fantasy and genre works are found here, and what I offer as a highlight of what to look for those attending.

Although some pieces are tough to group according to the name of the program, what I offer will be by genre tag. Thus, in the animated category, I’m particularly excited for Colorville, Rem Koolhaus’ Music Video Kajo, The Old Young Crow, Tala’s Bedtime Story, and Māui Adventures: Capturing The Sun.

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On Why Charlie Mackesy’s “The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse” Tugs at the Heart

This animated short is adapted from Charlie Mackesy’s storybook of the same name. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse left me wondering how faithful the art is between the two.

Charlie Mackesy's The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse
The children’s book that this short is based on is available to purchase on Amazon USA

Available on Apple Plus

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse is a very deeply moving story that’s very multilayered. This animated short is adapted from Charlie Mackesy‘s storybook of the same name, and it left me wondering how faithful the art is between the two. I debated purchasing a copy at a bookstore just because I loved the tale. But hot after its Christmas release, both they and even the local libraries couldn’t keep it on the shelf long, and I waited my turn to take it out.

The movie has a quality that feels like a Victorian age children’s novel has come to life. In regards to what this author wanted to share as a message to viewers is very encouraging. There’s more to teaching readers the value of compassion, but also love. And the other life lessons that it imparts will certainly have many thinking. When it’s beautifully complemented with a piano soundtrack, the comtemplative feel good vibes will certainly last!

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[Fantasia 2020] More Than Just a Sneak Peak at José Luis Saturno’s La Melodía Torrencial

José Luis Saturno’s La Melodía Torrencial is more than just a fairy tale, and we got to interview this filmmaker about it’s deeper meaning.

José Luis SaturnoMonsters and and Humans Shorts
July 23 at 9:00 PM at the Cinéma du Musée

In Fantasia’s 2022 list of animated shorts, not only did José Luis Saturno’s poster for La Melodía Torrencial catch my attention for its artistic design but also the trailer looked fabulous! The art design had a touch of Tim Burton’s design aesthetic which I adored, and I had to know more. I mentioned this film in my top animated picks list, and got a chance to see this short film ahead of its premiere.

This story about a rainmaker going by the name of Fluvio has a lot of layers tucked into its narrative. When a township sought him out to bring them rain to their arid community, what they get–some may say–was their just desserts. But there’s a lot more going on in Saturno’s latest work than meets the eye.

This filmmaker studied Film Animation at Concordia University in Montreal and started producing even before finishing his degree. He didn’t submit for film festivals until his third year in school, and instead of working for the big studios, he decided going independent was the way to go.

Thus, Enjambre Hexagonal was born. A few of their works can be found on YouTube, but to see them as they’re intended, on the big screen, is a must so the detail can be appreciated. He hires freelance artists as part of the staff to do this work, and the people on call include Yann Ben Alluch who does the storyboards and helps animate (“El mimo y la mariposa negra”). Robin Servant handles all the music and is the talent behind the sounds in La Melodía Torrencial. 

He said, “I never felt compelled to work in the industry from the bottom in the hopes of one day being hired as a director. I simply wanted to make films as quickly as possible.”

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