OFFICIAL SELECTION CANDIDATES 2015
Unpublished site
VOTING FORM IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
We have 39 short films (each 10 minutes or less) for you to judge on your own time until the end of this month (September 30th).
The total time of the content is 4h 15min (with the credits, etc.).
We'd like for you to pick your top 3 films, preferably:
- one from the narrative category,
- one animation film,
- and the 3rd from category of your choice.
Your 1st Choice should be a film, you consider as the best one from your 3 choices.
Of course, if you do not find a film to your liking from a certain category, that's ok too.
Documentaries
Animation Hotline is a series of over 150 crowd-sourced telephone answering machine message that have been being animated since 2011.
This documentary collection features only real life stories.
This animated New York Times Op-Doc explores the life of Nadezhda Popova, known as Nadia, who became a World War II hero as part of a Soviet all-female bombing regiment.
Animation Hotline is a series of micro-animations that use crowd-sourced voice-mail messages for content. There have been 100+ of these animations made since 2011 and this is sort of a "best of" selection (at least according to the director). The project is still ongoing.
The film is a record of a story seen from the window of a neighborhood block coming out to the park. In lapidary way shows the attitude of people towards unusual behavior of young crow. This document, simple formally, consists of a universal story about a man.
It’s a short documentary shot in Warsaw in only one day from a balcony on the 14th of February 2015.
Zoliborz is a small, ordinary housing area. On the most romantic day of the year, nothing happens here. Somebody rushes for work, a mother takes her child for a walk. Workers watch birds perched on the roof tops. These birds seems like planning an unexpected attack on people.
Somewhere below a little boy is making a bird house out of a plastic bottle. Unaware of pending danger, he will try to bring birds to the people’s world.
What is the symbolism of the birds that seem threaten people? It is all explained in the surprising finale, which shows that a real danger lurks just around the corner.
The document is based on five questions asked to people from different backgrounds and different state of health.
The point is the idea that we are all very much alike , regardless of where we find ourselves, and what's more a more cheerful are people who in popular opinion are considered disadvantaged.
After being forced to leave their country during World War II, Wallentina Frania tell us
how they adapted to a new culture in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Director Statement: This documentary was our first approach to the world of cinema, an
experience that opened doors and broke barriers in our lives.
Narratives
Two thieves get a tip on a house that they can't pass up.
But they get confused on the details and when they arrive for the job, the homeowner is there.
Even their plan to get out of the house fails and they are left to the mercy of the mysterious homeowner.
During the 1944 Warsaw Uprising, a young group of scouts march through the dark claustrophobic sewers. They travel from one district to another delivering letters of hope and retribution. The sounds of the Germans bringing complete destruction and chaos to the city above transmits fear and anxiety.
Two Mormon missionaries, Elder McKay and Elder Gates, are walking through a suburban neighborhood. They’re having trouble getting along, but Elder McKay reluctantly agrees to let Elder Gates knock the next door. The man who answers the door lets them inside; he seems particularly interested in Elder Gates name. Upon entering the house, the missionaries discover that their host has been packaging kilos of cocaine. He introduces himself as John Getts, a foreign man desperate to provide for his wife and newborn. The missionaries begin to teach John from their books, but he suddenly gets a phone call. He says he has to take the call in the other room, but when the missionaries aren’t looking he grabs his cocaine, jumps out the window and takes off down the street. Seconds later, the unsuspecting missionaries are cornered by a group of mafia men looking for a “Mr. Getts”. The mafia men see Elder Gates’ name tag and assume he is the man they’re looking for. The missionaries are knocked unconscious and tied up in a dark garage. Elder McKay and Elder Gates have a heart to heart and reconcile their differences. Elder Gates manages to untie them and the two missionaries escape.
A girl is pushing a fish in a water filled cart across a dark plain. The cart is leaking, and mysterious beings are attracted to the struggle. What awaits in the abyss?
Morning in a flat of a young couple. A young police officer goes for his first operation. His wife is worried about her husband's dangerous work. They have an argument at breakfast. The officer is also stressed out by the first operation and he vents his emotions on his wife.
When leaving home, he apologises for his outburst and makes light of the nearing operation.
In the evening the heroine prepares a lavish dinner, while waiting for her husband. He is late. Suddenly, he appears behind a table from nowhere. She knows that he came to say goodbye. They assure each other of their love for the last time. Telephone rings and the woman gets up to pick it up. She does not pick up the receiver, she turns to her husband, but he has gone already.
Benjamin, a henpecked former husband, regains some momentary glory when he gets an email from an old girlfriend.
A serial killer with a crippling aversion to blood fights to survive after his latest victim uses his greatest fear against him.
Confronted to the hard situations in life, everyone tends to react differently. How we take it often depends on our physical endurance and our baggage of experiences. The film tells the story of a family, which during their normal day activity learns about some terrible news.
Inspired by bedtime story about a mother who puts her son out of his wings, giving him advice for the future.
Entering into adulthood son doing it in his own way, and the mother feeling that comes this time trying to deal with it.
Shady interests, scores, revenge – away from the hustle and bustle of the city you will find its brutal finale in the quiet heart of a pine forest. Each of the heroes of this bloody confrontation soon discovers his place in the food chain.
Middle-aged man, who leads a gray life of a typical office worker, with great love takes care of his briefcase. One day, being busy at work, he does not notice a disappearance of love of his life. Extremely unhappy because of the loss he begins to look for it. But he is not willing to change his attitude to imaginary values even in the face of forthcoming destruction.
Note: If you cannot see the subtitles, please turn the CC captions on.
Two criminals meet in a wasteland somewhere in the vicinity of Grodno. They have unfinished business…
Autumn. A tram ride. An unexpected passenger.
A Short experimental film shot in Wrocław, Poland on Super 8mm.
Mix of stop motion and live action. Silent with free jazz soundtrack.
Two lovers: fragile. vulnerable. human. Meet Theo & Heather whose individual differences are so precious than they risk losing each other.
Note: If you cannot see the subtitles, please turn the CC captions on.
Fortune has a lot of work to do, especially when he makes Kasia Gajda his next target
A bright, well-educated man (played by Peter Kahnaloo) becomes romantically interested in a young woman (Maria Budzinski). Trying to woo her with affection, care, and flowers, he comes into a conflict with another man (Jose Espada). The other man does not seem to really care for the woman, or really treat her that well, but is nevertheless fun-loving and kind of funny. The first man tries to compete for the woman's love through education, expressing affection and care. He uses his book, 'The Tempest,' in addition to a symbolic note and Stone on which the words 'Miranda' is written. Eventually, however, the competition leads to manipulation, deceit, tragedy in a manner reminiscent of modern day academic and moral smugness.
Two young men accidentally meet at the police station. The complete opposite in appearance, surprisingly they have much in common.
Madeline and her boyfriend are enjoying a quiet evening at home when they are interrupted by a visit from a stranger bearing a message from Madeline’s future self.
Amber, a troubled woman with dark secrets, encounters a mysterious girl named Eveleigh at her sister's dinner party. The profound connection Amber feels toward Eveleigh helps shed light on the destructive decisions she's made.
Ruby takes a ride up to a remote park with the ghost of her boyfriend John. They're celebrating his birthday, but things are not the same. They can't kiss or embrace each other. She is reminded of this when they share past intimate experiences together but couldn't resist holding him. What's worse is they do not know where they stand in their relationship anymore. When faced with the reality of their situation, John makes the choice to leave her. In the end Ruby is the one that actually let go of John. This was a journey she faced all on her own Love is a powerful thing. It has the ability to change one’s life, gives purpose and hope. It can make someone move halfway across the world at the thought that they have found their soul mates. What happens when that love is taken away? That is what Ruby is dealing with. Ruby’s life is haunted by her love for John.
On this journey she faces, she imagines John being there with her but it is a battle she is facing on her own. What lengths will she go to prove her love for him?
I made this film as a testament to how difficult love can be. Life as we know it changes drastically when we lose touch with someone or something that we love. It can never be the same.
The concept of this film started out as a comedy but stretched and ultimately compressed itself into issues I faced during the development of this story. I am proud to see where the film has come, from the first words on the script to the last seconds on the screen. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Animation, Music Videos, Experimental
Experimental Short bridging the gap between live action and animation, documentary and poetry.
Official video for the Barr Brother's single "Love Ain't Enough" features a non-stop barrage of elegantly animated scenes.
Official video for The Hold Steady single "Spinners" uses the repetition of Eadweard Muybridge motion sketches to reference the insanity of looking for an external solution to an internal malady.
Surreal music video for Bay Uno’s single “Wait for Your Love” about a broken hearted prankster reeking havoc on the streets of New York City.
A short story about DOGGYDENT and his little problems.
Who is he and what makes him blue?
Shy and introvert girl must face inner city dangers, her very own fears and anxieties. To conquer them, she must embrace dark side of her personality and let it take control.
Big scale video mapping projection designed, directed and animated by me. Work is about relation between moths and light - metaphor of toxic love. The project is a videomapping spectacle as well as music video for Wrong Lovin' by Blueberry. Screened at PJWSTK's main building, during the Night at the Museums @ PJWSTK Warsaw.
Polish experimental animation made by student from Fine Arts University in Poznan, created in II nd Animation workshop lead by prof. Hieronim Neumann and assistant Wojciech Hoffman. Short film combines stop motion animation technique with film. Plot tells story of a Painting which turns into life, and makes owner a lot of trouble when he tries to hang it on the wall.
Kenshō is a short film about a hero who was dreaming and now when he realises that, he wakes up from a dream and sees the Dreamer himself. “Did he?” Time freezes and we are seeing things as they are. “Are we?”
A father must confront an eternal storm to reunite with his daughter and learn that man must tame his past before he tames his future.
The eternal storm in Atheum's Way is representative of the hardest challenges we face in life. One can not wait for the storm to pass, because there will always be another brewing. Facing those challenges teaches us the most about ourselves, and in the last leg of our journey we will face our greatest obstacles. The machine serpent is a reflection of this ultimate challenge.
Generations ago, these man made monsters were created as tools of war; after we lost control of them they became their own masters. Now after years of battles and navigating the oceans, this one has lost its eyes and attacks anything that crosses its path.
If our most advanced machines are guided to war, would it be no surprise that once they are intelligent, war is all they will know? Humans have trouble showing empathy for their own kind let alone other thinking creatures, and machines are a reflection of us. If we create them in the name of war, war is what we will receive. The father must confront this challenge, and tame the blind beast.
'Knife In the Wife' is a documentary impression portraying the life of the provincial Arizona Circus. The culminating point of their show is the throwing of knives. For over fifteen years the circus owner and his son have been throwing them at their wives. The world of this six-person circus troop, though it gives the impression of the grotesque, is frequented by sorrow. Despite the fact that their show isn't the highest of arts, the magic of the circus fascinates the young viewers.