OFFICIAL SELECTION 2023
Animated Films
Streaming from January 27 to February 10, 2023 on Whush.com.
Opal (France) by Alan Bidard
Synopsis: Once upon a time a magic kingdom where summer lasted forever and where the animals and the inhabitants were immortal. The source of all magic was a young princess called Opal. Legends said that her joy would bring wonders and prosperity to the kingdom. But her sadness would only bring chaos and darkness… Running time: 01:25:00.
Curiosa (UK) by Tessa Moult-Milewska
Synopsis: Curiosa tells the story of overly curious Mary, who visits her boyfriend's flat for the first time, just to discover it’s been stripped bare of all personal belongings. After being denied an explanation, she climbs into his head. Running time: 00:09:30.
Experience the World - The Train (USA) by Duro Howard Jr.
Synopsis: Experience the World is a soft spoken journey through the activities we experience every day but with an absurdist twist. Our first entry, The Train, follows you as you ride the Chicago red line train home at rush hour--until it takes an unexpected turn into cosmic horror. 00:06:00.
Yo-Yo (Croatia) by Lucija Bužančić
Synopsis: Some people feed pigeons and feed on pigeons. This is a short love story between good people and their good pigeons. Running time: 00:03:00.
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Ruined Arbor (Mohsen Namjoo) (Iran) by Kasra Yazdani, Golrokh Hemmati
Synopsis: Music is based on an old Iranian poem about a carpet weaver girl weaving a carpet under a ruined roof. Images have been photographed from different carpets of Iranian ethnicities. Running time: 00:02:00.
Misplaced Analogy (Iran) by Kasra Yazdani
Synopsis: "I tried to compartmentalize the narrative that I created into pieces and handed it over to my friends so they could put it together one by one and have their own stories. 25 different films were produced. Some of the altered stories inspired by the 25 individuals were actually much more interesting than my narrative. Surprisingly, the stories had many similarities; strangely enough, even some of the scenes were arranged in exactly the same order. This film is the result of those 25 films." Running time: 00:04:05.
Chicago (Portugal) by João Pombeiro
Synopsis: This animated short film/music video was created by the director/animator João Pombeiro for the track "Chicago" by the Chicagoan musical producer Lance Skiiiwalker. Both video and music are homages to the spirit of Chicago and its people. As we travel from the Southside to Downtown we go through a collage of historical references, from civil rights movements to architecture, music, culture, and its diverse social fabric that thrives on the diversity of its multicultural neighbourhoods and communities. "CHICAGO" is taken from the EP "Tales From The Telescope Chapter 2: Internal Shine". Running time: 00:03:40.
Demi-Gods (Iran) by Moslem Agha Kochakzadeh
Synopsis: What is the human experience of war, narcissism and ecological destruction? Demi-Gods addresses these three dark aspects of humanity in the form of a musical and visual essay. It shows our worship of these dark forces, which have now become normalized and fetishized. A furtive look from us mortals at the mechanics of the dark demi-gods of our time; turned into a surreal sequence of sonic and visual transformations. Running time: 00:05:35.
I Me (Israel) by Shoshanah Ciechanowski
Synopsis: The video “I Me” deals with the social anxiety of “I.” It manages her life, accompanying it with continual fear of connecting with people and tumbling into situations of embarrassment or rejection. Uncontrollable sobbing, blushing, and inability to respond to the surroundings are typical of the routine of her life. The work reflects the fragility of the childlike persona who faces the surrounding world. Running time: 00:04:00.