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Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences
18 October
A selection of short animated films from around the world:
– The Hunt. Latvia 2007. Dir Jänis Cimermanis. 9min.
Can the Rescue Team save the animals from the hunters?
– Laban the Little Ghost: No one’s afraid of Laban. Sweden 2008. Dir Lasse Persson. 7min.
Laban is a ghost who has difficulty scaring anyone.
– Tales for Tiny Tots: Bye, bye little monkey! Sweden 2007. Dir Anna-Clara Tidholm, Gun Jacobson. 6min.
Little monkey gets wet while playing outdoors.
– Max’s Words. USA 2007. Dir Galen Fott, Jerry Hunt. 10min.
Max discovers the creative power of words.
– Tales for Tiny Tots: Nelly Packs. Sweden 2007. Dir Anna-Clara Tidholm, Gun Jacobson. 6min.
Nelly decides to leave home.
– Half a Bear Latvia 2007. Dir Nils Skapans. 9min.
Will Bear find a new friend?
– Elephants. UK 2008. Dir Sally Pearce. 13min.
An infestation of elephants spell trouble for a family.
– Laban the Little Ghost: The Queen’s Friend. Sweden 2008. Dir Alicja Jaworski. 6min.
The Queen’s friend wants to see a ghost but is she prepared for it?
– Panic Painter. Sweden 2008. Dir Johan Hagelbäck. 9min.
A visit to a gallery demystifies modern art.
Bigmouth Strikes Again
16 & 18 October
Being a bigmouth and a bully can backfire, and the young people in these films learn some life-changing facts before their final descent into adulthood:
– K. UK 2008. Dir Piers Thompson. 20min.
15-year-old Kaylee lives in a caravan park with her father. Ostracised by the community around her, she finds daily solace with the wild horses in the local marshland, and a friendship with an enigmatic stranger.
– Haze. Singapore 2008. Dir Anthony Chen. 14min.
It’s a hot humid day in Singapore and two teenagers decide to skip school and stay in, playing out an innocent love affair amongst the heat haze of the city.
– Frankie. Ireland 2007. Dir Darren Thornton. 12min.
Frankie is a 15-year-old boy who wants to be the best Dad ever, but as his day goes on, he starts to realise how impossible this will be for him.
– Tight Jeans. UK 2008. Dir Destiny Ekaragha. 9min.
“How can a man wear jeans dat tight? It’s dat emo look, innit?”. A humourous and authentic slice of life from the perspective of the young black British male.
– Buses and Trains. Australia 2008. Dir Chris Frey. 10min.
A group of homeless teenagers ride the late-night transport across the urban landscape, but one of the gang has a secret she can’t reveal.
– Spending the Night. Sweden 2007. Dir Amanda Adolfsson. 14min.
A young girl is going to spend the night at her boyfriend’s place, his parents not being home. They rent a movie and have high expectations for the evening. But things don’t really turn out the way they thought they would.
– Ralph. UK 2008. Dir Alex Winckler. 13min.
16-year-old Ralph travels alone to Marseille in order to try and find his best friend Clare and declare his love for her.
A Day in the Life
24 & 27 October
A selection of short films about memorable days and events which have great significance for those involved. Simon Young:
– Because There Are Things You Never Forget. Argentina-Spain 2008. Dir Lucas M. Figueroa. 12min.
Four friends accidentally kick their football into an evil old lady’s yard. They’ll never play with their ball again and so plot a deadly revenge.
– Kingsland #1 Dreamer. UK 2008. Dir Tony Grisoni. 22min.
Kurdish Huso arrives in Dalston with high hopes, but integrating into the community proves more difficult than he anticipated.
– On the Line. Germany-Switzerland 2007. Dir Reto Caffi . 30min.
A department store security guard is secretly in love with a clerk in the store’s bookshop and hopes to connect with her on the commute home.
– A Day in a Life. Belgium 2007. Dir Nicolas Daenens. 21min.
Two street punks, Mario and Tom plan a bank job. Emin agrees to be their driver – but he doesn’t have a car.
– My Olympic Summer. USA 2007. Dir Daniel Robin . 12min.
In this moving documentary, the filmmaker looks at his parents’ home movies and reveals how an international drama gave their marriage a new beginning.
– Love You More. UK 2007. Dir Sam Taylor-Wood. 15min.
Set in 1978, the Buzzcocks inspire and soundtrack this timeless tale of teenage discovery, love and lust.
Down on the Street
19 & 20 October
A diverse selection of short films about the lives of young people around the world and their experiences on the streets of their cities:
– Good Boy. Brazil-USA 2007. Dir Davyde Wachell . 12min.
In the Rio favela, a boy helps his mother get by, though how he earns money is something he keeps secret.
– Lakemba. Australia 2008. Dir Platon Theodoris. 26min.
In the Sydney suburb of Lakemba, Sef and Chux are into creating hip hop, smoking weed and Islam.
– Midnight Lost and Found. India 2007. Dir Atul Sabharwal . 19min.
Arvind works behind bars at a late-night pharmacy. A relationship develops with a Mumbai prostitute who visits nightly to buy condoms.
– The Acquaintances of a Lonely John. USA 2008. Dir Benny Safdie. 12min.
This is the story of a lonely man called John trying to connect with anyone he can.
– Roads. Israel 2007. Dir Lior Geller. 22min.
13-year-old Ismayil seeks an escape from life as a drug dealer for both himself and his younger brother.
International Animation Panorama
19 & 20 October
A selection of new international and British animation films. Jayne Pilling:
– 7 More Minutes. Poland-Germany 2008. Dir Izabela Plucinska. 7min.
After a train accident four people meet up at the beach to say farewell.
– A Child’s Metaphysics. Japan 2007. Dir Koji Yamamura. 5min.
A metaphysical exploration of childhood psychology and physiognomy.
– Berni’s Doll. France 2008. Dir Yann J. 13min.
Provocative satire on sexual consumerism via exploitation of the third world.
– Chainsaw. Australia 2008. Dir Dennis Tupicoff. 24min.
Romance is like a chainsaw: a very dangerous beast indeed.
– Elephants. UK 2008. Dir Sally Pearce. 13min.
An infestation of elephants spell trouble for a family.
– Fantaisie in Bubble Wrap. USA 2008. Dir Arthur Metcalf. 4min.
A whimsical jaunt through the world of bubblewrap.
– In the Woods USA 2008. Dir Paul Vester. 7min.
American language in the bush years.
– Last Time in Clerkenwell. USA 2007. Dir Alex Budovsky. 4min.
The Royal Legion of Birds come to power and take over London, but their imperial ambitions go far beyond the capital.
– Rabbit Punch. UK 2008. Dir Kristian Andrews . 6min.
The growing pains of a 14-year-old Norfolk boy.
– Refrains. Poland 2007. Dir Wiola Sowa. 13min.
An episode repeats itself in the life of a family of three very close-knit women.
– This Way Up. UK 2008. Dir Smith & Foulkes. 9min.
Laying the dead to rest has never been so much trouble.
London Calling
27 October
A selection of recent shorts from some of the capital’s most exciting new filmmakers, supported by Film London’s production schemes:
– Cartrouble. UK 2008. Dir Dave Hunt. 12min.
Man, woman, car… trouble.
– The Yowie and the Magpie. UK 2008. Dir Dylan White. 4min.
A darkly comic animation set in the Australian outback of a bloodthirsty hunter and his mythical quarry.
– Playground. UK 2008. Dir Avril Evans. 12min.
Best friends Malachi and Neil visit their special hideaway only to be greeted by an uninvited guest.
– City. UK 2008. Dir Cordelia Swann. 3min.
Reflections found on objects, places and monuments on the streets around the City of London.
– Baghdad Express. UK 2008. Dir Nimer Rashed. 11min.
A teenage girl working in her father’s Arabic restaurant is forced to decide which comes first – her dreams or her family.
– Rolling On. UK 2008. Dir Paula Desiderio. 8min.
A high-octane look at skateboarding as a positive London subculture; with contributions from legendary pro-skater Tony Hawk.
– Love Does Grow on Trees. UK 2008. Dir Bevan Walsh. 10min.
It’s 1989 and thirteen-year-old Danny’s life is thrown into chaos when he discovers adult magazines, girls, and the embarrassment that goes with both.
– Wonders of the World. UK 2008. Dir Cordelia Swann. 2min.
Dazzling images of a funfair at night in London’s West End.
– The Rain Horse. UK 2008. Dir Sebastian Godwin. 12min.
A tense stand-off between a man and a horse. From the short story of the same title by Ted Hughes.
Shock Tactics
17 & 20 October
This short film selection has shock value for everyone:
– There Are Monsters. Canada 2008. Dir Jay Dahl. 10min.
There’s a strange little girl standing in the front garden…
– Advantage. Australia 2007. Dir Sean Byrne. 10min.
A young drunken couple get frisky late at night in a deserted tennis court, but soon realise they are not alone.
– September. UK 2008. Dir Esther May Campbell . 21min.
In an in-between world of flyovers, grass verges and dead-ends, where the motorway hum serves as a constant reminder of the speed of other lives, Marvin is not going anywhere. Into this forgotten corner of English countryside and motorway services arrives an extraordinary young girl, changing his world forever.
– Awkward. Canada 2008. Dir Kellie Ann Benz. 7min.
A dinner party and the conversation begins to get awkward as offensive language creeps into the everyday banter.
– Deconfliction. USA 2008. Dir Edward R. Tyndall . 13min.
Chris Highland grew up during the American Dream era of the 1950s, when things weren’t quite as they seem. He became obsessed with Cold War history, and eventually joined Russian troops in Chechnya as a photographer. This documentary delves into the mind of an individual struggling to make peace with gender identity in the wake of the collapse of Communism.
– Konvex-T. Sweden 2008. Dir Johan Lundh. 18min.
Axel is a sad man who finds himself living in a nightmarish, strange, dystopian world. After a brief, strange encounter with his love interest, Agnes, he visits the corporate physician and shows him a big unpleasant boil he’s got on his buttock.
– My Rabit Hoppy. Australia 2008. Dir Anthony Lucas. 3min.
A school project about a pet rabbit that goes horribly wrong.
– Bitten. France 2007. Dir David Morley. 14min.
Clara has been bitten. Frightened and alone, she flees through a dark and sinister forest, pursued by a gun-toting man bent on her destruction. She finds help in an isolated farm, but this sanctuary is only temporary…
A Strange Day
21 & 23 October
Consistently thought-provoking and occasionally disturbing, these seven short films cover all bases between slightly quirky and way out there:
– Aquarium. USA 2007. Dir Rob Meyer. 17min.
David, one of the youngest members of the Boston Aquarium Society, is searching for truth at the bottom of a fish tank.
– Dennis. Denmark 2007. Dir Mads Matthiesen. 18min.
When Dennis, an introverted bodybuilder, invites a local girl out on a date, his mother is hurt and disappointed.
– Protect You + Me. USA 2008. Dir Brady Corbet. 10min.
A reminder of a long-forgotten event, combined with a challenging situation, provokes a man to extreme action.
– Wrestling. Iceland 2007. Dir Grimur Hakonarson. 21min.
Two gay wrestlers living in rural Iceland grapple with their love for one another.
– I Love Sarah Jane. Australia 2008. Dir Spencer Susser. 14min.
Neither bullies nor zombies are going to stop Jimbo from finding a way into Sarah Jane’s world.
– W. Germany 2007. Dir The Vikings. 2min.
A social outcast describes how he finally found his place in the world.
– Pop Art. UK 2008. Dir Amanda Boyle. 16min.
Arthur, the new boy at school is ‘special’. In fact, he’s inflatable, but Toby likes him.
– Mumbler. Belgium 2007. Dir Win Reygaert, Marc Roels. 22min.
In a remote corner of Flanders, Lubbert Das leads an isolated existence within his own little world which is disrupted by a group of ramblers
Suffer Little Children
29 & 30 October
Growing up can be hellish for all manner of reasons, as these films demonstrate:
– Jerrycan. Australia 2008. Dir Julius Avery. 14min.
A young boy is bullied into making a life or death decision, but can Nathan prove himself to his mates?
– Tomboy. France 2007. Dir Claudine Natkin. 15min.
Chloe is a 10-year-old who plays football, never cries and doesn’t like other girls. But when Marie, a sweet blond girl, joins in, Chloe and her boy friends decide to invent a new game.
– 52 Percent. Poland 2007. Dir Rafal Skalski . 20min.
52% is the ideal proportion of one’s leg length to height and one of the most important admission criteria set by the Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg. 11-year-old Alla has two months to reach these dream proportions to be admitted to the school.
– Ella and the Astronaut. USA 2008. Dir Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, Robert Machoian . 7min.
A young girl, a toy astronaut and a lot of imagination.
– Thick-Skinned. France 2007. Dir Jean-Bernard Marlin, Benoît Rambourg. 14min.
A 12-year-old boy tries to kill a kid from his neighbourhood to impress his father.
– One Shoe Short. Australia 2007. Dir Jackie Van Beek. 8min.
Life in a remote Alice Springs aboriginal community where there’s not enough shoes to go round the local school.
– Ryan. UK 2007. Dir David Scofield. 10min.
In a typical town in anywhere UK, Ryan is wandering the estate bored, but finds himself drawn into the older kids’ games of aggression and intimidation.
