Stop-motion is back (but never really left)! Enjoy a tribute to recent Belgian stop-motion work by award-winning animators Patar & Aubier, Emma de Swaef & Marc Roels, and more.
Belgium’s relationship with animation is anything but boring. Just as the country’s politics, its artistic output is lively and often surrealist. Today, animators like Emma de Swaef & Marc Roels continue a long-standing Belgian tradition of surrealism, magic realism and absurdism, without ever losing focus of profound human emotions. And it only seems like yesterday when the late Raoul Servais pioneered the genre in Belgium in the sixties, initiating a separate department for animation film at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent – a first for continental Europe.
Belgium loves to experiment, not just with fries and waffles. In the previous century, artists dabbled with “Ride” movies, 3D projections, and the interplay between live-action and animation. Brussels was once the capital of European animation, housing the largest animation film studio in Western Europe. Despite the country’s modest size, it has produced many a great animation film auteur, who went on to garner acclaim around the world – it feels almost surreal Hollywood has never made a call.
Yet, the Belgian animation scene is notoriously hard to pin down. At first glance, nobody seems to have anything in common … But put two and two together and the connections become apparent: a passion for graphic art deeply rooted in Belgium’s rich pictorial tradition (thank you, Flemish Masters), a nostalgic longing for traditional techniques (especially stop-motion), and humour. Lots of humour, preferably of the most absurd kind. And of course, surrealism is never far from the party, and why would it be? After all, the surrealist art movement practically originated in Belgium. Or did anyone forget about René Magritte and his pipe?
Stop-Motion: Handmade in Belgium
Stop-motion is back (but never really left)! Belgium never stopped loving stop-motion. And how could they, with so much talent in their ranks. This is a collection of recent works by award-winning artists such as Aubier & Patar, Emma de Swaef & Marc Roels, and Nicolas Keppens, among others. As skillful masters of the stop-motion craft and with great wit, they bring their self-made creations to life. And we are just privileged we can witness their small and big battles, not infrequently with themselves.
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No one really does it like filmmaking duo Stéphane Aubier and Vincent Patar ... In this creative and funny short, their by now iconic characters of Indian, Cowboy and Horse try to throw a party. It's all fun and games, until a troublemaker enters and ruins everything. Just like in their feature A Town Called Panic, Aubier & Patar bring their endless imagination and energy to the table, or playground so to speak.
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Alec and Theo are partners, both on stage and in life. They have found the perfect balance between lifting and flying, between leading and following, until this fragile balance is turned upside down by an accident. A sweet and simple stop-motion marvel that depicts the intricacies of a relationship.
Three balding brothers travel to Istanbul to get a hair transplant. Stuck with each other in a hotel far from home, their insecurities and frustrations grow faster than their hair. Since 2017, Nicolas Keppens has emerged as one of Belgium's most promising animators, making waves with films like Wildebeest and Easter Eggs (Jury Prize winner at Annecy 2021). His latest tragicomedy, Beautiful Men, found its way onto the 2025 Oscars shortlist.
A film about queer light switches. Yes, really! Capturing teenage angst, confusion and love, this cute stop-motion short explores a love triangle of sorts. Lucie, Maya and their friends are partying. Even the local heartthrob Jimmy joins in and everyone knows he's just there for Maya. However, Maya and Lucie find out they have hidden feelings for each other ...
Forced to return to his naturist roots, Willy bungles his way into noble savagery. Entirely made from wool, felt and textile, Emma De Swaef and Marc James Roels' short tells a story of life, death and rebirth with wobbly thighs, vomit, breastfeeding, space travel and bunny rabbits - all against the backdrop of a nudist colony. Oh Willy... reads as a surrealist story about loneliness, grief and a soft little guy tossed around by life. De Swaef & Roels create a universe where its inhabitants and building blocks are allowed their imperfections.
On Valentine's Day, the romantic Icaro wants to propose to his girlfriend Vanilla in their favourite restaurant in Brussels: The Golden Mussel. But the chef is hell-bent on making sure Icaro fails. Framed as a silent Technicolor film, Gerlando Infuso's award-winning short is a delightful throwback to slapstick humour and Hollywood romanticism.
Kaboom Animation Festival is the one-stop-shop for the latest and greatest in all things animated. Ranging from cutting-edge experimental arthouse to colorful stories for families and kids, Kaboom will cater to the animation needs of all. Yes, even yours, my amazing weirdo friend!
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