These short films from around the globe demonstrate how animation can tackle some of today’s most pressing issues. Animators from, among others, Lebanon, Iran, Greece, Israel and Turkey address relevant, and sometimes dangerous, topics like genocide, animal welfare, life during wartime, and censorship.

This program screened as part of KLIK! Amsterdam Animation Festival 2015

Showing in this program

Aria For A Cow

• Dan Lund
• United States, 2015
• 6 min.

Aria, a bovine diva, demands to be respected for more than just her dairy products. Featuring previously unreleased song by Howard Ashman & Alan Menken

Based On Photo

• Elika Mehranpour
• Iran, 2015
• 6 min.

A shallow acquaintance with some Young people from Tehran; Something of the same fabric that reaches us through the camera lens these days.

Dinner For Few

• Nassos Vakalis
• Greece / United States, 2014
• 10 min.

“Dinner For Few” is an allegorical depiction of our society. During dinner, "the system" feeds the few who foolishly consume all the resources while the rest survive on scraps. Inevitably the struggle for what remains leads to catastrophic change.

Dirty Laundry Day

• Jamil Lahham
• United States, 2014
• 5 min.

Inspired by the comedy routines of George Carlin and Bill Hicks, Dirty Laundry Day starts with a sequence of unfortunate mishaps that turn an ordinary trip to the laundromat abnormal, especially when Ken tries to exchange some bills for coins to wash his clothes, and the change machine displays a cryptic message: “Change is not free.” Suddenly, things begin to change.

Just a Biopic

• Renske Cuijpers
• The Netherlands, 2015
• 2 min.

Just a Biopic is een geanimeerde biografie over 'één' uit een gesloten gemeenschap in onze hedendaagse maatschappij.
We volgen één van velen, zien zijn leven en waar hij uiteindelijk terecht is gekomen. Dat niet iedereen dezelfde taal spreekt en in hetzelfde milieu is opgegroeid wordt hier wel duidelijk.

Like There Is No Tomorrow

• Marilyn Haddad
• Canada, 2014
• 2 min.

Leila, living in beirut, wants to dance in able to survive her daily stressful routines.

Pokey Pokey

• Junjie Zhang
• United States / China, 2015
• 6 min.

A father starts a journey to figure out the best way to protect his son from seeing filthiness of this crime-ridden city.
Pokey Pokey is a short animated film that discusses the arising trend of over-protecting children. When it comes to protecting children's innocence, how far will human go?

That’s Mine!

• Maryam Kashkoolinia
• Iran, 2015
• 6 min.

Landmines remained from the wars, Still hunting their hunts patiently…

The Cabinet Decision

• Mayan Engelman
• Israel, 2014
• 3 min.

Somewhere, in some holy land, two entities compete over one beating heart.
Will they both survive?

The Kindness of Strangers: ep 1 and 2

• Levon Baghdasaryan / Zara Barseghyan / Grisha Grigoryan / Arevik Aroyan
• Armenia, 2015
• 3 min.

"The Kindness of Strangers" series is dedicated to the centennial of ‪Armenian
Genocide‬ and it's main purpose is to thank the missioners and kind people, who
helped our ancestors in 1915.

The Sinners

• Gerlando Infuso
• Belgium, 2014
• 16 min.

Three women, from three different time periods, choose to defy the rules: first, there is Eve, the mythical corrupter, second comes Joséphine, Bluebeard’s last wife, and the third is Cerise, a dancer in a New York cabaret in the thirties.

Turkish Resistance

• Yasemin Wilson
• United Kingdom, 2015
• 2 min.

Take a journey from the past to present day of the ins and outs of Turkish culture and its politics.