Real stories, real subjects, real emotions. Reality is the birthplace of these short animated documentaries.
Short Docs could have referred to small doctors, but instead it refers to an often overlook genre in the film industry: short animated documentaries. Animation can help bring real stories to life and deal with traumas, memories, unresolved conflicts and so on. Reality is the birthplace of these short docs. Real stories, real subjects, real emotions.
A cabinet as the storage of family memories is a beautiful metaphor to built a film on. In this personal documentary, a young woman searches for her Armenian roots by interviewing her father, her uncle, and her great aunt. Armat is an examination of collective traumas that are passed down from generation to generation.
"Pisces have big feet and big hands!" Filmmaker Gina Kamentsky and her mom talk about feet. Using the technique of pixilation, whereby real movements look like animations, Foot Print Shop is a cute and profound short, starring ... feet.
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Exploring the effect of past trauma, Freedom Swimmer documents a mass migration story from the 20th century, which is relatively untold in the Western world. Director Olivia Martin McGuire parallels a grandfather's journey to safety from China (swimming to Hong Kong in the 70s) with his granddaughter's fight for freedom in Hong Kong today. A timely, captivating story of the search for a better life.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is one of the most amazing open-world games out there. But what about the over 1000 non-player characters, the digital extras that populate the background? An ethnographic exploration of the work and daily life of NPCs, the film observes a carpenter, a stable hand, a laundress and a street sweeper whose lives exist merely out of labour routines. Their activities and patterns form a vivid analogy for work under capitalism. You'll never play the game the same way!
I'm Late focuses on an important but underdiscussed topic. Known for her work on the female body, filmmaker Sawako Kabuki zooms in on the experience of being "late" with your period. Her trademark colourful style is again married here with her keen eye for vulnerability.
A delicate yet uplifting transgender story, this anidoc is based on the real story of Lada, a trans woman from Russia. She tells her and her brother Ivan's secret. With simple designs, the filmmaker makes a heartfelt case for accepting your true gender.
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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