75 minutesStarter, main course and dessert all in one: Kaboom's International Short Film Competition.
Remember that time when cinema was not a thing yet? When animation only existed within faraway dreams? Dreadful. And then Kaboom came along. Dreams became reality, and animation was king of kings. Okay okay, perhaps our story is missing a few beats, but here’s the gist: after more than a century of cinema, it all comes down to this: a showdown between animators from all over the world, dubbed the Kaboom International Short Film Competition. Whoever comes out on top, know that the one true winner is already known: the art of animation.
Showing in this program
God Is Shy
Get ready for a hell of a train ride. Literally! Director Jocelyn Charles introduces Ariel and Paul, who pass the time on their journey by sketching their worst fears. When a fellow passenger walks by, they realize she looks exactly like one of their drawings. From that moment on, their worst fears start crawling out of the sketchbook. God is Shy is a neck-grabbing debut that drags you into the darkest places. As one of our reviewers put it: “I love it when a film makes me wonder what the fuck possessed the people who made it. Extraordinary.”
Rock Song
Don’t expect heavy guitars, but actual rocks when watching this short — and not the kind that give you a bump when dropped on your head. Entirely made from hand-dyed fabrics, Rock Song is a stop-motion about getting hurt, picking up some cracks along the way, and slowly figuring out how to heal. Charming film that joyfully sparks the imagination.
El Cuerpo de Cristo
With an unacknowledged mental disorder, Adela seeks answers in popular rituals. She feels something is watching and harming her, and only religion seems to understand her. During a visit to a healer, she confesses the disturbing origin of her suffering. Illustrator and comic book author Bea Lema showcases her stunning techniques and compositions in her debut short film El cuerpo de Cristo.
Klonter
Frankie, a lonely factory worker, believes he’s about to die with no one to say goodbye to. But on his way to the stars, he accidentally becomes a planet, and life erupts across his surface—including creatures that look just like him. For the first time, he isn’t alone. Yet his love for his new friends is put to the test when he realizes they could destroy all life on Planet Frankie. A bloody bizarre short by Belgian director Levi Stoops.
Fish-Thinking
A quiet day at sea is disrupted when the catch turns out to be a neurotic, overthinking fish. A witty short by Copenhagen-based director Tobias Rud, reflecting on insecurity in modern times.
Amarelo Banana
Ever thought that not having a conscience must be nice? After seeing Amarelo Banana, you’ll think again. Another sleepless night brings a man across a strange community living in his building. To break the boredom, he decides to pay them a visit, but leaving their jungle feverish rooms is not as easy as he imagined.
What We Leave Behind
Dan has a gaping wound in his neck that refuses to heal. Why? He can neither remember nor talk about it. To confront it, he must return to the shadowy arena of his childhood and reclaim the part of himself he left behind, the part that keeps him from being whole as an adult. What We Leave Behind is a powerful, haunting film from the award-winning writer-director duo Jean-Sébastien Hamel and Alexandra Myotte.
Visiting the Zoo
Visiting the Zoo offers a glimpse into the lives of three characters navigating the city like animals in a cage, gradually reconnecting with their primal instincts—until a final showdown with real animals shatters all social rules. A short full of edgy revenge fantasies from director Maria Zilli.
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