A Night at the Rest Area
At a midnight highway rest area, the weary travelers each quietly relax their minds. A brief moment spent with complete strangers is lonely yet somehow comforting.
Shorts 5: Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Overdue
80 minutes
Starter, 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.
This program screened as part of Kaboom Animation Festival 2025
Showing in this program
A Round of Applause for Death
Death takes centre stage and faceless spectators applaud the inevitable in a series of murderous dreams.
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Butterfly
In the sea, a man swims.
As he does, memories come to the surface.
From his early childhood to his life as a man, all his memories are linked to water.
Some are happy, some glorious, some traumatic.
This story will be that of his last swim.
Girls In Real Life Situations
Sam, Lexi and Jane spend the first day of Eighth Grade plotting a scheme to get the ultimate lunch table. Their plans unravel when Katy, a preppy, sixth-grade TikTok influencer, beats them to the coveted spot.
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In Tune
Gina, a young musician, spends her weekend in her family's mountain hut. She wants to concentrate on her music in peace. Unfortunately, this is not as easy for her as she had originally hoped.
Strange figures intrude on the idyllic peace and quiet and begin to disturb it with their presence and obtrusive behavior. At some point the escalating situation results in an emotional explosion and Gina must escape as quickly as possible. She jumps onto the back of a cow and gallops to the nearest mountain top.
There she gives free rein to her frustration and screams into the void. Silence.
Suddenly a melodious cry returns. All around her the flowers begin to sing a chorus. As if it was the most natural thing in the world, she joins in the jam with her bass guitar.
As it comes to an end, she hears the loud clapping, hooting and whistling from the “guests”. She smiles, it's good.
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Les Bêtes
A mysterious rabbit with a set of magic keys summons a host of strange creatures to entertain a wicked king and his decadent court in this dark stop-motion animated fantasy inspired by the works of Ladislas Starevich.
MIMT
A fable about animals giving chase between planes of existence.
Pear Garden
Six years old Lily visits her grandmother after grandma had a mastectomy and doesn’t have breasts anymore. Lily, confused by the new appearance of granny, tries to find a way to deal with it.
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The Refusers
Dumped waste lies around two garbage containers. An old mattress laments, 'They say I’m dirty...' The objects share their stories. Then, an old paper dances beautifully, setting in motion a powerful change in how the waste perceives itself.
There Will Be No Other End
A social satire, told in five acts, delves into our society, its behaviors, and flaws. The narrative, conveyed through light and attractive visuals, serves as a cautionary tale about the potential consequences if we fail to eliminate foolish behaviors, lack of empathy, and a lack of responsibility.
