A Disregarded Galaxy

The Unreason

In this fun sci-fi comedy we meet Ruth and Megan, two best friends who run a vintage shop in North London. One day their lives are forever turned upside down when an abandoned time machine appears outside their shop.

The People

A film about human interaction and attachment, The People explores the mark people leave on each other and the space they occupy. The watercolor’s fluidity and transparency are the tools used to communicate the emotional tone of the film.

Three Trees

Homework

There is exactly enough time

Oskar Salomonowitz, the 12-year-old son of filmmakers Anja Salomonowitz and Virgil Widrich, had drawn 206 pictures in a flip book when he died in an accident. His father continued to draw the film with the remaining 482 sheets.

River

After disappearing for over a week, River tries to put her fragmented memory back together, while teetering on the brink of insanity and questioning what's real vs a dream.

The Phoenix

The ancient myth of the phoenix, the legendary bird with the amazing power of self-regeneration, is reborn with a modern twist. In this animated adaptation of a story by Sylvia Townsend Warner, we follow Lord Strawberry's search for the fabled bird. He finds it in the deserts of Arabia and brings it home to his aviary. Upon Lord Stawberry's death, however, the phoenix ends up as a sideshow in a fairground. This spirited satire of human foibles, with its timely message about our treatment of nature's creatures, will appeal to young people and adults alike.

Functional Block Diagrams

A synthesis of sound and movement; colourful characters dance and move in repetitive patterns to percussive and melodic elements. A combination of motion and music that is hypnotic and beautiful. At first it feels structured and orderly but as more elements are added becomes quixotically expressive.

Interview

A freewheeling cinematic experience, this film is the work of two filmmakers who relate their perceptions of each other through their respective animation techniques. Images and words are paired in startling associations. Each does a visual portrait of the other, based on characteristic gestures and impressions. A combination of techniques and materials produces a film of rich visual texture shaped by the hands and heads of two very different people.

Canada Vignettes: Countdown

This vignette illustrates the variety of professions, people and technical procedures required by the filmmaking process.

Smart Talk with Raisin

Raisin, her brother Malcom and her orphan dog Hamilton host a magic show. This animated short was made for MTV's Liquid Television.

Lord of the Sky

In this animated environmental parable, we find a people living in harmony with nature, until carelessness leads to the ravens' revenge. We follow a boy's courageous journey to the spirit world to find the only one who can save his village from the resulting darkness--the Lord of the sky. An artistic unity of form and content, Lord of the Sky is a dazzling combination of 3-D models, puppets, special effects and cut-out paper animation. Its intricate, beautifully rendered drawings reflect the natural environment and cultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest. The film speaks strongly of the need for ecological balance in the world.

Getting Ed Laid

An 85-year-old professor staying in a hotel suite in Tokyo hires a hooker for one last hoorah. Afraid taking Viagra will kill him, he's waiting for a callback from a cardiologist when a quirky hooker shows up who is only around 20 years younger than him. Funny happens as these two lonely people discover - no matter what your age, life can surprise you.

Dirty Little Secrets

A delicious tale of dark humor in which a department store management trainee with a foot-fetish is assigned to women’s shoes with painfully funny results.

Reboot

An artificial intelligence reckons with the concept of self after studying the human experience through film.

We Don't Have a Budget

Two young filmmakers spend time together, talking and searching for an idea to make a film. As their conversation unfolds, imagined stories quietly appear and disappear, blurring the line between thought and reality.

Bobs

While everyone seems to find their way into the adult world, Bob is somehow trapped in childhood. Terrified of being left behind, he'll do anything in his power to force his way into this new life phase. But little does he know that the adult world is nothing like he expected.

Treasure Blues

Thelma and Patsy follow a map looking for treasure.