ANIMATED SHORT FILMS
PRESTO
USA/5 mins/2008
Writer/Director:
Doug Sweetland
Producer: Richard Hollander
Music: Scot Stafford
Dignity. Poise. Mystery. We expect nothing less from the
great, turn-of-the-century magician, Presto. But, when
Presto forgets to feed his rabbit, the revered conjurer gets
more than he bargained for!
Director's Biography:
Doug Sweetland joined Pixar Animation Studios in the spring
of 1994 to work on Toy Story as an animator.
He worked on each subsequent Pixar feature film up to
and including Cars. In addition to animating Pixar's
timeless characters, Sweetland served as a directing
animator on Monsters, Inc., and enjoyed a stint as a
storyboard artist for the Academy Award-winning feature,
The Incredibles.
Besides his feature film work, Sweetland served as
supervising animator for the Academy Award-nominated short
film Boundin'. Using his vast knowledge from working
on these features and short films, Sweetland was able to
apply his story and animation skills in the creation of a
new Pixar short of his own and served as writer and director
for Presto.
Sweetland admits that not even all his years of experience
being an animator prepared him for the challenges of writing
a story from scratch, but with extraordinary Pixar talent on
his side, the story came to life.
Presto was released with the Disney/Pixar
feature film, WALL E and was recently nominated for
an Academy Award for Animated Short Film.
Born and raised in State College, Pennsylvania, Sweetland
grew up watching Disney films and classic Saturday morning
cartoons. With a life-long love and passion for animation,
he attended California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) for
three semesters before coming to Pixar.
Sweetland currently resides in San Francisco with his
wife and son.
Awards:
(Nominated)
Best Short Subject, Annie Awards, 2008
Festivals:
Annecy International Film Festival, 2008; Ottawa
International Animation Festival, 2008; 12th Hiroshima
International Animation Festival, 2008; Siggraph, 2008
For all Presto publicity, please contact Amanda
Sorena -
asorena@pixar.com
LAVATORY – LOVESTORY
RUSSIA/10 MINS/2007
Writer/Director:
Konstantin Bronzit
Producers: Alexander Boyarsky, Sergey Selyakov
Music: Valentin Vasenkov
A lonely toilet attendant attempts to uncover the identity
of her secret admirer.
Director's Biography:
Konstantin Bronzit has earned degrees in art, industrial
design, screenwriting and directing. In 1988, Bronzit made
his first animated film The Roundabout and began
drawing cartoons for magazines and newspapers. From 1993
until 1995, Konstantin worked as a scriptwriter, director
and animator at Pilot Studios in Moscow. His Shorts
Switchcraft, Pacifier, Knock-Knock, Die Hard, At the Ends of
the Earth and The God have received more than 50
awards from festivals worldwide. In 2004, Bronzit directed
his first full-length animated feature, Melnitsa's Alosha
as well as the short film The Cat and the Fox.
Awards:
Diploma, 5 to 10 minutes, 14th Krok; International Animated
Film Festival, 2007; Animated Eye Award, Aspen Shortsfest,
2008; Special Prize, 12th Hiroshima International Animation
Festival, 2008; Grand Prize, Taipei Golden Horse Film
Festival, 2008; Best Animated Short Film, 17th St Louis
International Film Festival, 2008
Festivals:
Krok International Animated Film Festival, 2007; Aspen
Shortsfest, 2008; 20th Filmfest Dresden: Internationales
Kurzfilmfestival, 2008; 4th AnimaBasauri: Festival
Internacional de Cinema de Animacion de Basauri-Bizkaia,
2008; 6th BIMINI: International Festival of Animated Films,
2008; 3rd Festival Animiranog Filma, 2008; 10th Short Shorts
Film Festival, 2008; 12th Hiroshima International Animation
Festival, 2008; 13th One Reel Film Festival, 2008; 10th
Bunter Hund Internationales Kurzfilmfestival München, 2008;
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, 2008; 17th St Louis
International Film Festival, 2008
LA MAISON EN PETITS CUBES (PIECES OF LOVE, VOL 1)
JAPAN/12 MINS/2008
Writer/Director:
Kunio Kato
Producers: Kusakabe Masanori, Yuko Shin
Music: Kenji Kondo
An old man battles to save his house in an attempt to beat
the rising tide.
Director's Biography:
While studying graphic design at Tama Art University, Kunio
Kato won various awards for his animated short films. Later,
Kunio joined Robot Communications, Inc., creating animations
for advertising and television programming.
Awards:
Best Short Film, 4th AnimaBasauri: Basauri-Bizkaia
International Animation Festival, 2008; Junior Jury Award,
32nd AnnecyInternational Animated Film Festival, 2008; The
Annecy Cristal, 32nd Annecy International Animated Film
Festival, 2008; Best Animated Film, 18th Message to Man
International Film Festival, 2008; Best Script, 16th Anima
Mundi, 2008; Hiroshima Award/
Audience Award, 12th Hiroshima International Animation
Festival, 2008; Best Animation, 12th LA Shorts Fest, 2008;
Grand Prize/Special Jury Distinction for Best Directing, 2nd
International Animation Festival ANIMANIMA, 2008; Grand
Prize, 32nd Cinanima: International Animated Film Festival,
2008; Onda Curta Prize, 32nd Cinanima: International
Animated Film Festival, 2008;
Alves Costa Prize, 32nd Cinanima: International Animated
Film Festival, 2008
Festivals:
4th AnimaBasauri: Festival Internacional de Cinema de
Animacion de Basauri-Bizkaia, 2008; 6th BIMINI:
International Festival of Animated Films, 2008; 32nd Annecy
International Animated Film Festival, 2008; 18th Message to
Man International Film Festival, 2008; 16th Anima Mundi,
2008; 12th Hiroshima International Animation Festival, 2008;
12th LA Shorts Fest, 2008; 2nd ANIMANIMA: Medunarodni
Festival Animacije, 2008; 13th Milano Film Festival, 2008;
Ottawa International Animation Festival, 2008; 9th AniMadrid:
Festival Internacional de Imagen Animada, 2008; 4th Animacor:
Festival Internacional de Animacion, 2008; 32nd Cinanima:
Festival Internacional de Cinema de Animaçăo, 2008
OKTAPODI
FRANCE/3 MINS/2007
Directors:
Julien Bocabeille, Francois-Xavier Chanioux, Olivier
Delabarre, Thierry Marchand, Quentin Marmier, Emud Mokhberi
Music: Kenny Wood
Two Octopi fight for their lives in a comical escape through
the streets of a small Greek village.
Filmmakers Biography:
The filmmakers are all recent graduates of Gobelins, Ecole
de L'Image.
Awards:
Special International Jury Prize, 12th Hiroshima
International Animation Festival, 2008; Special Mention for
Student Film, Anim'est International Animation Festival,
2008; Best of Show/Audience Prize, Siggraph, 2008; Best
Character Animation, Aniwow! (Beijing), 2008; Best Animated
Film, Casablanca, 2008; Canal+ Family Award, Annecy
International Film Festival, 2008; Children Jury Special
Mention, Animafest Zagreb, 2008; Honorary Mention, Prix ARS,
2008; Best Student Animated Short Film, Ficci Baff, 2008;
Best Animation, Imagina, 2008; Gran Premio, ArtFutura, 2007;
Grand Prix, Courts Devant, 2007; La Bourse Lagardére, E-Magiciens,
2007
Festivals:
12th Hiroshima International Animation Festival, 2008; 35th
SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival, 2008; 5th London
International Animation Festival, 2008; Ottawa International
Animation Festival, 2008; 15th Krok: International Animated
Film Festival, 2008; Anim'est International Film Festival,
2008; 16th Hamptons International Film Festival, 2008; 51st
DOK Leipzig: Internationales Leipziger Festival für
Dokumentar- und Animationsfilm, 2008; 7th Brisbane
International Animation Festival, 2008; 1st
SIGGRAPH Asia Computer Animation Festival, 2008; Puchon
International Student Animated Festival, 2008; Alcine 38
(Madrid), 2008; Montra Lisbon Animated Film Festival, 2008;
Seoul International Cartoon and Animation Festival, 2008;
Stuttgart Trickfilm Festival of Animated Film, 2008;
Festival International des Trés Courts, 2008
THIS WAY UP
UK/9 MINS/2008
Directors:
Smith & Foulkes
Writers:
Christopher O'Reilly, Smith & Foulkes
Producers:
Charlotte Bavasso and Christopher O'Reilly
Co-Producer:
Christine Ponzevera
Music: John
Greswell, Christopher Taylor
Laying the dead to rest has never been so much trouble.
Directors' Biography:
Smith & Foulkes graduated from the Royal College of Art
animation course in 1997, going on to join producers
Christopher O'Reilly and Charlotte Bavasso at animation
studio Nexus.
They have gone on to develop a reputation as one of London's
top animation teams with a portfolio that spans short films,
music videos, commercials and film title sequences.
Credits include the title sequence for
Thunderbirds and the animated 'film within a film' for
DreamWorks and Paramount's Lemony Snicket's A Series of
Unfortunate Events. They have also directed for the
BBC's animated comedy show Monkey Dust.
Their commercial work has won them numerous awards and
accolades including the Grand Prix Award at Cannes Lions, a
Grandy at the Andys, an ITV Award for Best Commercial and
two Golds at the D&AD awards. They were the most awarded
commercial
directors in the US and Europe in 2006.
Selected Awards:
Best Humour, 11th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival +
Animated Dreams, Sleepwalkers, Just Film, 2008; Shooting
People Comedy Award, London Short Film Festival, 2008;
Special Mention, No Words category, 40th Bolzano Short Film
Festival, 2008; Best In Show Award, 1st Siggraph Asia
Computer Animation Festival, 2008; Best Children's Film,
Uppsala International Short Film Festival, 2008; Special
Public Prize in International Animation Short, Mundos
Digitales Animation Festival, 2008
Selected Festivals:
40th Bolzano Short Film Festival; 11th Tallinna Pimedate
Ööde Filmifestival; 1st Siggraph Asia Computer Animation
Festival; Sundance International Film Festival, 2009; 14th
Encounters Film Festival, 2008; Brest European Short Film
Festival, 2008; Anim'est, 2008; Holland Animation Film
Festival, 2008; Cork International Film Festival, 2008;
AniMadrid Animation Film/TV Festival, 2008; The Times BFI
London Film Festival, 2008; Los Angeles International Short
Film Festival, 2008;
HIGHLY COMMENDED
VARMINTS
UK/24 mins/2008
Writer/Director:
Marc Craste
Producer:
Sue Goffe
Music:
Jóhann Jóhannsson
A creature struggles to preserve a world in danger of being
destroyed through recklessness and indifference.
JOHN AND KAREN
UK/5 mins/2007
Writer/Director:
Matthew Walker
Producer:
Sarah Cox
Music:
Oliver Davis, Tom Russell
Two animals attempt to resolve their relationship issues.
GOPHER BROKE
USA/4 mins/2004
Produced by:
BLUR Studio
There is no such thing as a free lunch.
SKHIZEIN
France/14 mins/2008
Director:
Jérémy Clapin
Writer:
Jérémy Clapin, Stéphane Piera
Producers:
Wendy Griffiths, Stéphane Piera
Music:
Nicolas Martin
Poor Henry has been struck by a meteorite and yet,
miraculously, he’s still here. Well, not exactly ‘here’,
just a few centimetres further along than the rest of us. 91
centimetres to be precise!
HOT DOG
USA/6 mins/2008
Writer/Director:
Bill Plympton
Producer:
Biljana Labovic
Music:
Cory A. Jackson
An intrepid dog goes to work for the fire department.
LIVE
ACTION SHORT FILMS
AUF DER STRECKE (ON THE LINE)
GERMANY, SWITZERLAND/30 MINS/2007
Director:
Reto Caffi
Writers:
Philippe Zweifel, Reto Caffi
Producers:
Academy of Media Arts, Cologne
Co-Producers:
Blush Films, Zurich/Swiss Television
SF TV
Director of Photography:
Piotr Rosolowski
Editor:
Thomas Bachmann
Production Designers:
Corinne Dettwiler, Sandra Salvatore
Music:
Ivo Ubezio, Daniel Jakob, Oli Kuster
Cast:
Roeland Wiesnekker, Catherine Janke,
Leonardo Nigro, Hanspeter Bader, Julie Bräuning
A department store security guard is
secretly infatuated with a clerk in the store's bookshop.
When he witnesses a love rival being attacked on a train, he
abandons him. A decision that carries with it devastating
consequences.
Director's
Biography:
Raised in Bern, Reto Caffi studied
English and Communications at the University of Bern and
Fribourg. After graduating, Caffi worked as a cultural
journalist for Swiss Radio International and for Swiss
National Television, as well as for various print media.
Caffi then undertook post-graduate studies at the Academy of
Media Arts in Cologne. Auf der Strecke is his sixth
film as director.
Selected
Awards:
Honorary Foreign Film, 35th Student
Academy Awards (AMPAS), 2008; Best Short Film, Swiss Film
Prize, 2008; Grand Jury Prize - International, 30th
Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival, 2008; BMW Short Film
Prize, 9th Landshut Short Film Festival, 2008; Best Student
Film, Aspen Shortsfest, 2008; Best Narrative Film, 11th
Brooklyn International Film Festival, 2008; Innovation
Award/Audience Award - German Competition, 24th Hamburg
International Short Film Festival, 2008; Best European Short
Film, Les Lutins du Court Metrage, 2008
Selected
Festivals:
18th Kinofest Lünen, 2008;
Schweizer Filmpreis, 2008; 30th Festival International du
Court Metrage Clermont-Ferrand, 2008; Aspen Shortsfest,
2008; Studio Hamburg Nachwuchspreis 2008; 35th Student
Academy Awards; 34th Seattle International Film Festival,
2008; 11th Brooklyn International Film Festival, 2008; 24th
Internationales Kurz Film Festival Hamburg, 2008; Les Lutins
du Court Metrage, 2008; 61st Festival Internazionale del
Film Locarno, 2008; 3rd Sapporo Short Fest, 2008; 7th
Festival des Films de Court Métrages deja Primés, 2008; 13th
Angelus Student Film Festival, 2008; 13th Festival
Internacional de Cine Independiente de Ourense, 2008;
GRISEN (THE PIG)
DENMARK/22 MINS/2008
Director:
Dorte Hřgh
Writers: Anders August, Dorte Hřgh
Producers: Tivi Magnusson, Johanne Stryhn Hřrby,
Christian Potalivo
Director of Photography: Jens Schlosser
Editor: Henrik Vincent Thiesen
Music: Bent Fabricius-Bjerre
Cast:
Henning Moritzen, Trine Pallesen, Farshad Kholghi, Jesper
Asholt, Camilla Sřeberg
When Asbjorn
is admitted to hospital, he finds comfort in a painting of a
whimsical pig - until it is removed by the request of
another patient.
Director's
Biography:
After a decade working in television and radio, Dorte Hřgh
attended The National Film School of Denmark where she
graduated as a screenwriter in 1999.
Since then
she has written scripts for television and film such as the
short film Herretoilettet, the popular dramatic
series Nikolaj & Julie and the feature films The
Inheritance and Manslaughter, the former of which
won Best Screenplay at the San Sebastian International Film
Festival in 2003.
The Pig
is Dorte's directorial debut.
Awards:
Audience Award for Best Short Film, Hamptons International
Film Festival, 2008; Best Short Film, Miami International
Short Film Festival, 2008
Festivals:
Hamptons International Film Festival, 2008; Miami
International Short Film Festival, 2008
MANON SUR LE BITUME (MANON ON THE ASPHALT)
FRANCE/15 MINS/2007
Writer/Directors:
Elizabeth Marre, Olivier Pont
Producer: Sébastien Hussenot
Director of Photography: Pierric Gantelmi d'llle
Editor: Marcela Figueroa
Music: Christophe Julien
Cast:
Aude Léger, Xavier Boiffier
What really
flashes before your eyes at the end? It’s a lovely spring
day and Manon is on her way to a rendezvous with her
boyfriend when an unexpected bump in the road makes her see
life from an entirely fresh perspective.
Director's
Biography:
After completing a Master's Law Degree at the University
Paris II, Elizabeth Marre successfully passed the French Bar
Exam. At the same time, she pursued acting classes and
worked as a 1st Assistant Director on feature films.
Olivier Pont
grew up in the French Riviera. He passed a Scientific
Baccalauréat and then graduated from the CFT Gobelins, the
French National Animation School. He worked as an animator
for three years at Steven Spielberg's Amblimation Studio in
London.
Searching
for independence and personal creativity, he decided to
develop his own stories and became a comic strip artist.
Olivier edited eight comic books, including the diptych
Oů le Regard ne porte pas… which met with great critical
and public acclaim.
Marre and
Pont have written and directed two short films together:
That Little Spark (La Petite Flamme) in 2005 and
Manon sur le Bitume in 2007. They are now working on
their first feature film.
Selected
Awards:
Priz Coup de Coeur Junior, Ciné Bocage, 2007; Int Audience
Award, Cologne 2008; Prix de l'Avenir, Ile de la Reunion,
CineMA, 2008; Mention Speciale Court Metrage, Los Angeles
Colcoa, 2008; Prix du Public, Limoges, 2008; Shorts TV
Award, Mamers en mars, 2008; Best Live Action Short, Toronto
Worldwide Short Film Festival, 2008
Selected
Festivals:
Chateau-Chinon, 2007; Caen La Gurinére, 2007; Namur, 2007;
St Jean de Luz, 2007; Osnabruck, 2007; Leeds, 2007; Abu
Dhabi, 2007; Mostra Sao Palo, 2007; Stuttgart Tubingen,
2007; Le gout du court Paris Balzac, 2007; Munich FFAT,
2008; Espoirs en 35mm Mulhouse, 2008; Dresden, 2008;
Cleveland, 2008; Panorama du Cinema Francais, 2008
NEW BOY
IRELAND/11 MINS/2007
Writer/Director:
Steph Green
Producer: Tamara Anghie
Director of Photography: P.J. Dillon
Editor: Lee Hickey
Scenic Designers: Francis Taaffe, Shannon Scrofano
Costume Designers: Allison Byrne, Sandra Burns
Music: Len Arran
Cast:
Olutunji Ebun-Cole, Norma Sheahan, Simon O'Driscoll, Sinead
Maguire, Fionn O'Shea, Byron Kumbula
Based on a
Roddy Doyle short story, a young African immigrant struggles
to find a place for himself during his first day at an Irish
school.
Director's
Biography:
Steph Green is an Irish-American writer/director.
Her short films and commercials have been featured in
the Cannes Lions Young Director's showcase, Young Guns
Advertising Awards as well as noted film festivals around
the world. Her
recent short, New Boy, has won over 20 international
festivals.
Steph has
had the privilege of working with mentors such as Spike
Jonze, Vincent Landay, Fredrik Bond and Alan Poul. She is a
graduate of Northwestern University and University College
Dublin and splits her time between Los Angeles and Dublin.
Steph is
currently developing feature film projects in Ireland and
the US.
Selected Awards:
Best Narrative Short, Tribeca Film Festival, 2008; Special
Mention - Generation kPlus, Berlinale 2008; Best Short Film,
Irish Film & Television Awards 2008; Best Film 11th
Manhattan Short Film Festival 2008; Special Jury Prize for
Short Film Seattle International Film Festival 2008; Best of
Fest, St Louis International Film Festival 2008; Best Short
Film, Vail Film Festival 2008; Best Irish Short Film, Foyle
Film Festival 2007; Best Short Film, Rhode Island Film
Festival 2008; Best International Film Audience Award, Cork
International Film Festival 2008
Selected Festivals:
Cork International Film Festival, 2007; Santa Barbara Film
Festival, 2008; Berlinale 2008; Dublin International Film
Festival, 2008; San Francisco Irish Film Festival 2008;
Belfast Film Festival, 2008; Tribeca Film Festival, 2008;
Seattle International Film Festival, 2008; Worldwide Short
Film Festival, 2008; Seoul Film Festival, 2008; Rhode Island
Film Festival, 2008; Palm Springs Shorts Fest, 2008;
Telluride Film Festival, 2008; Beauvais Film Festival, 2008;
Leeds
SPIELZEUGLAND (TOYLAND)
GERMANY/14 MINS/2007
Director:
Jochen Alexander Freydank
Writers: Johann A. Bunners, Jochen Alexander Freydank
Producer: Jochen Alexander Freydank
Director of Photography: Christoph "Cico" Nicolaisen
Editor: Anna Kappelmann
Production Designer: Maja Zogg
Music: Ingo Ludwig Frenzel
Cast:
Julia Jäger, Cedric Eich, Tamay Bulut Özvatan, Tortsen
Michaelis, Claudia Hübschmann
Germany
1942. A mother convinces her son that the Jewish neighbors
are going on a journey to 'Toyland'.
Director's
Biography:
Jochen Alexander Freydank was born 1969 in East Berlin. He
directed fringe theater, commercials and short films. He
started his film career as a first assistant director and
editor before becoming a screenwriter for TV and Film.
At present
he works as a producer of a TV series while preparing for
his first feature film as a director.
Awards:
Audience Award/Best Short Film, Almería International Short
Film Festival, 2008; Audience Award, Alpinale European Film
Festival, 2008; Best Short Film, Asheville Film Festival,
2008; Shorts Award, Bermuda International Film Festival,
2008; Friedrich-Wilhelm- Murnau-Award, Day of the German
Short Film; ANEC Gold Medal, Giffoni Film Festival, 2008;
Best Children's Film/1st Prize, Odense International Film
Festival, 2008; Audience Award, Palm Springs International
Short Film Festival, 2008; 2nd Place International Discovery
Award, Rhode Island International Film Festival, 2008;
Golden Spike, Valladolid International Film Festival, 2007;
VIVIF Award, Victoria Independent Film & Video Festival,
2008
Festivals:
Almería International Short Film Festival, 2008; Alpinale
European Film Festival, 2008; Asheville Film Festival, 2008;
Bermuda International Film Festival, 2008; Festróia - Tróia
International Film Festival, 2008; Giffoni Film Festival,
2008; Max Ophüls Festival, 2008; Odense International Film
Festival, 2008; Palm Springs International Short Film
Festival, 2008; Rhode Island International Film Festival,
2008; Valladolid International Film Festival, 2007; Victoria
Independent Film & Video Festival, 2008
SHORTS
INTERNATIONAL
Shorts
International Ltd. is the world's leading short film
entertainment company with the largest and most diverse film
catalogue devoted to short films. More than half of the
catalogue's individual films have been nominated for or
received international film awards, including the Cannes,
Edinburgh, Clermont Ferrand and Sundance film festivals.
Shorts International operates ShortsTV, ShortsTV France and
ShortsTV Corto short film channels created for distribution
to mobile television, cable television and satellite
networks (Sky Channel 342 in the UK and on Numericable in
France, Belgium and Luxembourg), as well as Shorts™, the
short films on demand service available on the iTunes movie
stores in the US, UK and CANADA. Further information can be
found at www.shortsinternational.com and www.shortstv.com.
The company is headquartered in London, England with
additional offices in Paris, Munich, New York and San Diego
led by Carter Pilcher, Chief Executive. Shorts International
is owned by Shorts Entertainment Holding and Liberty Global
Ventures.
MAGNOLIA PICTURES
Magnolia Pictures (www.magpictures.com) is the theatrical
and home entertainment distribution arm of the Wagner/Cuban
Companies, a vertically integrated group of media properties
co-owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban that also include the
Landmark Theatres chain, production companies 2929
Productions and HDNet Films, and high definition cable
networks HDNet and HDNet Movies.
QUBE CINEMA
Qube Cinema is a highly
regarded Digital Cinema hardware and software developer that
has been working with the most respected exhibitors and film
festivals on the globe to make to Digital Cinema the
distribution standard for all cinematic content.
Qube Cinema is proud to
sponsor and support the Digital Cinema distribution of the
live and animated shorts that were nominated for the 81st
Academy Awards.rn
