Shorts New Talents Competition: Animation 1 / 2020

Festival
PÖFF Shorts 2020
Programme
Shorts New Talents Competition: Animation

The New Talent competition section is among the most interesting contents one can find. It presents us works of young filmmakers on their first steps of their promising careers. The next generation of animators handle various topics and animation techniques boldly. The audience will get a chance to see classical styles blended with contemporary and fresh ideas. From minimalistic to very detailed approach these films draw a complex portrait of human life whether the result is achieved by fiction, documentary, experimental film or through an interpretation of a poem. Selected works show that animation as an art form is an unique symbiosis of narrative and visual story telling.

Competition presented by:

Films

Baltic premiere

Déjeuner sur l'herbe

Local title
Lõunasöök murul
Original title
Déjeuner sur l'herbe
Director
Jocelyn Charles, Jules Bourges, Nathan Harbonn-Viaud, Pierre Rougemont
Country
France
Year
2019

A brilliant scientist sees his convictions crumble during a picnic at the lake.

Director
Jocelyn Charles, Jules Bourges, Nathan Harbonn-Viaud, Pierre Rougemont
Runtime
Language
English

Baltic premiere

Portrait of a woman

Local title
Ühe naise portree
Original title
Portret Kobiecy
Director
Natalia Durszewicz
Country
Poland
Year
2020

This eponymous "female portrait" is made of social expectations, stereotypes and cultural constructs. The protagonist must continuously reject the roles imposed on her and adjust to the views of others. Finally, the woman decides to liberate herself from the surrounding limitations. Will she manage to escape? This animated interpretation of a poem by Wisława Szymborska, a Nobel Prize Laureate, was painted using the palette of red shades, such as the colour of her lipstick, rose petals or blood drops. The feelings and emotions of the character are complemented by the depictions of nature, while deep colours and intensifying music create the atmosphere of tension and unease.

Director
Natalia Durszewicz
Runtime
Language
Polish
Subtitles
English

Baltic premiere

Monachopsis

Local title
Heidik
Original title
Monachopsis
Director
Liesbet van Loon
Country
Belgium
Year
2020

Debbie, a young woman, struggles with the feeling of being disconnected from the people around her. Until she meets Sofie with whom she bonds (too) strongly.

Director
Liesbet van Loon
Runtime

Baltic premiere

Armed Lullaby

Local title
Relvastatud hällilaul
Director
Yana Ugrekhelidze
Country
Germany
Year
2019

The film shows four fleeing routes that were taken by four children in order to escape the ethnical massacre. One had to push through the crowd to get last ship, another one to get last train and third - last plane. The fourth child who missed all of three possibilities to leave his hometown walked over the snow-cowered mountains.

Director
Yana Ugrekhelidze
Runtime
Language
Georgian
Subtitles
English

Baltic premiere

Forever

Local title
Igavesti
Director
Mitch McGlocklin
Country
USA
Year
2020

A life insurance company uses an AI algorithm to determine the risk of a new applicant. The subsequent denial sparks a period of introspection for the individual in question.

Director
Mitch McGlocklin
Runtime
Language
English

Baltic premiere

Black Sheep Boy

Local title
Must lammas
Original title
Black Sheep Boy
Director
James Molle
Country
France
Year
2019

A young hatted boy’s adventures through a strange world inhabited by anthropomorphic creatures. Searching for some happiness he does not know how to find, he engages into a philosophical and personal quest.

Director
James Molle
Runtime
Language
English

Baltic premiere

Observation Point

Local title
Vaatluspunkt
Director
Aleksander Jozefczyk
Country
Poland
Year
2019

A photographer is bored with his previous work. Accidentally he notices an announcement in the newspaper about the prize for a photo of some mysterious creature. He recalls that once he took such pictures, but they were blurred and he completely forgot about them. To search for the creature, he returns to his observation point that he built when he was a young, ambitious man. He also tames a lonely, lost and somewhat feral dog.

Director
Aleksander Jozefczyk
Runtime
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