Although no physical puppets make an appearance, the pull of the marionette’s strings is present in this year’s block of animated shorts. Some films address this theme head-on with government decrees, sinister priests, and traitors motivated by gold. Others take the more oblique approach of dangers hiding in the dark, growing in the garden, or simply the circle of life. But there are also those who refuse the call of the puppet master and embrace their inner monsters to find freedom. Showcasing a range of animation styles including cut paper, stop motion, hand drawn, and computer, the BUFF animation block is a diverse collection of films from across the globe. Will you follow in the footsteps of the ragdoll dance?
NOTE: The themes and content of this program are not suitable for young viewers. We’d rate this one PG13.
– Programmers: Rebekah Murphy, Jozef R. Kluczkiewicz
Featuring:
Lilly Visits the Hospital
The Bum Family: Medina Dennie, Ocean Demuth, Zaiyah Dennie, Sol Demuth, Xstine Cook, Heather Cook, Canada, 7 min.
Lilly, a 12′ tall orange monster, takes her friend Fluffle to visit patients in a hospital. What could go wrong?
Les Bêtes
Michael Granberry, United States, 12 min.
A mysterious rabbit with a set of magic keys summons a host of strange creatures to entertain a wicked king and his decadent court.
Peeping
Yixuan Wang, China, 4 min.
A dance show adapts its act to government bans dictated by a tomato-shaped surveillance machine.
Pocket Princess
Olivia Loccisano, Canada, 10 min.
A young girl must take part in a dangerous task in order to complete her doll collection.
Pippy and The Typist
Rachel Nemez, United States, 5 min.
Pippy discovers that a magical typewriter controls the events happening down below.
The House of Weird
Mark Reyes, United States, 4 min.
Can you escape The House of Weird?
Poppa
Peter Ahern, United States, 2 min.
I’m sorry, what just happened?
The Garden Sees Fire
Kiera Faber, United States, 15 min.
A mystical tale of cloaked identities, systemic traumas, and insatiable consumption.
Red Thumb
Kolya Kishinsky and Geneva Huffman, United States, 6 min.
A gardener tries to control his environment as he discovers a pulsing red plant.
Demons in the Closet
James Smith, Germany, 2 min.
A resident is challenged by demons from another realm in his closet.
A Walk in the Park
Jay Marks, United States, 14 min.
A late night dog walk becomes a desperate escape from a neighborhood being warped and distorted by an unfamiliar presence.
Howl if You Love Me
John R. Dilworth, United States, 8 min.
Boy has girl. Boy loses girl. Boy wins girl back, but girl is a werewolf.