Abiogenesis Directed By: Richard Mans New Zealand, 2011, 5 min There's a theory that life didn't evolve on Earth but was planted here by an extraterrestrial force. Hmm…, what would that have looked like? Here, using the coolest digital technology, is the answer. The images tap right into the collective unconscious.
Le Petit Nuage Directed By: Renee George USA, 2011, 9 min As the "Best Boy", for The Artist, Renee George was inspired to create this film, her own homage to the beauty of the silent black-and-whites and to the perennial possibility of finding passion in a Parisian street-side café.
The Boy in the Bubble Directed By: Kealan O'Rourke Ireland, 2011, 9 min Computer-animated in the Tim Burton style, this little fable tells of the romance, heartbreak, and rescue of a boy named Rupert Shelley. The rhyming narration is delivered by sonorous actor Alan Rickman (Harry Potter, The Royal Shakespeare Company).
Luminaris Directed By: Juan Pablo Zaramella Argentina, 2011, 6 min Delicious visual effects—for example, stop-time sequences with the hero sliding along like a chess piece, later spitting out light bulbs—enrich this funny little allegory from Argentina. It sheds new light (so to speak) on the old office-romance comedy plot.
Superdad and Pele Directed By: Annette Saugestad Helland Norway, 2011, 10 min
This animated children's book, using whimsical line drawings and cut-outs, illuminates a preschool-age boy's vision of his father. On weekends, that "S" on his chest means Superdad. On Mondays, that meaning shifts abruptly.
Norwegian with subtitles.
We Love Our Clients Directed By: Beppe Tufarulo Italy, 2010, 5 min At this little market in Italy the customers get special assistance in finding something they didn't quite realize they needed—something much more than that lobster and that bottle of vino. Each other.
In Italian with subtitles.
Tiny Miny Magic Directed By: Danielle Lurie USA, 2011, 9 min "People say magic is everywhere, but magic has to start somewhere." Perhaps even in a post-office box. This mini-movie with its surprise ending proves once again that you can't always get what you want—but somebody else just might.
How Could I Not Say Goodbye? Directed By: Ana Amortegui USA, 2011, 10 min The real question is: how could any man ever say no to this sensationally loving woman? In this sexy piece about jilted love, a beautiful femme proves that some fool just lost a gold mine. "It's time for the last tear to fall so I can smile again."
The idea that cinema can continue to help us envision pre-contact Hawai‘i gets a big boost here with this tale of passion and violence.A young chief and his beloved must defend their valley on the eve of Makahiki.Very samurai, very sensual.