Step into the newly decorated cinema space at Hidden Door, find a space and settle down and you’ll experience some of our best animated short films from last year’s Edinburgh Short Film Festival. There’s some outstanding international (and local) animation and possibly a visiting film-maker or two to interrogate!
We’re excited to screen fantasy animation from Greece in the shape of AURELIA by Christos Bourantas & Kreon Krionas, an enigmatic fantasy mystery that takes a journey to reveal some secrets of the city at night in the shape of a silent jelly-fish invasion.Another favourite from last year was the surrealist and William Blake influenced HOUR OF DREAMS, some amazing Mexican Claymation and stunningly realised bizarre, dream-like otherworldy fantasy.
Graeme Cassell’s witty and charming web series short BRUAR is also screening, although less than 2 minutes long, it packs a lot of offbeat humour into its 90 seconds, the eponymous hero is a frog-shaped, loquacious doorstop with a fixation on good manners!
The SONG OF WANDERING AENGUS features the voice of Liam Cunningham and describes a Yeats poem, influenced by Gaelic folkloric legend in elegiac style. It’s puppetry is delicate and wondrous and the mythic world is beautifully rendered.
Federico Kempe’s self-referential THIS IS NOT AN ANIMATION follows a group of hyper Canadian animators on a joint project and hilariously captures the tensions and angst of artists unable to work together due to personality clashes. THREE TALES OF ALEXANDRA is a starkly illustrated and occasionally grisly re-imagining of Aesop’s Fables by Natasza Cetner. It’s dark narratives are matched by the film’s intense, black and white artwork.
LOCKBOX by Edinburgh-based animators Pete Cotter and Glen Johnston supplies a sentimental and stylish CGI coda to the evening, its short and heart-rendering story is both touching and beautifully-realised.