War, tragedy, and comedy were the main themes of the short animation film fest, held Jan. 31 in Greaves Hall.
These are not the typical cartoons seen on Saturday morning television. No, these short films have a message.
Animation enables the expression of ideas in ways that normal film cannot. There are no limitations or boundaries in animation.
There were twelve films in all, ranging from 3 to 13 minutes in length.
One of the standouts was “Frank the Wrabbit.” It is a tale of a rabbit that believes he is better than other rabbits due to his intellect. After a string of luck, he becomes an idol that can heal people’s ailments and, eventually, the basis for a new religion.
Another film on the lighter side is “The Freak.” This award-winning film depicts the actions of an outcast in a cookie-cutter world. Jailed for upsetting the status quo, he eventually breaks free and starts a new way of life for the Orwellian-like planet.
“Le Papillion” is the tale of a medieval Japanese woman striving to keep the memory of a lost loved one alive. This film, filled with beautiful water colors, has a unique styling that fits the story, setting, and theme appropriately.
“Hedge of Thorns” and “A Conversation with Haris” both depict the tragedies of war through a child’s mind. These two films show how children see things for how they really are. War tears them away from their loved ones and creates a division among their people that they do not understand.
Another standout film is “TRANSIT,” a story with seven chapters, drawn by seven artists, and told in a peculiar manner.
A chronicle of romance, murder, passion, and deceit, “TRANSIT” keeps viewers thinking for its entire twelve minutes.
The only film neither entertaining nor intellectual is “Seeds of Life.” This CGI animation looked as though someone had just purchased a computer animation program and was toying around with it.
The dull, bland, and lifeless “Seeds of Life” could have been scrapped.
Overall, the festival seemed rather short, and I hoped it would have gone on for another hour or so, with more films.
