International Competition 5 (rep.)

The International Competition (IC) is the beating heart of the festival. The best of current animated shorts from around the world are shown in this section. Films are humorous, contemplative, creative, or critical. An international jury selects the best animated short film of the year which will be honoured in the grand awards ceremony on Sunday. But you get to vote as well: Choose your favourite film for the SWR Audience Award!

Kop Op (Heads Together)

Regie Director: Job, Joris & Marieke / Niederlande / 10/2016 / 00:21:00 min. / Produktion Production: Viking Film / Weltvertrieb World Sales: KLIK! Distribution Service

A surreal story about three friends who exchange heads by accident and are forced to adapt to each others life. This leads to funny but also enriching situations. Will they be able to keep it secret? And will they ever get their own head back?

Hi Stranger (Hi Stranger)

Regie Director: Kirsten Lepore / USA / 11/2016 / 00:02:41 min.

Hi, stranger….it’s been a while.

Big Bag (Big Bag)

Regie Director: Daniel Greaves / Großbritannien / 08/2016 / 00:01:55 min.

An object of when life weighs you down

The Gap (The Gap)

Regie Director: Patrick Vandebroeck / Niederlande / 11/2016 / 00:14:41 min. / Produktion Production: seriousFilm / Weltvertrieb World Sales: KLIK! Distribution Service

Manikin is a cubical shaped figure who lives in a very straight desolate world. Compulsively he tries to even out all bumps in order to keep his world flat, straight and pure. When he discovers an enormous gap, he finds himself confronted with the impossible task of filling it up. On top of that the arrival of a red round ball completely messes up his ideal of a perfect straight world.

Rêve d’Enfant (Child Dream)

Regie Director: Christophe Gérard / Frankreich / 11/2015 / 00:10:22 min. / Produktion Production: Papy3D Productions / Weltvertrieb World Sales: Papy3D Productions

Floating barges, water that suddenly takes human form and rainfall that leaves puddles deep enough to drown in… Is this merely a child’s dream ?

Ein Krötenlied (Song of a Toad)

Regie Director: Kariem Saleh / Deutschland / 09/2016 / 00:07:15 min. / Produktion Production: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH

“SONG OF A TOAD” is the story about a stressed out human being who is carrying his unbeloved childhood right on his head – an old choleric toad. As a prisoner of his own grown-up situation, he tries to ignore this grumpy childhood talking from above, but one day he is confronted with something he almost forgot.

How to have a romantic date (How to have a romantic date)

Regie Director: Joost Lieuwma / Niederlande / 09/2016 / 00:00:25 min. / Produktion Production: Frame Order

A man and a woman are having a romantic date.

It Is My Fault (It Is My Fault)

Regie Director: Sha Liu / China / 09/2016 / 00:04:50 min.

After the compression of the spiritual world by the force of regulation, there will follow a series of emotions such as introspection, violence, self-destruction and untangling. This work uses the approach of the digital media itself to deconstruct and re-form the subliminal synesthesia visually and to create a fictional experience for the mind.

The Absence of Eddy Table (The Absence of Eddy Table)

Regie Director: Rune Spaans / Norwegen / 2016 / 00:12:18 min. / Produktion Production: The Norwegian Film Institute / Weltvertrieb World Sales: The Norwegian Film Institute

What if your worst fear and your greatest love turn out to be the same thing? Lost in a dark forest, Eddy Table stumbles upon a mysterious girl and dangerous parasites. He should escape, but something keeps him from leaving. Rune Spaans romantic horror short is based on the worksof Canadian artist Dave Cooper.

Happy End (Happy End)

Regie Director: Jan Saska / Tschechien / 11/2015 / 00:05:43 min. / Produktion Production: FAMU

A black comedy about death with a happy ending. A splendid chain of unlikely encounters. Hunters, a tractor driver, a disco boy and a corpse.