Best of ITFS

The programme is a kaleidoscope of existential human needs, desires, and longings. All the protagonists are searching for something – for love and security, for independence, peace and freedom, for safety and purpose.

NEXT?

directed by: Christel Guibert // Belgium, France 2023 // 9:00 // 2D/3D computer, other animation techniques // producers: Benjamin Stiénon, Pierre Méloni, Reginald De Guillebon // production: Popiul, Folimage // world sales: Folimage

Half-animal, half-human creatures meet at a speed-dating event where they explore their differences and difficulties communicating. When a lovestruck male anteater falls for a shrew lady, he gets caught up in this courtship ballet.

DODO

directed by: Yi Luo // Germany 2023 // 12:36 // 2D/3D computer, hand drawn // producers: Jiayan Chen, Yi Luo // production, school, world sales: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH

Dodo’s father is a big blue bird. One day he takes off from the window sill, and never returns. From that moment on, Dodo stops growing.

Note: Film contains flashes of light or fast cuts.

A CRAB IN THE POOL

(UN TROU DANS LA POITRINE)

directed by: Alexandra Myotte, Sebastien Hamel // Canada 2023 // 11:13 // 2D/3D animation // producers: Alexandra Myotte, Sebastien Hamel // production: Sémaphore Films // world sales: Travelling Distribution

Zoe and her little brother Theo are spending the day at the public pool. In his childish imagination, all the people in the pool appear as mythical creatures. Meanwhile, Zoe, in the middle of puberty, has completely different problems – her body is changing, and she suffers from anxiety as she has to take care of Theo all by herself, not just today but constantly.

27

directed by: Flóra Anna Buda // France, Hungary 2023 // 10:44 // 2D/3D computer // producer: Gabor Osvath // production: Boddah, Miyu Productions // world sales: Miyu Distribution

Alice is 27 years old today and still lives with her parents. There is no privacy at all, her little brother is annoying as hell, and she is kind of suffocating. So, she escapes into her sexual fantasies, drugs and wild parties rather than facing her dreary everyday life.

IT’S JUST A WHOLE

directed by: Bianca Scali // Germany 2023 // 10:37 // 2D/3D computer, other animation techniques // producer: Paulina Larson // production, school, world sales: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH

It is just a mole – so small, so insignificant, just a mark discovered during skin cancer screening … Why is it so hard on Maya to part from it? Can she ever feel whole again when a bit of her is taken away?

MARIUPOL. A HUNDRED NIGHTS

directed by: Sofiia Melnyk // Ukraine 2023 // 7:26 // 2D/3D computer // producer: Andrii Palatnyi // world sales: Sofiia Melnyk

Explosions everywhere, a burning city – these are the first days of the Russian full-scale invasion in Mariupol. A girl struggles to survive. To escape, she has to make it through destroyed streets into the unknown and trust in her destiny.

COLD SOUP

(SOPA FRIA)

directed by: Marta Monteiro // France, Portugal 2023 // 9:50 // Paper Cut-Outs // producers: Claire Beffa, Nuno Amorim, Sidonie Garnier, Vanessa Ventura // production: La Clairière Ouest, Animais AVPL // world sales: Agencia – Portuguese Short Film Agency

A woman looks back on her marriage and the years of domestic abuse she survived, recalling how difficult it had been for her to stay afloat.

MEE AND BURD

directed by: Greg McLeod // United Kingdom 2023 // 7:48 // 2D/3D computer // producer: Greg McLeod // production, world sales: The Brothers McLeod

A post-operative existential crisis inspires an animator to make a film about a post-operative existential crisis.

Note: Film contains flashes of light or fast cuts.

Best of Tricks for Kids

Life is good when you’re together. Because together with others, everything is so much easier and more fun than alone. Discover funny and touching stories about animals, people and clouds who are there for one another. The programme starts with EU & YOU and TRIXI’S MAGIC SHOW, two films made by children at animation workshops during ITFS 2024, organised in cooperation with the Baden-Württemberg State Ministry.

THE SWINEHERD

(SVINEDRENGEN)

directed by: Magnus Igland Møller, Peter Smith // Denmark 2023 // 6:35 // 2D/3D computer // producer: Søren Fleng // production: Fleng Entertainment, Tumblehead Animation Studio // world sales: Yummy Films

Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Swineherd” as you have never seen it before! The young swineherd has a magic pot that transforms the pigsty into a party zone. The king‘s daughter also wants to party, but she wants nothing to do with the dirty boy and his pigs. That‘s a problem….

FELICE FIASCO

directed by: Cécile Gardies // France 2023 // 7:55 // 2D computer // production, school, world sales: LISAA School of Art & Design

A young Italian named Fiasco really wants to work at the biggest cathedral construction site of the Renaissance. Unfortunately, he is a clumsy little scatterbrain and breaks everything he touches.

RHINO

(NASHORN)

directed by: Julia Ocker // Germany 2022 // 3:37 // 2D/3D computer // producer: Thomas Meyer-Hermann // production, world sales: Studio FILM BILDER GmbH

A young rhino is going to go on a date with a rhino lady. He is looking forward to it very much. Hopefully, everything turns out well.

NUBE

directed by: Christian Arredondo Narvaez, Diego Alonso Sánchez de la Barquera Estrada // France, Hungary, Mexico 2023 // 7:31 // 2D/3D computer // producers: Aristote Douroudakis, Valentin Maupin // production: Avec ou sans Vous // world sales: Pentacle Productions

The white cloud Noma witnesses how an old, dark, sad thundercloud rains out and dies. Now she has to take extra care that her little daughter Mixtli, who is also a dark cloud, doesn‘t accidentally rain out and vanish as well.

SCRUBBY

directed by: Paul Vollet // Germany 2023 // 6:33 // 2D/3D computer // producers: Johannes Lübke, Paulina Larson // production, school, world sales: Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH

Scrubby wants to live in his mother‘s thick fur forever, but she‘s starting to lose hair. When he chases and returns a strand of her hair that flew away, all that is left of her is a pile of hair and a trail in the snow. Scrubby sets out to find his mum.

FORZA, REA!

directed by: Isabel Pahud, Isabel Clerici, Laura Zimmermann, Polina Tyrsa // Switzerland 2023 // 3:18 // 2D/3D computer // producer: Gerd Gockell // production, school, world sales: Hochschule Luzern – Design Film Kunst

In a village in Ticino, Rea wants to deliver a love letter to her crush. On her roller skates she takes off to her house. But suddenly the letter flies away and Rea embarks on a wild chase downhill through the whole village.

MY HOUSE HAS A LOT OF WINDOWS

(A MINHA CASA TEM MUITAS JANELAS)

directed by: Leonor Faria Henriques // Portugal 2023 // 5:00 // 2D animation // production, school, world sales: Escola das Artes – Universidade Católica Portuguesa

Lulu lives in a house with a lot of windows. Sometimes she helps her father, who is the doorman here, and gets to know the neighbours. Like the old lady Dona Madalena, who is very happy about Lulu‘s visit.

#DOUDOUCHALLENGE

directed by: Alexandra Delaunay-Fernandez, Julie Majcher, Marine Benabdallah-Crolais, Noémie Segalowicz, Scott Pardaillhe-Galabrun, Sixtine Emerat // France 2023 // 6:18 // 2D/3D computer // producer: Philippe Meis // production, school: Supinfocom Rubika // world sales: Je Regarde

10-year-old Olivia is constantly glued to her smartphone, even on the way to family vacation. Until her dad is so annoyed by the constant beauty tips on social media that he kicks Olivia out of the car. Now she‘s alone with her phone and cuddly bunny who sees his chance to finally win Olivia‘s full attention again. Will bunny succeed?

Trickstar Nature Award:

We find ourselves in the skin of birds, fish, and cows, watching through their eyes as our world burns, cries, takes selfies, and blows itself up.
This mirror image of homo (non) sapiens also shows the diversity of scenarios that await us if we continue at this pace.

EXODE

directed by: Louis Lion, Max Doebeli, Nasia Chan, Parichay Sidana, Thibault Janssens, Yohan Deresme // France 2023 // 3:32 // 2D/3D computer // producer: Marine Charny // production, school: ARTFX – School of Digital Arts // world sales: Yummy Films

A lonely, exhausted Manchurian crane flies above a polluted and burning world looking out for a safe place to land.

TO BIRD OR NOT TO BIRD

directed by: Martin Romero // Spain 2023 // 9:13 // 2D/3D computer // producer: Iván Miñambres // production: Uniko Estudio Creativo, Abano Producions // world sales: Uniko Estudio Creativo

To bird or not to bird, that is the question. A critical and kaleidoscopic view of the current world told through the tragicomic and grotesque experiences of different birds.

FIRES (FEUX)

directed by: Mohammad Babakoohi // France 2022 // 4:12 // other animation techniques // producer: Annick Teninge // production, school, world sales: La Poudrière – Ecole du Film d’Animation

The city suffers from extreme drought. Here, stray dog Karun fights to survive on his own.

Note: Film contains flashes of light or fast cuts.

ON THE 8TH DAY

(AU 8ÈME JOUR)

directed by: Agathe Sénéchal, Alicia Massez, Elise Debruyne, Flavie Carin, Théo Duhautois // France 2023 // 8:12 // 2D/3D computer // producer: Carlos De Carvalho // production, school: Pôle 3D // world sales: Je Regarde

It took seven days to create the world but it only takes a day to disrupt its balance.

FASHION VICTIMS 2.0

directed by: Marìa Lorenzo Hernández // Spain 2023 // 2:10 // other animation techniques // producer, world sales: Enrique Millán Almenar

The film is the animated recreation of the mural painted by Street Artist ESCIF in January 2022 in front of a well-known fashion store in Valencia. The painting exposes the harsh conditions and child labour in the fashion industry for people in the global south.

WILD SUMMON

directed by: Karni Arieli, Saul Freed // United Kingdom 2023 // 14:38 // 2D/3D computer // producers: Karni Arieli, Saul Freed, Jay Woolley // production: Sulkybunny // world sales: Autour de Minuit

What if humans lived in the ocean? A special wildlife documentary about the dramatic life cycle of wild salmon from the river to the sea and back.

Note: This film is not available in Japan.

ABOUT A COW

(O KRÁVĚ)

directed by: Pavla Baštanová // Czech Republic, Switzerland 2023 // 12:52 // 2D/3D computer // producers: Martin Vandas, Sereina Gabathuler // production: Maur Film, Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion // world sales: Alexandra Hroncová

Scenes from the lives of cows all over the world. The imaginative mosaic film shows the cow as a sensitive creature that experiences both good and bad times and deserves our appreciation.

MANIMONDO

directed by: Michele Tozzi // Italy 2023 // 3:25 // 2D/3D computer // producer, world sales: Michele Tozzi

In a playful metaphor, big hands destroy the earth step by step. Can humanity still save itself before it is too late?

FIRE

directed by: Baptiste Fraboul, Esther Lamssoure, Florent Sabuco, Julie Le Forban, Léna Gittler, Valentin Serre // France 2023 // 6:27 // 2D/3D computer // producer: Julien Deparis // production: MoPA – L’Ècole du Film d’Animation et de l’image de Synthèse // school: ENSI (École des Nouvelles Images) // world sales: Miyu Distribution

On a lazy, searing afternoon in an empty summer house time seems to stand still. Only the cat is home when disaster strikes.

SMELL OF THE GROUND

directed by: Olivia Rosa // Poland 2023 // 7:47 // 2D/3D computer // producer: Robert Sowa // production, school: Jan Matejko Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow // world sales: KFF Sales & Promotion

The film is an adaptation of Sara Teasdale’s poem “There will come soft rains.” It is a subjective artistic vision about the end of the Anthropocene epoch.

PADDLE BOAT

(POLKUVENE)

directed by: Samppa Kukkonen // Finland 2023 // 15:42 // 2D/3D computer // producer: Inari Halme // production, world sales: Pyjama Films

A man rents a rickety pedal boat during a beach vacation. What was intended to be a fun trip with his wife and daughter turns into a lonely odyssey through a polluted ocean.