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Rollin' Safari |
Among the award winners is Diane Obomsawin’s promotional animation 50e anniversaire de la Cinématèque Québécoise. The Canuck short provides a lovely tribute to the legacy of cinephilia fostered by the institution. While Obomsawin’s film acknowledges the history of film, the programme’s other award winner bodes well for the future of animation. The other of the award winners to screen in the programme is the winner of the prize for undergraduate animation, Rollin’ Safari (Kyra Buschor, Constantin Paeplow & Anna Habermehl), which is arguably the standout film in the programme. A hilarious advert for a symposium, Rollin’ Safari highlights some of the best 3D computer animation at the festival. The filmmakers provide a creative ride through the safari and give OIAF viewers a chance to see some rare exotic balloon animals they have never laid eyes on before. The hilariously round and plump animals roll through the safari with a laugh-inducing bounce and wobble as their little legs can barely keep their rotund bodies in balance. It is a gag that never wears thin no matter how many times it is repeated throughout the film.
More funny animals visit Short Competition 2 in the
impressive high school animation Colorphant (Sujin Im, South Korea)
and the unusual, yet endearing ugly duckling tale Palmipédarium (Jérémie
Clapin, France). There’s also the enjoyable love song There Must Be Some Other Cat
(Mark Kausler, USA), which gives a smart vintage ’toon of a love-struck pussy
as he whistles his way through nine lives of heart break. Crow’s Nest (Robert
Milne, UK), finally, ends the programme with a fun dual between two birds that
brings Short Competition 2 to an enjoyable finish.
In between the entries from the animal kingdom are several idiosyncratic
shorts that animate ideas with a varying range of success. Futon (Yoriko Mizushiri,
Japan) is a conceptual play with form that never really pays off in execution.
On the other hand, Subconscious Password (Chris Landreth, Canada) is a wild mind-bender through the creative genius of animation, while Plug & Play (Michael Frei, Switzerland) has a flash of genius with the concept of the Human Centipede. Finally, Grand Central Diary (Andy London & Carolyn London, USA) is
an amusing take on the greatness of New York City as seen through the eyes of
the fixtures of the city’s Grand Central Station. Diary is an unexpectedly comic observation on the daily role of the
transit hub as a converging point for interaction and social exchange. It makes
the mundane feel new and it expresses the thrill of being a tourist in one’s
own city.
The energy of exchange can be seen in the ideas and themes
that build and bleed throughout the programme. History is written in classical
style in films such as Obida (The Wound) (Anna
Budanova, Russia) and the visually arresting, if dull, Kojiki Hyuga hen (Koji
Yamamura, Japan). But it is the fresh ideas and the innovations in transforming
old things anew that make Short Competition 2 worth seeing. Whether it’s googly
eyes on a garbage can or globular kitties, Short Competition 2 injects some fun
revolutions in animation into the festival.
Please visit www.animationfestival.ca for more
info on OIAF.