Times of Plenty

BEST ANIMATION SHORT - Sponsored by Real Gusto Restaurant

Claudio Costa

13 min | 2020 | Italy | US Premiere

Italy is revealed through a satirical comedy told by Cesare, a young boy living with his family in Rome.  TIMES OF PLENTY is a reference to the socio-cultural climate of the 80’s and 90’s in Italy, a time of the Socialist Party and young, upwardly mobile yuppies…a time of Silvio Berlusconi’s privately owned TV channels, the new agreement with the Holy See…a period in which Italy came to be the fifth leading industrial country in the world, but also a time of spiraling growth in public spending, growth that many knew could not last 

Awards: Willlachen Comedy & Satire Filmprize - The Golden Cellar Rattle (Wien Austria), Honorable Mention/New Generation Film Festival (Belgrade Serbia)
Official Selections: David Donatello (Rome Italy

Love Moon

Aleix Bové

5 min | 2020 | Syria/Spain | Massachusetts Premiere

Amaluna is a song for the moon, a faithful testimony of our passage through life. The human essence divides us into rich and poor, but the moon remains the same for everyone and is always there to remind us of the ephemerality of our existence. Aleix Bové is an accomplished flamenco guitarist and enjoys artistic collaborations with theater, dance and film projects. 

Official Selections: Side Reel FF (RI US), New Generation FF (Belgrade, Serbia), Int’l Moving FF, 

ICAN/HANNA Int’l FF (PA UA), among others.

Double Interview

Polina Urvantseva

9 min | 2019 | Sweden | US Premiere

On the hunt for her next big story a young and ambitious journalist and human right activist, Eliza interviews a crooked and corrupt general in the Eritrean army, who happens to be her own father. Based on a short story by Eritrean journalist, Dessale Abraham who holds the 2013 International Press Freedom Award.

A Little Too Much

Martina Scarpelli

4 min | 2020 | Italy | US Premiere

In an imaginary space, a woman lets go of herself and overcomes fearing her own greatness. She discovers her body, she embraces her emotions, and learns to own all the parts that make HER. Features Toronto bred musician and singer, Kai.

 Award: Best Music Video/Animation – London Int’l Animation Festival.

Song Sparrow

Farzaneh Omidvarnia

12 min | 2019 | Denmark/Iran | Boston Premiere

Immigration…is it worse to stay or go? People of different colors, races and cultures, old and young, embark on journeys, eager to find some place they can call home, or just some place they can live. Many brave perils more formidable than the ones they ran from. Based on a real event that happened in Austria in August 2015.

Awards: Best Animation - Lebu Int’l FF (Santiago Chile), Tricky Women/ Tricky Realities (Vienna
Austria), Festival Int’l del Cortometraggio (Lovere Italy), Giffoni FF (Giffoni Valle Piana Italy). 

Official Selections: Galway Film Fleadth (Galway Ireland), Yerevan Golden Apricot Int’l FF (Yerevan
Armenia), Flickers' Rhode Island Int’l FF (RI US), HollyShorts FF (CA US), Vancouver Int’l FF (Vancouver Canada), Segreteria Sedicicorto Int’l FF (Forlì Italy), Canberra Short FF (Canberra
Australia), Asiana Int’l Short FF (Seoul Korea), Stockholm Int’l FF (Stockholm Sweden), London Int’l Animation F (London UK), PÖFF Shorts, Black Nights FFF (Tallin Estonia), RSF Martha's Vineyard African American FF (MA US), among many others.

Wood

Yasin Zohrabi

5 min | 2020 | Iran | US Premiere

People cut down trees and make them into products. These products unite and execute the humans.

Official Selections: Ecocine - Festival Int’l de Cinema Ambiental e Direitos Humanos (São Paulo Brazil), London Kurdish FF (London UK), Kalakari FF (Dewas India), CINEFANTASY – INT’l FANTASTIC FF (São Paulo Brazil), Iconic Images FF (Lithuania), Abbey FF (London UK).

Behind the Glass

Pedro de la Llave

5 min | 2021 | Spain | New England Premiere

A drama about Mario, a man struggling to overcome his own limitations, while facing the rejection of society. Mario thinks he is in control. He thinks he knows what he is doing, and he looks down to the people on the other side of the glass, but what Mario doesn't know is that the glass itself is not on his side.

Awards: Best Animation Short - Canadian Cinematography Award (Toronto Canada), Queen Palm Int’l FF (Palm Springs CA US), London Int’l Web & Shorts FF (London UK), Croown Wood (Kolkata
India), Kosice Int’l Monthly FF (Slovakia), European Cinematography Awards (Amsterdam Netherlands), New York Int’l Film Awards (New York US), Reale FF (Milano Italy), Paris FF (Paris
France), Amsterdam World Int’l FF (Amsterdam Netherlands); Best Director for Animation Shorts - Best Film Awards (New York US), among many others.

Tomas. A Tale of Redemption. No. 01 Year 2095 - Co-presented Boston Latino Int’L Film Festival

Sandra Obando Morales, Tatiana Pinzón Salavarrieta

11 min | 2020 | Colombia | New England Premiere

Co-presented w/Boston Latino Int'l Film Festival

In a post-apocalyptic Bogotá, a man will do anything in order to get to Arcadia, the only place with life on the planet. No matter what it takes, he is willing to make the decisions that will save himself until he finds himself trapped by his own destiny.

Official Selections: Open World Animation Festival (Allentown PA USA), Montreal Animation Film Festival – ANIMAZE (Montreal Canada).

Demi's Panic

Bill Plympton

10 min | 2021 | US | New England Premiere

Inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, this short tells the story of Demi, a Latina in NYC whose nightmares foreshadow an unprecedented storm, transforming her city & her life. 

Official Selections: World Premiere - World Festival of Animated Film, Asian Premiere - Indie-Anifest Seoul, Korea, US Premiere - HollyShorts Film Festival.

DEUX OISEAUX

Antoine Robert

12 min | 2019 | France

Jean spends his holidays at his grandparents’ farm. Not in tune with nature, he partakes in candid yet cruel games with animals, birds and insects but before the holiday is over, he has developed bonds.  

FLORIGAMI

Iva Ćirić

6 min | 2019 | Croatia

A lonely white flower grows surrounded by other plants and every day it struggles to survive.

OUT OF RANGE

Yijia Cao, Lana Choukroune, Cécile Guillard

5 min | 2019 | France

Sue, a lawyer living her life in the fast lane, needs to go to the most important meeting of her career. On the way, a car breakdown forces her into the forest. During her wandering, she will find her true self.

OPALE

Marion Aknin, Basile Delille, Vincent Leclerc, Iliès Machou, Léopold Prengère

5 min | 2019 | France

Claire just arrived in an alternate version of Paris flooded by the Seine river. She will search to find her beloved experiencing a journey of wonders and dangers. 

LUX CLARA

Vukasin Zivaljevic

9 min | 2019 | Serbia

An experimental take on Plato's famous allegory of the cave. Through novel, uncommon and innovative techniques, this short, attempts to answer the questions of liberty and its possibility in today's society, self-awareness, and the relationship between individuals and the masses.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR

Alison Snowden and David Fine

14 min | 2019 | Canada

Dealing with what comes naturally isn’t easy, especially for animals. Five animals meet regularly to discuss their inner angst in a group therapy session led by Dr. Clement, a canine psychotherapist.

TERMINUS

Camille Henry

3 min | 2019 | France

A ticket inspector is overwhelmed by his working conditions and dreams about leaving it for something new. But daydreaming always comes to an end because of his work.

JUST MARRIED

Aliénor Bouteloup de Villiers, Marianna Crosetti, Claire Ducluzeau, Donghee Kim, Daphné Peltier, Minh-Thu Pham

7 min | 2019 | France | US Premiere

A young girl who is about to get married is kidnapped by her teddy bear in front of the church. Together, they will live a dreamy adventure.