Fresh from the Festivals: April 2008's Reviews
Within the world of animation, most experimentation occurs within short-format productions, whether they are high-budgeted commercials, low-budgeted independent shorts or something in-between. The growing number of short film festivals around the world attests to the vitality of these works, but there are few other venues for their exhibition, nor are they often reviewed. As a result, distribution tends to be difficult and irregular. On a regular basis, Animation World Magazine will highlight some of the most interesting of these films.
This month:
Irresistible Smile (2006), 6 min., 21 sec., directed by Ami Lindholm (Finland). Contact: Ami Lindholm, Turku Arts Academy/Tuhru, [T] +358.44.377.7744 [W] www.tuhru.net; [E] ami@tuhru.net
Karaoke Show (2007), 4 min., 25 sec., directed by Karl Tebbe (Germany). Contact: Karl Tebbe [T] +49.30.6120.9001 [W] www.karltebbe.de [E] karltebbe@gmx.de
Sleep with the Fishes (2005), 4 min., 27 sec., directed by Belle Mellor (England). Contact: Belle Mellor [T] 0044(0)7973.463942 [W] www.bellemellor.com [E] belle.mellor@virgin.net
Yellow Sticky Notes (2007), 6 min., directed by Jeff Chiba Stearns (Canada). Contact: Jeff Chiba Stearns, Meditating Bunny Studio; [T] 250.215.4733 [W] www.meditatingbunny.com, www.hapanimation.com; [E] meditatingbunny@hotmail.com
Yours Truly (2007), 8 min., directed by Osbert Parker (U.K. Contact: Osbert Parker [T] +44(0) 778.601.5728 [F] +44(0)208.347.6711 [W] www.osbertparker.com [E] very.fizzy@virgin.net
Irresistible Smile That's the concept behind Ami Lindholm's enjoyable short film Irresistible Smile. It's a simple idea executed in a simple style, and the result is a fun, engaging short. No matter how much abuse is heaped upon the flight attendant, whether it's the lush who's constantly demanding that her wine glass be refilled, the first-class passenger with a sense of entitlement proportional to that of his ample frame, or (something completely unthinkable to modern airline passengers) the nervous chain-smoker who lights a cigarette every time the hostess turns away, our graceful heroine handles each task happily, with an unflinching smile permanently affixed to her face.
Of course, there's a good reason that people come equipped with a full complement of emotions, and the attendant's inability to properly express herself ultimately leads to complete and utter disaster, but hey -- it's a living.
Screaming babies, nervous alcoholics, rude passengers, objectionable items crammed into the overhead bins... any one of these things can change a cross-country flight from a pleasant journey into a no-holds-barred battle for survival. And as bad as it is for us humble travelers, please take a moment to ponder the life of the flight attendant, who needs to deal with every last one of these problems every day -- and always with a smile on her face.
Karaoke Show The plot summary is fairly straightforward -- a man sings (grunts, actually) Michael Jackson's hit Billie Jean to a slightly bored, overweight man who's sprawled out on a couch in a tiny, strangely lit apartment. Sure, that's a little bit out of the ordinary, but hardly "controversial," right? I probably should have mentioned that the karaoke singer is stark naked, and that the animation is comprised mostly of pixelation and various lighting techniques.
There's not a whole lot to add to that, is there? You're either into German full-frontal karaoke or you're not. If that phrase -- "German full-frontal karaoke" -- doesn't frighten you, by all means, please give this film a look. If it does (justifiably) cause you to skip over this one, then please think kindly of me while you're enjoying the five minutes of your life that I've saved you.
The most controversial of this month's entries, by a considerable margin, is Karaoke Show, directed by -- and starring -- German director Karl Tebbe.
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