Award-winning stop-motion animated short directed by Tom Gasek & Miki Cash features a bunch of hungry Arctic seals singing along to the music and lyrics of Sigman and Russell as performed by Hoagy Carmichael.
BRISTOL, UK -- Wonky Film’s, Tom Gasek and Miki Cash, have announced the online release of their award winning short film Ain’t No Fish. The stop motion short film has spent the last few years touring the world with screenings at over 65 film festivals, where it picked up several awards including the “Director's Award” at the San Francisco International Ocean Film Festival, and the award for “Most Inspiring, Compelling & Engaging” at the Fast Forward Film Festival.
Gasek and Cash conceived the idea for the film in the early 90’s while working together in the UK. Around this time catastrophic events at sea involving oil spills had been having a devastating effect on wildlife and the sea. They were further influenced the optimistic late 1940’s showtune “Some Days There Just Ain’t No Fish,” written by Carl Sigman and Bob Russell, and performed by Hoagy Carmichael. They felt the song would lend itself to a contemporary Arctic setting while juxtaposing against the darker subtext of the film. This subtext carries the important message that has 
compelled film festival attendees worldwide, who see in the film hungry seals trying to fish in a world depleted of this natural resource due to a man’s lack of respect for the environment.
While the idea was originally conceived in the early 90’s the film's message is just as today with overfishing, coastal development and pollution from shipping leading to the degradation of our oceans beyond their natural state.
Work on the film also originally began in the 90’s before work commitments put the film on hold. The directing duo’s enthusiasm for the film and idea didn’t wane however, and in 2011 the timing was good for work to resume on Ain’t No Fish. This was aided with advancements in computer technology that meant the pair could work remotely from their respective homes; Tom in the US and Miki in the UK. The production took around 18 months with both artists working simultaneously on shots and communicating via Skype and Dropbox until the film’s completion in October 2013. After a further two years touring the festivals, Ain’t No Fish is now available to watch online.
Commented Gasick, “Although I don’t consider myself as an environmental filmmaker, I do believe in the message of this film. The idea of luring in an audience with a fun piece of music along with matching visuals and then eventually delivering a strong message seems to resonate with audiences. That was Miki, Elizabeth Buttler and my intent. In the end, producing this film with Miki was a great excuse for keeping our overseas friendship alive and that was reward enough unto itself.”
Cash added, “... S.O.S - Save Our Souls!”
Source: Wonky Films
