2011 SXSW Film Festival announces animated shorts line-up
The South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Conference and Festival is thrilled to announce features in the Midnighters and SXFantastic sections, as well as the complete short films lineup, which will debut at this year’s Festival, which runs from March 11 — 19, 2011 in Austin, Texas.
A key component of the SXSW Film lineup, the Festival offers two midnight feature programs, each including five titles. The long-standing Midnighters section has hosted the premieres and fostered the careers of such filmmakers as Ti West, Eli Roth, and Scott Glosserman, and is programmed by SXSW Senior Programmer & Conference Manager Jarod Neece. In 2009, SXSW added the SXFantastic sidebar, a series of midnight films programmed by Fantastic Fest, the largest genre film festival in the U.S. Last year, the section was home to the world premieres of Gareth Edward’s Monsters and the much buzzed about A Serbian Film.
”Our midnight programs are the bloody, beating heart of SXSW,” said SXSW Film Conference & Festival Producer Janet Pierson. “Since the beginning, midnight films have been an essential ingredient to what makes SXSW so exciting and fun, and this year’s selections are no exception.”
150 short films were selected from 3,089 short film submissions, and will screen as part of twelve overall shorts programs. Short film submissions saw an increase of 29% over 2010. A comprehensive list of the short films lineup is detailed below. For more information on Midnighters and the complete SXSW Film Lineup (features and shorts), visit www.sxsw.com/film. For more information on SXFantastic and Fantastic Fest, visit www.fantasticfest.com/sxfantastic/.
“After months of reviewing a record number of submissions, we’re tremendously happy to share the final program,” said Shorts Programmers Claudette Godfrey and Stephanie Noone, “The short films selected this year delve into the space between families, lovers, strangers and the void within ourselves, examining what those spaces mean, and the length to which we go to fill, cope with, conquer and mend them. We can’t wait for the SXSW audiences to experience them!“
The SXSW Film Festival will open on Friday, March 11, 2011 with Duncan Jones’ Source Code. In addition to nine full days of film screenings, SXSW Film will ultimately feature over 80 sessions of panels and workshops in the Film Conference. For details on the confirmed sessions, selected from proposals submitted via the SXSW PanelPickerâ„¢ interface, visit www.sxsw.com/film/talks. The final panel and conference lineup will be announced on Tuesday, February 15. Visit http://www.sxsw.com/film for more information and updates.
[Editor’s Note: Listed below is the “Animated Shorts” category; for a complete listing of categories, visit SXSW’s website.]
ANIMATED SHORTS
An assortment of stories told using a mix of traditional animation, computer-generated effects, stop-motion, and everything in-between. The winner of our Grand Jury Award in this category is eligible for a 2012 Academy Award nomination for Best Animated short.
The Beaufort Diaries
Director: Alex Petrowsky
When you’re a dying breed in Hollywood, sometimes it’s tough to go with the floe.
BOOBatary
Director: Leah Shore
A secretary types with her boobs.
Denmark
Director: Daniel Fickle
Pily, a lovable crustacean of mixed origin struggles to escape his underwater home when it becomes threatened by pollution.
Dinosaur Ballet
Director: Ross Butter
A short animation, showcasing the grace and poise of our prehistoric forerunners.
The Eagleman Stag
Director: Mikey Please
If you repeat the word ‘fly’ for long enough it sounds like you’re saying ‘life’. This is of no help to Peter. His answers lie in the brain of a beetle.
Get With The Program
Director: Jennifer Drummond Deutrom
The complacent inhabitants of this near-future society devise ways to adapt to the constant demands of the techno dystopia they have created.
Heart
Director: Erick Oh
An exploration of transcendence. This short presents questions through abstract metaphors and symbols, illustrated by the human heart.
A LOST AND FOUND BOX OF HUMAN SENSATION
Directors: Martin Wallner & Stefan Leuchtenberg
When his father dies unexpectedly, a young man seeking to cope with his grief goes on a powerful emotional journey through time and space.
Paths of Hate
Director: Damian Nenow
A short tale about the demons that slumber deep in the human soul and have the power to push people into the abyss of blind hate, fury and rage.
Preferably Blue
Director: Alan Dickson
Not everyone loves Christmas.
Teddy Goldblatt
Director: Rob Munday
In a post-apocalyptic world a lemon called Teddy finds his legs.
Weather Report
Director: Olivia Taussig
A catalogue of nine headlines, illuminating apocalyptic undercurrents. Headlines become ironic expositions, highlighting fantastical variables and animals play.
The Wonder Hospital
Director: Beomsik Shimbe Shim
A surreal journey through a mysterious hospital that alters the perception of physical beauties.
