SXSW 2016: Competition Shorts, ‘Powerpuff Girls’ Premiere Announced

South by Southwest has announced the short film selections for its 2016 film festival, taking place from March 11-19 in Austin, Texas. Fourteen shorts were selected for the animation category, five of which also appeared in competition at Sundance last month.

The festival will also hold the world premiere of Cartoon Network’s revamped Powerpuff Girls series. Directors Nick Jennings and Bob Boyle will appear at an outdoor film screening on Monday, March 14, to introduce the new series. The event is open to the public with the free SXSW guest pass.

The complete list of animated shorts in competition at SXSW 2016 is below:

Animated Short Films Category

• Accidents, Blunders and Calamities / New Zealand (Director and screenwriter: James Cunningham)
  A father possum tells his kids a story about the most dangerous animal of all – humans! (World Premiere)
• David Gilmour – “The Girl in the Yellow Dress” / UK/USA (Director: Danny Madden)
  Paris, 1961—The “it” girl walks into a jazz club, imaginations run wild.
• Deer Flower / South Korea, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kangmin Kim)
  Dujung, an elementary school student, goes to a farm in the suburbs with his parents. While his parents believe the expensive and rare specialty from the farm will strengthen their son’s body, Dujung suffers side effects.
• Edmond / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Nina Gantz)
  Edmond’s impulse to love and be close to others is strong—maybe too strong. As he stands by a lake contemplating his options, he reflects on his defining moments in search of the origin of his desires.
• Geist / Ireland (Directors: Alex Sherwood, Ben Harper, Sean Mullen)
  A shipwrecked fisherman is led to a dark secret within this short thriller. (World Premiere)
• Glove / U.S.A. (Directors: Alexa Haas, Bernardo Britto, Screenwriter: Bernardo Britto)
  The true story of a glove that’s been floating in space since 1968.
• Heila Ormur / USA (Director/Screenwriter: Rose Stark)
  A man, infected, runs for his life.
• Love / Hungary (Director and screenwriter: Réka Bucsi)
  A short film describing affection in 3 different chapters, through an impact on a distant solar system. (U.S. Premiere)
• Pombo Loves You / United Kingdom (Director: Steve Warne, Screenwriter: Josh Blaaberg, Steve Warne)
  A distant father is forced to confront a heroic but troubled past life as ’80s TV character Pombo.
• Shiny / U.S.A. (Directors: Spencer Susser, Daniel Cloud Campos)
  A damsel in distress gets undressed when a man from the Midwest puts to rest a world that’s obsessed with “the priceless,” also known as “the shiny.”
• Snowfall / Ireland (Director: Conor Whelan)
  A story of fleeting love at a house party.
• Things Used to Be Hidden / Germany (Director/Screenwriter: Tara Mercedes Wood)
  Things Used to Be Hidden is a mockumentary about the aftermath of a disaster which caused everyone to loose their perception filters. Various characters tell us how they feel about their new lives. Is knowing it all really what we want? (North American Premiere)
• Trash Cat / USA (Director/Screenwriter: Kelsey Goldych)
  A cat that likes to knock over trashcans. (World Premiere)
• Vocabulary 1 / USA (Director: Becky James)
  An oblivious Snake and his neighbor, Butterfly, come to life on a vocabulary worksheet. (World Premiere)

In the Texas High School Shorts category
The Ambition Song / U.S.A. (Director: Ian Chapoy)
An animated interpretation of “The Ambition Song.”

In the Texas High School Shorts category
Goin’ Nuts / U.S.A. (Director/Screenwriter: Delaney Alexander)
A Dragosaur doesn’t need anyone’s help in claiming the largest nut he has spotted for himself, especially a pesky Dragoroo. It soon finds that even the smallest critters can be the biggest help.

(Top image: “Deer Flower” by Kangmin Kim.)