
Yearning for Learning
Select Shorts: Ratings from G up through PG-13.
Social Commentary
Approximate Running Time: 50 minutes
Streaming in this year's Virtual Festival available only from June 9-26 on
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LUCHA and the EKEKO
Roger L. Edwards, Jr.
Knightdale, North Carolina
2D, Independent
7:57
PG
MARISOL is a shy, recently orphaned, middle-schooler. Today, with the help of her adoptive mother, ELENA, she rummages for items to sell at her school’s fundraiser.
When Marisol stumbles upon a peculiar doll, Elena recognizes it as an Ekeko – the souvenir/gift from an undocumented migrant girl named LUCHA. This prompts Elena to recount the colorful story of how Lucha (and her Ekeko) opened her heart … to eventually receive Marisol in adoption.
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Forgotten
Mawrgan Shaw
Toronto, Canada
MM, Independent
4:23
G
Offering a window into the isolation the elderly face when living alone, 'Forgotten' is a timely exploration of loneliness.
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Toucan
REKKER studio workshop children, age 8 - 12
Antwerp, Belgium
Debut Junior, Group or Class
4:44
G
Due to circumstances, a very small Toucan egg ends up with a family of flies. The Toucan struggles to live up to the expectations of her adoptive family. Things that are quite normal to flies seem strange and dirty to a Toucan's eyes. Can the Toucan still find its place in the family?
Project : Buitenbeentjes (Misfits) put children at the helm of studio REKKER. Together we look for stories in reality and fiction about characters who dare to be different. We cover our ideas with a sauce of fantasy, let them simmer for a while in the stop motion pan and then steam them into 8 animated films that color outside the lines.
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A Short Walk
Ervin Han
Singapore
2D, Studio
6:25
G
On a quiet February morning in 1942, weeks after the Japanese empire occupied Singapore, a young Chinese boy accompanies his father on a walk from their home to a mass screening centre.

Ben Alderman
New York City, New York
MM, Student
2:12
PG
A Y2K apocalypse takes place inside of computers as a result of binary code and monopoly capitalism.
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Mild Kamolluck Niamkongkit and Kristen Yuan
Sarasota, Florida
3D, Student
3:32
PG-13
Smoker wants to break up with his lighter girlfriend at the gas station, and she doesn't take it well.
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Nelson Fernandes
Fundão, Portugal
StMo. Independent
5:00
G
"Us" is a short film of animation which mixes several Stop Motion techniques, proposing a journey through the conflicted human condition. War, loneliness, nature, crossings, fallen dreams are some of the recurring aspects in this animated poem on paper.
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Pivot
Ana Gusson
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
2D, Professional
7:08
G
Growing up isn’t easy, and it’s no exception for 12-year-old Ashley whose well-meaning Mom has her own ideas about who Ashley should be. Finding herself in an impossible situation, Ashley must decide whether to wear a gaudy dress she hates or find the courage to stand up for herself and fight the inner monster that is holding her back. The animated short film ‘Pivot’ is a defining moment in Ashley’s quest to be herself at the risk of disappointing the person she loves the most, her Mom.
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Yu Sun
London, England, UK
MM, Student
5:06
G
Flashing Images
Not included in virtual streaming.
Remains an Official Selection in Competition for overall awards.
Needles are used to repair the damage. Stay is a 5-minute animated film made using hand embroidery on tracing paper, depicting the relationship between a daughter and her absent father. Don’t forget to spend more time with the people you love even though you are busy.