2022 VIRTUAL PROGRAM BOOK
Welcome!
We're excited to have you. Like a lot of the world, we're adapting to a "new normal" so this year will look a lot like last year, and we're thrilled it's gone so well!
It will be completely virtual and available to stream for just $5 per program OR $30 for the ALL-access pass which includes access to the 100 (or so) films we will be streaming!
This year we will not host any in-person screenings... We're a bit bummed but the reason is good-- we're getting a facelift! Well, our cinema is, and we're super stoked! Though we wish we could show you all of these great films in person, an online format has allowed us to show even more animated films than ever before, which we love, so we aren't too mad about it ;)
Below you'll find each section of films involved in this year's festival with descriptions and further info
Interested in a clean list of our 2022 official selections? We have a page for that.
For more information, visit our FAQ, or shoot us a message!
Oh... and we will try not to adjust the schedule buuuuut sometimes life happens and we need to pivot.
Having trouble with the Gumroad site? Check out their customer support FAQ page!
A note about ratings: The ratings are based on our collective best judgement as a selection committee, our judges, and even asking the submitters to rate their own work. We refer everyone to the MPAA guidelines, however we're aware that perhaps we're a bit *too* conservative rating something as PG-13 when it could be PG, or PG for a G... If you're curious about how ratings work, there's a great documentary on the subject from 2006, This Film is Not Yet Rated.
For more information, visit our FAQ, or shoot us a message!
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Featured: A still from "The Luggage Room." Soledad, a 65-year-old immigrant, fills a suitcase with gifts to send her family, as she embarks on a journey of fantasies and memories about her loved ones and the countless objects she has accumulated for them in a mountain of baggage inside her small room.
PENSIVE / ABSTRACT
Shorts that ask you to you ponder life, meaning, and more. Whether through heavier themes or a more abstract approach, this program is for those who are interested in the questions, the answers, and the distance between.
This block is mainly PG-13 with one "mild"-R-rated short.
General triggers and FYIs include repeated flashing images, stylized nudity, English subtitles, and some more sensitive images.
Click here for more info on the films!
Running Time: Approx. 70 minutes
Ready to watch now? Find our Virtual Festival over on Gumroad!
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Featured: A still from "Dino Bone." After seeing a suggestive fossil of two dinosaurs "getting it on", an anxious father tells his curious son a series of little white lies to avoid having "The Talk".
MATURE / ADULT
At times funny, and at others somber, this collection of animated shorts as been put together for mature audiences-- the kind we'd screen later at night after the kids have gone to sleep. A variety of topics and styles that are sure to amuse you, and some that could even leave you a bit unsettled... all powerful works of art from animators around the world.
This block has mixed ratings up to R, with one NC-17.
General triggers and FYIs include flashing images, stylized nudity, masturbation, suicide, English subtitles, and some more sensitive images.
For more info, click here!
Running Time: Approx. 65 minutes
Ready to watch now? Find our Virtual Festival over on Gumroad!
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Featured: A still from "Monsters of Mine." A lonely girl uses high-tech glasses to fill her world with imaginary monster friends, but when they break, she discovers the value of true human connection.
SURREAL / REAL
Animated shorts have proven time and time again that they can pack a lot of punch in a few minutes. This collection is both "out there" and "close to home," with films that live in the blur between what is and what isn't.
This block is rated G - PG-13
General triggers and FYIs include English subtitles and images of domestic violence.
For more info, click here!
Running Time: Approx. 70 minutes
Ready to watch now? Find our Virtual Festival over on Gumroad!
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Featured: A still from "Tacet." A farm of instrument animals welcomes a new member who finds a different way to fit in.
FAMILY-FRIENDLY
Stories the whole family can enjoy, from tales of tails, inspiring legends, witty observations, and so much more. Take a break and let this collection delight you, with work by filmmakers of all ages.
This block is mainly G with one "PG-lite"
General triggers and FYIs include English subtitles on one short.
Click here for the full list and additional info on films!
Running Time: Approx. 55 minutes
Ready to watch now? Find our Virtual Festival over on Gumroad!
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Featured: A still from "SCRATCH." Separation, loneliness and a deadly smell tarnish the lives of the occupants of the forest.
THRILLS & CHILLS
Take a ride with us as we bring together a program of animated shorts full of adventure and wonders. Pursuits in space, monsters on earth, and fantastical suspense, this collection of official selections ask you to hold your breath and take the plunge.
This block has mixed ratings up to PG13
General triggers and FYIs include English subtitles.
Get more info on the films here.
Running Time: Approx. 50 minutes
Ready to watch now? Find our Virtual Festival over on Gumroad!
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Featured: A still from "Ruff and Buff." A grandma, Harmony, wants to join the "Doggy Beauty" dog show with her little dog, Thor. Harmony has a big dream for Thor, but the little dog has another plan in mind. Before the big dog show, Harmony and Thor emBARK on some serious doggie training.
MUSIC / COMEDY
Music and comedy are like PB & J, coming together in a tasteful program of music videos and hilarity. Timing is everything-- animating to a beat is nothing short of a technical challenge for most animators, and delivering jokes requires equal precision. These animated shorts from around the world, in a variety of mediums, are here to make you laugh and tap your feet.
This block is rated G - PG-13, with one R.
General triggers and FYIs include stylized nudity, flashing images, violence, and English subtitles.
For more info on these, click here!
Running Time: Approx. 60 minutes
Ready to watch now? Find our Virtual Festival over on Gumroad!
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Featured: A still from "ROOT." Root is a magical journey about Hana, exploring the world and struggling to expand her boundaries. Hana and the characters all face difficulties accepting each other over their difference. However, they all come to accept one another after realizing what they all have in common.
SE-USA SPOTLIGHT
A well-deserved spotlight on homegrown shorts from the Southeast region of the US. Though the area these shorts come from is relatively small compared to the global selections we have across the entire fest, the animators who made them are not limited to narrow descriptions-- there are student, independent, and novice filmmakers-- even young animators under 18 who poured countless hours into these pieces, and we're proud to present our Floridians' and neighbors' work.
NOTE: there are many other films that are from the SE region scattered across different programs in this year's festival-- we received a record number this year and decided to spread the SE love!
This block has mixed ratings up to PG.
Click here to learn more about these films.
Running Time: Approx. 40 minutes
Ready to watch now? Find our Virtual Festival over on Gumroad!
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Featured: A still from "LUCHA and EKEKO." 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.
SOCIAL COMMENTARY
One of the motivations for creating art is to comment on the state of, well, all things-- from somber reflections on the worst humanity has been capable of, to the fears of a frenzied and uncertain future, we've packed quite a lot in this collection of shorts from animators as young as 8 through professionals who have a lot to say, and want you to pay attention.
Ratings from G up through PG-13.
General triggers and FYIs include brief stylized nudity (but it's blurred!), and of course, some pretty heavy themes.
Learn more here!
Running Time: Approx. 50 minutes
Ready to watch now? Find our Virtual Festival over on Gumroad!
Featured: A still from "PLASTIFORMIS." On a junkyard, a small creature named Plastiformis is born. It begins searching its surroundings for organic food, which it turns into plastic. After some time, however, it became prey to an unknown creature who we don't know a lot about. The creature contrariwise ends up turning Plastiformis into something organic, a walnut which then grows into a tree.
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMENTARY
An extension of our Social Commentary programming, these films focus on matters on this pale blue dot. Whether drawing attention to current crises we must act on, or projecting what's possible, this collection asks us to come together and take few moments to reflect... and hopefully take action.
This block is rated G - PG-13.
General triggers and FYIs include flashing images.
To find out more about each film featured, click here!
Running Time: Approx. 55 minutes
Ready to watch now? Find our Virtual Festival over on Gumroad!
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Featured: A still from "Ball-last." Sport is healthy, but for Pinnemuts and Spinnekop it mainly causes a lot of 'ball-last'. Not to mention the sad fate of the balls, Ping and Pong...
DEBUT & DEBUT JUNIOR
In 2019 we opened up a section of submissions for animators under 18, and every year we are blown away by the storytelling and creativity in these submissions. Debut films are created by animators 13-17 years old, and Debut Junior presents animators by the under-12 year olds. Both groups include shorts made in groups or in classes, as well as those brave artists working on their own in a medium that demands a lot.
NOTE: There are a few of these shorts that are also included in other programs based on their themes, so you may see some repeats if you're watching more (we sure hope you are!).
This block is rated G - PG-13.
Click here to learn more about these shorts.
Click here to read about this category!
Running Time: Approx. 70 minutes
Ready to watch now? Find our Virtual Festival over on Gumroad!
A note about ratings: The ratings are based on our collective best judgement as a selection committee, our judges, and even asking the submitters to rate their own work. We refer everyone to the MPAA guidelines, however we're aware that perhaps we're a bit *too* conservative rating something as PG-13 when it could be PG, or PG for a G... If you're curious about how ratings work, there's a great documentary on the subject from 2006, This Film is Not Yet Rated.
For more information, visit our FAQ, or shoot us a message!