We are moving stories

“When I was a child, I would lie down on the ground and imagine that I could enter it and be part of it. I always felt that there were currents of energy running below us, and I wanted to share in them. This feeling still permeates my thinking, and I utilized the electronic components to symbolize hidden energies or currents underground. In my view, the currents move everything and everyone; thus, they mingle in and out with the characters.”

“Personally, I am very upset about human activities which continue to destroy our already fragile environment. Environmental issues are already a global concern; my personal concerns mesh with these.”

“The film tells its story through subverting fairytales that bring a narrative resonance and charm of their own. The subject is gender equality but the story also touches on environmental issues, science and technology”

“People say they find it uplifting, the animation is rewarding to watch, and it raises awareness about an important issue.”

“This is a disaster you’ve probably never heard of, but you should. It was awful. And what better way than to hear it described by the people who lived through it?”

“It’s a film adults and children can enjoy together, and both get something from it. Children respond to its humor, and the fact that the protagonist is a strong, athletic girl. Adults often connect with the darker shades of the relationship, the sense of not being fully seen by the person you love the most. It’s also fun to look at—an unusual kind of animation, entirely hand-made. And it’s short, only two minutes. So it’s a low-risk commitment. :-)”

“In this film, I wanted to tell a historic story about an empowered woman working with technology and in a leadership position. Code Ruth is inspired by my grandmother’s story: She was a WWII Morse code radio instructor, which led her to meet my grandfather. My mixed-media animations are inspired by lesser-known stories from American history. As I began learning about Morse code, I became fascinated by the abstractness of the language but also to the similarities of how we communicate with smartphones today.”

“This is something that actually happened to my sister. The person being interviewed in the movie is my mom. When Abby started going through the process of cancer treatment, I noticed a lot of people didn’t understand why we couldn’t just explain things to her in a rational manner. They would ask, “can’t you just tell her that smoking is giving her cancer?” We would explain things to her plainly, but it didn’t necessarily stick. Sometimes she would understand it, but her delusions would replace that understanding with a new, distorted version of events. I wanted to make something that helped give people insight into Abby’s experience and my mom’s experience as her primary caregiver.”

“It’s fascinating, surprising, compelling, some say “riveting”. If you suffer from migraine, it will be a huge comfort and you will feel less isolated and more understood; if you have loved ones with migraine, you will understand, in a way you never have, what they’re going through. If you know or care nothing about migraine, you will be amazed, fascinated and entertained by the journey.”

“Underneath all the colourful animation techniques is a poignant story of a woman struggling to communicate with her elders. Hiromi Itō’s poem ‘On Ç’ highlights issues around the evolution and extinction of language, and how this can cause a generational gap between family members. As someone who is second-generation Australian, I resonate with the poem personally. However, it seems that this experience with language is fairly universal across all kinds of cultures, so hopefully there are a range of people who can see themselves in the shoes of the character in my film.”

“During my research, and from what I’ve already surmised about many religions is that historically creation stories have weighted heavily on the idea that a man created earth. In response to this idea, I wanted to emphasis the female figure in my own land of creation.”

“I believe it’s important to deconstruct certain narratives that are highly racist and to reestablish connections with our ancestral roots with the Black individuals who were enslaved. Our film aims to spark interest in this character, who is so little known to Brazilians but has deep connections to our national identity.”

“This film touches upon themes that many people may not have considered an issue. I believe it can get people thinking; I’m always curious to see what their reactions are afterwards.”

“I love medieval and fairytale themes in storytelling and love being able to showcase the good and bad sides of having too much love. Love can make one stupid but also make them strong and that’s the main theme of The End.”

“Lotte Reiniger was an important contributor to the development of animated film. Many people believe that the multi-plane camera was invented by Walt Disney, but it was in fact invented by Lotte during the making of her 1926 film, The Adventures of Prince Achmed, which is the oldest surviving feature animation! Our documentary about her life is not just a factual description of what happened when, but instead, we tell her story as a type of fairy tale, one you might hear sitting around a campfire with friends.”

“Some of the themes that emerge in these women artists’ work include spirituality, mysticism, ecofeminism, and ageing. As women artists ourselves, we could relate to their work, as well as their struggle to be recognized for their unique voices in a male-dominated art world.”

“I was an ecology major before I became an animator. Two years ago I met a girl who was an animation major but changed paths to doing ecology. Our paths seemed to have switched, but instead of becoming best friends, we were very jealous of each other. One day while I was deep in my hatred and anger for her, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be grand if we were the same person just split into two, then you could do ecology for me, and I’ll do animation for you?” That’s when I got my film idea.”

“This is an all-ages film, with no dialogue. It’s a fun adventure story with a whole bunch of heart. And a cute cat and some laughs along the way. It’s an easy watch. Turn the sound up loud though, the original music by American based composer Jesse Harlin is sensational.”

“Everyone is like Emi. We all have an unhealthy relationship with SOMETHING - maybe it’s ice-cream, chocolate....expensive shoes, driving your car too fast. It’s good to ask ourselves why we do the things we do, and if we really SHOULD be doing some of those things.”

“Throughout my research for the film, I have learnt that one of the biggest obstacles people diagnosed with Dyslexia report is the anxiety which often accompanies it.”

“I think a lot of people find it interesting how the film has a bit of an irony where it is a very dark subject, but illustrated like a child’s drawing with a bit of humor as well. The reason why I love to draw in a child-like style is that children have a way of portraying their thoughts in the most raw, direct and unfiltered way and that is how I want to translate my own altered memories, thoughts, philosophies and emotions through my films.”

“Tooth’s commentary on societal pressure to conform to unrealistic beauty standards, and the physical and psychological harm that can result from this, is relevant and thought-provoking. It’s a unique and intriguing concept, that the right audience will find compelling.”

“Well, if you want to see a short made by amazing artists from all around the world, this is the film to see! It’s also colorful and fun to watch.”

“Some people cry, some people laugh.

Some people say “that’s not for kids!”, some people say “finally something interesting for kids!””

“I especially love the drawings I’ve received of kids that enjoyed the film! It’s the first time I’ve gotten fan art, and it is AMAZING! Such a great way to understand what people remember from the film, and which scenes or characters they connect to!”

“While the story in our short is set in Ukraine, the message about children having agency and the ability to connect with the complexities of the world is universal. People from all walks of life have attended our screening and all found moments of connection to the emotional journey that our little girl goes through. The film is a call to action for us to do whatever it takes to make changes in our world so that our children stop exchanging their childhoods in order for us to learn what bravery looks like.”

“I made this animation for the former Brooklyn music venue Death By Audio. I was an associate of the space, which I loved most of all for the atmosphere of bizarre play, friendship, and DIY possibility. Many of the people who helped me with this animation were founders and leaders of Death By Audio.”

“Disgust is something fascinating. You don’t want to look too closely at disgusting things, but it is hard not to look as well.”

“At the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, we have used 3D animation to compare normal biology with cancer biology, enabling cancer patients and the interested layperson to understand some of the molecular and cellular processes at play in cancer and so connect with their own bodies and biology. The ultimate aim of our animations is to help people appreciate the complexity and drama unfolding in their own bodies at any given moment. To that end, we have created a visual resource that is not only informative but is also a work of art.”

“If you like mysteries and want to take a journey into a dark but full of imagination world, you should watch this film. If you cannot sleep well on full moon nights, this film is for you.”

“Seeing our creators make mistakes or stumble can be a comforting reminder that imperfection is a natural part of the process. It’s a gentle nudge to be kinder to ourselves and to accept that having flaws in our work is perfectly okay.”