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Festivals >> London >> 2008 >> Short Cuts And Animation


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The London Film Festival continues to supply a great selection of UK and world shorts. They are divided up into nine programmes and they run as follows.
  • Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences - "A selection of short animated films from around the world."
  • Bigmouth Strikes Again - "Being a bigmouth and a bully can backfire, and the young people in these films learn some life-changing facts before their final descent into adulthood."
  • A Day in the Life - "A selection of short films about memorable days and events which have great significance for those involved."
  • Down on the Street - "A diverse selection of short films about the lives of young people around the world and their experiences on the streets of their cities."
  • International Animation Panorama - "A selection of new international and British animation films."
  • London Calling - "A selection of recent shorts from some of the capital's most exciting new filmmakers, supported by Film London's production schemes."
  • Shock Tactics - "This short film selection has shock value for everyone."
  • A Strange Day - "Consistently thought-provoking and occasionally disturbing, these seven short films cover all bases between slightly quirky and way out there."
  • Suffer Little Children - "Growing up can be hellish for all manner of reasons, as these films demonstrate."
  • TCM Classic Shorts - Six films vie in competition for a prize pot of £10,000, split between the overall winner and two runners-up.


Read our full 2008 London Film Festival .


MumblerThis Way Up
(Country: Poland ; Director: Rafal Skalski)
52% is the ideal proportion of one's leg length to height and one of the most important admission criteria set by the Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg. 11-year-old Alla has two months to reach these dream proportions to be admitted to the school. Suffer Little Children.

(Country: Poland, Germany; Director: Izabela Plucinska)
After a train accident four people meet up at the beach to say farewell. International Animation.

(Country: USA ; Director: Benny Safdie)
This is the story of a lonely man called John trying to connect with anyone he can. Down on the Street.

(Country: Australia; Director: Sean Byrne; Writer: Rob Beamish; Cast: Shelly Lauman, Mark Winter)
A young couple stumble home after a big night out. Their frisky interlude at a suburban tennis club lands them a role in a far more sinister, supernatural game and their opponents have a distinct home court advantage. Shock Tactics.

(Country: US; Director: Rob Meyer; Writer: Rob Meyer; Cast: Don L Bagley, Kurt Braunohler, Zachary Brian, Matt Campbell, Barbara Ann Davison, PK Egersheim)
At 15, David and his two buddies are the youngest members of the Boston Aquarium Society. The three make their way to a monthly meeting, but David has a secret he is reluctant to share. A Strange Day.

JerrycanSeptember
(Country: Canada ; Director: Kellie Ann Benz)
A dinner party and the conversation begins to get awkward as offensive language creeps into the everyday banter. Shock Tactics.

(Country: UK ; Director: Nimer Rashed)
A teenage girl working in her father's Arabic restaurant is forced to decide which comes first - her dreams or her family. London Calling.

(Country: Argentina, Spain; Director: Lucas M. Figueroa)
Four friends accidentally kick their football into an evil old lady's yard. They'll never play with their ball again and so plot a deadly revenge. A Day in the Life.

(Country: France ; Director: Yann J.)
Provocative satire on sexual consumerism via exploitation of the third world. International Animation.

(Country: France ; Director: David Morley)
Clara has been bitten. Frightened and alone, she flees through a dark and sinister forest, pursued by a gun-toting man bent on her destruction. She finds help in an isolated farm, but this sanctuary is only temporary… Shock Tactics.

Love Does Grow on TreesLast Time In Clerkenwell
(Country: Australia ; Director: Chris Frey)
A group of homeless teenagers ride the late-night transport across the urban landscape, but one of the gang has a secret she can't reveal. Bigmouth Strikes Again.

(Country: UK ; Director: Dave Hunt)
Man, woman, car... trouble. London Calling.

(Country: Australia ; Director: Dennis Tupicoff)
Romance is like a chainsaw: a very dangerous beast indeed. International Animation.

(Country: Japan ; Director: Koji Yamamura)
A metaphysical exploration of childhood psychology and physiognomy. International Animation.

(Country: UK ; Director: Cordelia Swann)
Reflections found on objects, places and monuments on the streets around the City of London. London Calling.

I Love Sarah JaneNine-Ball
(Country: China, Spain, France; Director: Jia Zhang Ke; Cast: Zhao Tao, Guo Xiaodong)
Four old college friends reflect on what might have been. Showing with 24 City.

(Country: Belgium; Director: Nicolas Daenens)
Two street punks, Mario and Tom plan a bank job. Emin agrees to be their driver - but he doesn't have a car. A Day in the Life.

(Country: US; Director: Edward Tyndall )
Rant and reflect with Tina Highland. (D) Shock Tactics.

(Country: Denmark; Director: Mads Matthiesen; Writer: Mads Matthiesen, Martin Zandvliet; Cast: Kim Kold, Elsebeth Steentoft, Lykke Sand Michelsen)
When Dennis, an introverted bodybuilder, invites a local girl out on a date his mother is hurt and disappointed. Despite the pressure she puts on him to cancel the date, Dennis ventures into a night that he will never forget. A Strange Day.

(Country: UK ; Director: Sally Pearce)
An infestation of elephants spell trouble for a family. Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences and International Animation.

AquariumProtect You + Me
(Country: USA ; Director: Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck, Robert Machoian)
A young girl, a toy astronaut and a lot of imagination. Suffer Little Children.

(Country: USA ; Director: Arthur Metcalf)
A whimsical jaunt through the world of bubblewrap. International Animation.

(Country: Belgium, Spain; Director: Jean-Julien Collette, Olivier Tollet; Writer: Jean-Julien Collette, Olivier Tollet; Cast: Christian Crahay, Cédric Eeckhout)
A father and son chat in a parked car... but what are they waiting for? TCM Classic Shorts.

(Country: Ireland ; Director: Darren Thornton)
Frankie is a 15-year-old boy who wants to be the best Dad ever, but as his day goes on, he starts to realise how impossible this will be for him. Bigmouth Strikes Again.

(Country: UK; Director: Chris Jones; Writer: Chris Jones; Cast: Bill Paterson, Devon Murray, James Wilson, Eric Bailey, John Basham, Lin Blakley, Desiree Densiti, Ruth Gemmell, Lucy Joyce, David Talbot)
An elderly man trying to cope with loss bonds with a youngster over the story of a monstrous pike. TCM Classic Shorts.

The WednesdaysThe Wrestling
(Country: Brazil; Director: Davyde Wachell; Writer: Davyde Wachell; Cast: Wallace Coutinho, Marilia Coelho, Jaqueline Macóeh, Diego Ferreira, Juan Lima, Lauro Albuquerque)
Surviving the slums of Rio is a challenge for a boy and his mum. (S) Down on the Street.

(Country: Latvia ; Director: Nils Skapans)
Will Bear find a new friend? Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences.

(Country: Singapore; Director: Anthony Chen)
It's a hot humid day in Singapore and two teenagers decide to skip school and stay in, playing out an innocent love affair amongst the heat haze of the city. Bigmouth Strikes Again.

(Country: Latvia; Director: Jänis Cimermanis)
Can the Rescue Team save the animals from the hunters? Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences.

(Country: US; Director: Spencer Susser; Writer: David Michôd, Spencer Susser; Cast: Brad Ashby, Mia Wasikowska, Vladimir Matovic, Beau South, Peter Yacoub, Richard Mueck, Anton Enus)
Jimbo is 13 and can think of only one girl - Sarah Jane. And no matter what stands in his way - bullies, violence, chaos, or zombies - nothing will stop him from finding a way into her world. A Strange Day.

Love You MoreLeaving
(Country: USA ; Director: Paul Vester)
American language in the bush years. International Animation.

(Country: Australia; Director: Julius Avery; Writer: Julius Avery)
A young boy is bullied into making a life or death decision, but can Nathan prove himself to his mates? Suffer Little Children.

(Country: UK ; Director: Tony Grisoni)
Kurdish Huso arrives in Dalston with high hopes, but integrating into the community proves more difficult than he anticipated. A Day in the Life.

(Country: Sweden ; Director: Johan Lundh)
Axel is a sad man who finds himself living in a nightmarish, strange, dystopian world. After a brief, strange encounter with his love interest, Agnes, he visits the corporate physician and shows him a big unpleasant boil he's got on his buttock. Shock Tactics.

(Country: Sweden; Director: Lasse Persson)
Laban is a ghost who has difficulty scaring anyone. Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences.

(Country: Sweden ; Director: Alicja Jaworski)
The Queen's friend wants to see a ghost but is she prepared for it? Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences.

(Country: Australia ; Director: Platon Theodoris)
In the Sydney suburb of Lakemba, Sef and Chux are into creating hip hop, smoking weed and Islam. Down on the Street.

(Country: US; Director: Alex Budovsky; Cast: n/a)
The Royal Legion of Birds come to power and take over London, but their imperial ambitions go far beyond the capital. International Animation.

(Country: UK; Director: Sam Hearn, Richard Penfold; Writer: Penfold Richard; Cast: Kierston Wareing, Johnny Harris, Joe Siffleet)
A battered wife tries to find the courage to leave her husband. TCM Classic Shorts.

(Country: UK ; Director: Bevan Walsh)
It's 1989 and thirteen-year-old Danny's life is thrown into chaos when he discovers adult magazines, girls, and the embarrassment that goes with both. London Calling.

(Country: UK; Director: Sam Taylor-Wood; Writer: Patrick Marber; Cast: Harry Treadaway, Andrea Riseborough, Samuel Roukin, Paul Ritter, Pete Shelley, Harriet Ashcroft, Alex Kelly)
Set in 1978, the Buzzcocks inspire and soundtrack this timeless tale of teenage discovery, love and lust. A Day in the Life.

(Country: USA; Director: Galen Fott, Jerry Hunt)
Max discovers the creative power of words. Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences.

(Country: India ; Director: Atul Sabharwal)
Arvind works behind bars at a late-night pharmacy. A relationship develops with a Mumbai prostitute who visits nightly to buy condoms. Down on the Street.

(Country: Belgium; Director: Wim Reygaert, Marc Roels; Writer: Wim Reygaert, Marc Roels; Cast: Serge Buyse, Jan Coemelck, Piet De Praitere, Gunter Lamoot)
Blaring and showy horror flick goes for the throat. A Strange Day.

(Country: US; Director: Daniel Robin; Writer: Daniel Robin, MR Dhar; Cast: MR Dhar, Annette Bhole, Etta Robin, Stanley Robin, Debbie Robin)
A discovery prompts a filmmaker to re-examine his parents' relationships. A Day in the Life.

(Country: Australia ; Director: Anthony Lucas)
A school project about a pet rabbit that goes horribly wrong. Shock Tactics.

(Country: Sweden; Director: Nikolina Gillgren; Writer: Per Gavatin; Cast: Daniel Gustavsson, Christopher Heden, Magnus Krepper, Peter Jarn, Paula McManus)
A man who struggles to communicate learns a lesson from his son. TCM Classic Shorts.

(Country: Australia ; Director: Jackie Van Beek)
Life in a remote Alice Springs aboriginal community where there's not enough shoes to go round the local school. Suffer Little Children.

(Country: Germany, Switzerland; Director: Reto Caffi)
A department store security guard is secretly in love with a clerk in the store's bookshop and hopes to connect with her on the commute home. A Day in the Life.

(Country: Sweden ; Director: Johan Hagelbäck)
A visit to a gallery demystifies modern art. Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences.

(Country: UK ; Director: Avril Evans)
Best friends Malachi and Neil visit their special hideaway only to be greeted by an uninvited guest. London Calling.

(Country: UK ; Director: Amanda Boyle)
Arthur, the new boy at school is 'special'. In fact, he's inflatable, but Toby likes him. A Strange Day.

(Country: USA ; Director: Brady Corbet)
A reminder of a long-forgotten event, combined with a challenging situation, provokes a man to extreme action. A Strange Day.

(Country: UK ; Director: Kristian Andrews)
The growing pains of a 14-year-old Norfolk boy. International Animation.

(Country: UK ; Director: Sebastian Godwin)
A nail-biting stand-off between a man and a horse. From the short story of the same title by Ted Hughes. London Calling.

(Country: UK; Director: Alex Winckler)
Showing as part of UKFC Completion Fund Shorts at EIFF 2008. Bigmouth Strikes Again.

(Country: Poland ; Director: Wiola Sowa)
An episode repeats itself in the life of a family of three very close-knit women. International Animation.

(Country: UK; Director: Paul Gowers; Writer: Paul Gowers, Jim North; Cast: Ben Crompton, Bill Thomas, Lucy Holt, Glenn Doherty, Tony Bluto, Abbie Hirst, Sandy Walsh)
A series of unfortunate effects make a man's trip to see his girlfriend spiral out of control. TCM Classic Shorts.

(Country: Israel; Director: Lior Geller ; Writer: Lior Geller; Cast: Waseem Nur Habshi, Daniel Chernish, Mahmud Mura, Osama Rabaya, Haled Mayer Marwat)
A 13-year-old Arab and an Israeli ex-soldier connect. (S) Down on the Street.

(Country: UK ; Director: Paula Desiderio)
A high-octane look at skateboarding as a positive London subculture; with contributions from legendary pro-skater Tony Hawk. London Calling.

(Country: UK ; Director: David Scofield)
In a typical town in anywhere UK, Ryan is wandering the estate bored, but finds himself drawn into the older kids' games of aggression and intimidation. Suffer Little Children.

(Country: UK; Director: Esther May Campbell)
In an in-between world of flyovers, grass verges and dead-ends, where the motorway hum serves as a constant reminder of the speed of other lives, Marvin is not going anywhere. Into this forgotten corner of English countryside and motorway services arrives an extraordinary young girl, changing his world forever. Shock Tactics.
See:

(Country: Sweden ; Director: Amanda Adolfsson)
A young girl is going to spend the night at her boyfriend's place, his parents not being home. They rent a movie and have high expectations for the evening. But things don't really turn out the way they thought they would. Bigmouth Strikes Again.

(Country: Sweden; Director: Anna-Clara Tidholm, Gun Jacobson)
Little monkey gets wet while playing outdoors. Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences.

(Country: Sweden; Director: Anna-Clara Tidholm, Gun Jacobson)
Nelly decides to leave home. Animated Shorts for Younger Audiences.

(Country: Canada ; Director: Jay Dahl)
There's a strange little girl standing in the front garden… Shock Tactics.

(Country: France ; Director: Jean-Bernard Marlin, Benoît Rambourg)
A 12-year-old boy tries to kill a kid from his neighbourhood to impress his father. Suffer Little Children.

(Country: UK; Director: Adam Foulkes, Alan Smith)
Laying the dead to rest has never been so much trouble. International Animation.

(Country: UK ; Director: Destiny Ekaragha)
“How can a man wear jeans dat tight? It's dat emo look, innit?”. A humourous and authentic slice of life from the perspective of the young black British male. Bigmouth Strikes Again.

(Country: France ; Director: Claudine Natkin)
Chloe is a 10-year-old who plays football, never cries and doesn't like other girls. But when Marie, a sweet blond girl, joins in, Chloe and her boy friends decide to invent a new game. Suffer Little Children.

(Country: Ireland; Director: Conor Ferguson; Writer: Luke Clancy, Conor Ferguson; Cast: Doreen Keogh, Des Keogh, Alan Devlin, Pat Laffan, Tina Kellegher, John Collins, Susan Moore)
An elderly couple find and unusual way of spicing up their relationship. TCM Classic Shorts.

(Country: UK ; Director: Cordelia Swann)
Dazzling images of a funfair at night in London's West End. London Calling.

(Country: Iceland; Director: Grimur Hakonarson; Writer: Grimur Hakonarson; Cast: Halldor Gylfason, Bjorn Ingi Hilmarsson, Helga Braga Jonsdottir, Maria Gudmundsdottir)
A love story about two gay wrestlers living in rural Iceland who must keep their relationship a secret from the inner world of Iceland's national and very macho sport. A Strange Day.

(Country: UK ; Director: Dylan White)
A darkly comic animation set in the Australian outback of a bloodthirsty hunter and his mythical quarry. London Calling.


News & Features Repo

Jean-Pierre Améris talks about his comedy Romantics Anonymous.

Michel Hazanavicius, the Dardennes and others on cinematic and fairy tale influences.

McQueen, Fassbender, Cronenberg, Durkin, Olsen, Payne talk about clothes and authenticity

Scottish and Icelandic shorts lead the pack.

Events include a rare screening of The Blue Angel
Playing Now! Italian Film Festival - Giovanna's Father


Cinema with a Latin flavour.
Running in London from May 1.

Running from April 29.

Line up now in for the festival which runs in April.

Archive australian film fest - global haywire

Highlights of 2007-2008.

Running until March 18.

Highlights of 2007-2008.

Highlights of 2006-2008.

Archive of festival coverage.

Reviews from 2007-2008.

Coverage of the 2008-2009 festival.
Daily diary and reviews from 2005-2008.

Coverage of the international festival.
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