BAFF | 2017
The Empire Cinema, Leicester Square | Saturday, July 8th
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The sixth annual British Animation Film Festival will be held at the amazing Empire Cinema in Leicester Square!
The festival aims to highlight the best in British and International animated entertainment. This will be an incredible opportunity to see some of the brightest up and coming animators in the world and the work they are producing. The festival will be screening a diverse selection of animation throughout the day, from short films, to music videos to new TV pilots!
The Official Selection
Screening 1
Saturday, July 8th | 2:30pm
If The Cuckoo
Don't Crow
(Steve Kirby, 2m)
Brian from Melton recounts how his mother, Doris, was the woman who predicted the October 1987 hurricane and famously phoned the BBC, but was told not to be so daft.
Quitting Time
(Robert Dollase, 9m)
A stubborn and impulsive time traveler refuses to learn the lessons of his future in this animated comedy adventure short.
Porcelain
(Milan Gessner, 4m)
This music video deals with the theme of ephemerality and longing. It's about the fragile things we hold precious, trying to hold on to, but who will inevitably fade away, vanish or break like porcelain.
The Moment
(Karis Seungyoun Oh, 2m)
The Moment is a story about an artist who learns about the importance of the things unseen as she gets to draw a stranger’s portrait.
To Build a Fire
(Fx Goby, 13m)
To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Jack London’s death, filmmaker Fx Goby adapts To Build a Fire, the famous novel of the
American author.
Johanne
(Anna-Ester Volozh, 4m)
Inspired by Joan of Arc, 'Johanne' follows a day in a life of the eponymous heroine.
While the setting is medieval, the film explores the very current and urgent theme of preserving one’s humanity while struggling against inhumane environment, from modern feminist perspective.
Equipoise
(Gung-Kai Koo, 3m)
Equipoise is my graduation film about positiveness, negativity and the opposite but complementary relationship between them. The spirit of the film is how they work together to reach the harmony and balance to react to stimulation, instead of judging the dominance or tendency of the two forces.
Leonor's Lullaby
(Quentin Paquignon, 5m)
Leonor sleeps quietly in her bed when some
gentle creatures, the Bobops, come to take her
to experience a mysterious journey. The Bobops
with magical power sends them on an unusual
journey through time
and space.
For Ray
(Heidi Stokes, 4m)
'For Ray' is a celebration of Human kindness, and pays homage to how small acts of kindness can make a profound difference in a persons life. In a world that is increasingly becoming more and more politically volatile these reminders become ever more potent and important.
Forest of Berries
(Alanna Nikol, 4m)
Alula constantly runs away from home to explore a forest nearby much to her father's chagrin. He drags her back home and orders her inside their house in a very authoritative matter. As her father guards the room of his daughter, she makes plans to escape. When she finally leaves something goes horribly awry and Alula's fate is changed forever.
First Snow
(Lenka Ivančíková, 14m)
First snow is a fairy tale about the curious little Hedgehog who gets lost in snowy woods and so he heads out for a dangerous adventure to find his den.
Ztripes
(Amalie Næsby, 10m)
Ziggy is the coolest zebra on the savannah. All the other zebras worship him. You cannot wash black with white so when Ziggy goes for a dip in the water hole, he takes his stripes off. To his utter horror the stripes are stolen, and can he now return to the herd? Does it make sense to say that you are a zebra if you have no stripes?
Iktsuarpok
(Rachael Lloyd, 7m)
There is no English equivalent for “Iktsuarpok”, an Inuit word that describes the feeling of anticipation that leads you to keep looking outside to see if anyone is coming.
This feeling is often experienced by a sweet-natured but naïve yeti who lives alone in a frozen wilderness. When he crosses paths with a small bird, has the lonely creature finally found the friend he’s been waiting for?
Adija
(Apollonia Thomaier, 4m)
A young girl in the Bronx finds escape from an unhappy family life through her
graffiti art.
Trial & Error
(Antje Heyn, 6m)
A film about a lost shirt button, perfectionist aunts, busy cats, startled parrots – and a long-lost friend.
Blood Bank Burgler
(Hung Ching Chen, 3m)
Starving poor vampire sneaked into a blood bank in a hospital at midnight to find some blood to drink, but out of expectation, he bumped into a tough staff and got into a big fight...
The Moon is Essentially Gray
(Hannah Roman, 5m)
This film explores the role escapism plays in the lives of children who suffer some form of neglect or abandonment by their caregivers, and is ultimately about the struggle to gain (or regain) personal power, joy, and freedom.
Bzzz
(Anna Cetti & Güicho Núñez, 4m)
A little girl with a great affinity for bees goes to the limit in order to protect her community from itself.
Shine
(Seth Olson, 2m)
A short animated film featuring solar-powered robots stranded on a lightless planet, struggling to survive.
Plastic Flowers
(Claudia Ilea, 4m)
'Plastic Flowers' is an animated music video which shapes through music, lyrics and image an overwhelming, stern world in which the artificial mimics reality to such a degree that the protagonist finds it more and more difficult to distinguish reality from illusion, in the pursuit for his own inner fulfillment.
Inside Job
(Qi Deng, 2m)
Machines have taken over so many human jobs. In this short, motion graphic animation, the main character wants to take some of those jobs back, to go inside the machines, live among them and find his ideal profession. Every occupation, however, has its hazards.
A Little Grey
(Simon Hewitt & Steve Smith, 5m)
Is there any cure for being ‘a little grey’? One man’s search takes him through bars, churches, doctor’s surgeries, tattoo parlours and beyond, but will he find what he’s looking for? A colourful story about losing your spark and finding redemption.
Screening 2
Saturday, July 8th | 7:00pm
Zeds Dead "Too Young" (ft. Rivers Cuomo,
Pusha T)
(Christopher Ullens de Schooten, 3m)
In a stylishly handcrafted miniature world, a bunch of colourful characters depict several clichés of our overly connected, social media addicted and technology obsessed society.
Once Upon a Line
(Alicja Jasina, 7m)
A man lives a boring life until he meets somebody and all his world turns upside down.
Mr. Violet
(Mohammadhosein Azampour & Abbas Jalali Yekta, 3m)
The animation is about Mr. Violet, who lives in a mug in a busy cafe. His life is boring and full of lonely feelings, but the dull routine gets stirred up when life takes a turn for the romantic.
The Song of Wandering Aengus
(Matthew Lawes, 4m)
An ambitious stop frame animation short created over 1 year. Based on W. B. Yeats poem 'The Song of Wandering Aengus', narrated by Liam Cunningham, with original music score from David Holmes and Keefus Ciancia.
Lion Dance
(Tim Pattinson & Zheng Kang, 6m)
LION DANCE is a romantic visual poem set during a traditional Asian parade in which a highly acrobatic dance is performed to bring good luck. It explores the theme of serendipity using a combination of CG, 2D animation techniques, and a soundtrack to express the rhythmic and pulsating emotion and actions of the characters.
Strike Vector EX Trailer
(Stephane Montel, 2m)
In the near future, humanity has left the polluted soil to live in gigantic flying platforms owned by corporations.
Whale Heart
(Robert Allen, 8m)
In an isolated whaling community, a man has developed an ungodly way of preparing himself to kill the creatures upon which his livelihood depends, and now he must initiate his son into their harsh and bloody trade.
BAMF
(Francisco Diaz, Daniel Scheg & Carmine Lamorte, 4m)
Having finally come of age, a young adventurer named Buff sets off to conquer the Dungeon of Doom. Although scared at first, he soon learns how fun it can be to slay monsters and level up. Meanwhile, a small skeleton child named Bo wanders around the dungeon cleaning and exploring. When the two finally meet, Buff learns the hard way that defeat can come from even the most unexpected of sources.
Good Dog
(Tim Cant, 4m)
A short story about a dog and its unconditional love for its owner.
Invisible Barriers
(Mustashrik Mahbub, 2m)
Empowering young women around the world that they deserve the opportunities given to the, and with the help of their community, they can change the world.
Unmasked
(Alice Gavish & Christina Faraj, 5m)
Unmasked is an animated short film encompassing an emotional story that revolves a young boy who embarks on a journey after the sudden loss of his father.
Under the Apple Tree
(Erik van Schaaik, 18m)
Two brothers, an apple farmer and a priest, live next to each other as neighbours. Unfortunately, they can’t get along very well. The priest is fed up with his peasant brother and his ugly apple orchard, dropping thousands of rotten apples in his neat little graveyard. The farmer is a gawky fellow, drunk on homemade cider, and deeply unhappy.
Tubby
(Yige "Richard" Dai, 2m)
A chubby boy who loves cupcakes, getting six packs in the most unusual way.
Light at the End of the Tunnel
(Irwin Miller, 3m)
A music video featuring the 3 person band, Bel Heir, portrayed as animal characters who travel through forests, western towns, aboard trains on a search for the West Coast and the light at the end of the tunnel.
Rainfall
(Efehan Elbi, 8m)
Jessica experiences her first date, her first kiss, and her first heartache after an unforgettable evening in
the storm.
Schirkoa
(Ishan Shukla, 14m)
In the city of bag-heads, a senate member faces a tough choice between political career, brothels and love for a mysterious woman. A choice that will transform his life and the city in unimaginable ways.
Wind Up
(Stephen Moverley, 4m)
Wind-Up is a CG animated short set late at night in a toy shop. An older, prize-winning robot toy fears being replaced by his maker’s latest invention, a mechanical squirrel. Unbeknownst to the jealous robot, the squirrel is about to be entered into a contest as the toymaker’s last hope to save his failing shop.
Planemah
(Jakob Schmidt, 7m)
Planemah is a dark fairytale about a megalomaniac king who wants to solve the secrets of universe and existence. The allegory is about desire, ruthlessness and the complete loss of control.
Again
(Chang Gao, 5m)
“AGAIN” is a 2D short animation that explores the idea that life is a series of meaningless routines. The protagonist attempts to escape from this endlessly repeating world by committing countless suicides, but they are part of the cycle of repetition. Finally he realizes that inner happiness is the best way to achieve the freedom he seeks.
Space Beers: The Prologue
(Davor Bujakovic & Junaid Chundrigar, 3m)
Zendra and Talia, two psychotic alien students traveling the universe on a gap year, decide to abduct random aliens for an epic drinking competition.
Perched
(Liam Harris, 11m)
A traditional 2D paper drawn animated adventure full of heart and feathers! Perched tells the story of Hamish Fint, the submariner who lives his life in balance in a submarine atop a mountain.
The Awards
Audience Awards - As voted for by you!
Screening 1
Best Animated Feature
If the Cuckoo Don't Crow
Best Animated Short
First Snow
Best Sound
Ztripes
Best Music
Johanne
Screening 2
Best Animated Feature
Under the Apple Tree
Best Animated Short
Under the Apple Tree
Best Sound
Rainfall
Best Music
Perched
Best Unproduced Screenplay
Vijay Varman for "Puppy Love"
A baby and a puppy must learn to get along with each other after their disastrous first meeting.
Harris Feldman for "The Boy and The Landmine"
A Cambodian boy steps on an old Landmine in a field, this triggers a conversation of survival and purpose between the two of them.
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