Upbeat, downbeat, and quirky beyond belief, this unique stop-motion short is filled with the unexpected, including catchy post-apocalyptic tap dancing, telemarketing, and auto-tune numbers that rattle your norm to the core.
The Burden
Age Range: 18
Scrap Dolls
On the east side of Detroit, an 11-year-old boy discovers the transformative power of art over loss when he happens upon a self-fashioned conjurer of abandoned objects.
Princess
Behind Ole’s harsh exterior is a kid who misses his mom and feels misfit. Fortunately, his schoolmate Davie is a lot tougher than she looks, and she uses all her strength to push back against his bullying to model another way for him.
Note: contains strong language and verbal/physical bullying
The Number on Great-Grandpa’s Arm
Mixing documentary footage and hand-painted animation, this gentle yet powerful family story centers on Elliott’s connection to his beloved great-grandfather Jack, an Auschwitz survivor. Jack relates his important history and forges an indelible, tender bond between generations.
The King of Twirl
This dance-documentary follows 11-year-old Janero as he pursues competitive twirling and faces down both physical challenges and stereotypes about what most consider a girls’ sport.
Hello Salaam
Two boys from Holland are headed on a big journey, traveling to a refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos where their mothers volunteer. How will the boys bridge such big differences in language, culture, and experiences to make friends and build meaningful bonds?
The Day I Beat the Sky
One boy finds a creative way to tap into his anxieties and transform them into art.
Cat Days
Jiro feels sick. When his father takes him to the doctor, tests reveal it’s nothing serious, and yet make for surprising news about Jiro. But who says you can’t challenge the results?
Albert & Aidan Sykes
Aidan starts this poignant animated interview with his dad by asking: “Do you remember what was going through your head when you first saw me?”
Tough
A Chinese mother and her British-born daughter trade perspectives as they look back in order to move forward in this culturally-nuanced story.
Superperson
A citizen needs rescuing. Luckily, there’s a superhero on hand who just needs somewhere to get into costume…
Sleepover
Silvia throws a sleepover party, but things can be complicated when your house doesn’t quite match what they think of as a home.
Scrambled
Whenever Esra misses her train, her go-to for killing time is playing a game on her smartphone. But soon, a classic Cube challenges her attention.
Safia’s Summer
Displaced from her home in Libya, Safia must take on the tricky balancing act of growing up without knowing where she and her family will settle.
Game
A.J. Green, a new kid in town, shows up at boys’ basketball tryouts and instantly makes an impression. Can it be sustained?
Flip the Record
It’s 1984, the dawn of the DJ era, and Vanessa’s had it with piano lessons and the constraints of her conservative Filipino-American family. Slowly, on the sly, she sets about learning how to scratch on her older brother’s turntables and spins herself a new persona.
Note: contains strong language
Black Barbie
Confronting limited mainstream media depictions, this artful animation poetically explores the filmmaker’s challenges with self-acceptance growing up.
TIS
Are you a cut-out, or will you define the contours of your character and shape your own path?
Scent of Geranium
When you are new to a country, even the simplest things can trip you up, until you learn that blossoming on your own time is just fine.
Poles Apart
Nanuk, a tough-talking polar bear, meets Aklak, an enthusiastic grizzly, when he encroaches on her own dwindling turf, and she’s understandably a little less than patient with his clueless cheer.
Old Bear
A girl and a bear share an apartment, and, like most roommates, they try to balance their own quirky habits to make harmony. But they may need to reexamine what’s polite and what’s way too wild in order to become true friends.
Negative Space
The art of packing bags—and memories—is beautifully examined in this 2018 Oscar® nominee for Best Animated Short Film.
The Geneva Convention
When tensions run high at the school bus stop, a budding diplomat steps up to broker peace.
Fired Up!
Never underestimate the power of one voice to change things, as wittily illustrated by 14 artists from around the world in this animated speech by Barack Obama.
The Fancies
The Fancies are brainless, peaceful prehistoric fungi with hollow bodies and an ability to “eat” through their feet. They enjoy singing, dancing, and living happily in an isolated place called Fancytown.
Tiniest Man in the World: Chopsticks
Scaling the food pyramid one delicious meal at a time is easy—unless you’re bite-sized yourself!
Wolves in the Walls
Based on the children’s book by Neil Gaiman, this extraordinary VR fable allows you to join 8-year-old Lucy to test a multidimensional world to try and find the truth behind the Wolves in the Walls.
Son of Jaguar
In the most important match of his life, the once mighty masked luchador Son of Jaguar faces his legacy, his family, and what it means to be a part of something bigger than himself.
Friends & Neighbors: Mexico
Join us in warmly welcoming our friends and neighbors to the south, Mexico’s Morelia International Film Festival, who recently celebrated their 15th anniversary! We’re showcasing and saluting shorts that highlight Latin American culture and demonstrate that art has no borders.
Boys Beyond Boundaries
Taking a cue from our popular Girls’ POV program, we’ve added a new one this year. Join us for even more films that push against barriers of how boys and girls should be and be seen. Take a spin with Janero as he vies to become The King of Twirl, consider how to transcend differences of culture and language to make friends in Hello Salaam, and explore how your identity is in your own hands—or er, paws—in Cat Days.