35 Days

directed by Heidi Kumao
( United States / 2025 / 6 mins )

“35 Days” is an experimental, stop motion animation about what happens when a coalition of strangers answers the call to locate a missing cat during the pandemic lockdown of 2020.

Program: Amazing Animation Shorts Program 2
Saturday, February 14 · 8:45 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Heidi Kumao is a visual artist who creates animations, stitched fabric works, video installations, photographs, and machine art to give physical form to the emotions underlying everyday conversations and relationships. She has exhibited her artwork in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally and has been awarded fellowships and grants from the Guggenheim Foundation, Creative Capital Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York Foundation for the Arts.

A Grieving Heart

directed by Wendy Cong Zhao
( United States / 2025 / 12 mins )

An immigrant woman examines her past in the wake of her American ex-boyfriend’s death. The film explores how love and loss impact the ways she confronts her identity, memories, insecurities, and regrets.

Program: Awesome Animation Shorts Program 1
Friday, February 13 · 9:00 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)
Sunday, February 15 · 12:30 pm – 2:45 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

A Guest from Elsewhere

directed by Ethan Anderson
( United States / 2024 / 8 mins )

A stop motion 1930s fairy tale follows a monster that yearns to be a part of civilized human society. After an unfortunate mishap, the monster’s hopes of being one with the humans is put on trial.

Program: Awesome Animation Shorts Program 1
Friday, February 13 · 9:00 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)
Sunday, February 15 · 12:30 pm – 2:45 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Ethan Anderson is a Chicago based animator, director, and sculptor. Heading every department on his projects, Anderson interweaves his fine art sensibilities with his love of classic cinema and vaudevillian performance into cutting edge stop motion short films. Anderson is a recent graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where he received his BFA in Studio Art with an emphasis in animation.

After Ark

directed by Chih Hao Shen
( Taiwan / 2025 / 4 mins )

Life awakens after the flood. Creatures wander through ruins, searching, discovering, and sometimes, simply surviving. A journey of hope, memory, and the quiet wonders that endure.

Program: Amazing Animation Shorts Program 2
Saturday, February 14 · 8:45 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Chih Hao Shen is a writer-director and multidisciplinary creator. His films explore human existence and the relationship between individuals and the world, reflecting on loss, memory, and the passage of time through visual poetry and restrained storytelling.

April Departing

directed by Tan Tunçağ
( Turkey / 2025 / 7 mins )

April Departing follows April, an artificially intelligent tour guide, as she leads passengers on what should be a routine journey above the oceanic world of Mesonia. But when April takes the ship off course, what begins as a scenic tour turns into a tense voyage through unknown space, testing the boundaries of human ingenuity, trust, and the mysteries that lie beyond the familiar.

Program: Awesome Animation Shorts Program 1
Friday, February 13 · 9:00 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)
Sunday, February 15 · 12:30 pm – 2:45 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Tan Tunçağ is first and foremost a musician. He began his career with the electronic duo Portecho before continuing under his solo project, Cava Grande. Alongside his musical path, he has worked in the film industry for over two decades, specializing in teasers and opening credit designs for television projects. In the past ten years, Tan expanded his practice into 3D animation and video game design, creating both personal works and commissioned projects. His portfolio includes contributions to world expos and international productions, where he often combines his skills in visual storytelling with original sound design and music.

Cast Out

directed by Kayla Wimer
( United States / 2025 / 19 mins )

Young Rita Stargrove, abandoned by humanity in a deserted city, builds a robot to keep herself company.

Program: Awesome Animation Shorts Program 1
Friday, February 13 · 9:00 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)
Sunday, February 15 · 12:30 pm – 2:45, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Kayla Wimer attended Emerson College for a degree in Media Arts Production, with a concentration in Directing Narrative Fiction. Ever since she was young, Kayla was most impacted by animated stories, and aspires to use the medium of animation to create movies that make kids feel seen and understood. She is honored to be the director and co-writer of the critically-recognized stop-motion short Cast Out, which is her first foray into directing for animation. Kayla has experience working in feature development at multiple major studios: Whitaker Entertainment at Walt Disney Studios, and DreamWorks Animation. In addition to her work in the industry, Kayla is an avid photographer and videographer, specializing in portrait photography, and has also worked as a documentarian.

Dobrina

directed by Hannes Rall
( Germany / 2025 / 5 mins )

Lotte Reiniger meets Sergio Leone in this animated short, where desire burns as bright as the desert sun.

Program: Awesome Animation Shorts Program 1
Friday, February 13 · 9:00 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)
Sunday, February 15 · 12:30 pm – 2:45 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Hannes Rall is President’s Chair Professor in Animation Studies at Nanyang Technological University Singapore. He is also a successful director of animated short films. They have been shown at over 900 film festivals worldwide and have received 95 international awards. His previous animated short SHAKESPEARE FOR ALL AGES film has been selected for over 250 international film festivals worldwide and won 25 awards. His successful books “Animation: From Concept to Production” and “Adaptation for Animation Transforming Literature Frame by Frame” (CRC Press) can be found in over 160 important university libraries, including Stanford, Yale, Cornell, UCLA and Columbia.

DOUBLE OR NOTHING

directed by Tokay
( Switzerland / 2025 / 9 mins )

Inspired by an anecdote from booming Tokyo in the 1980s, the film tells the glamorous story of the real estate shark Akio Kashiwagi. Akio’s great passion is illegal gambling in the underworld. An American is on his trail and tries to track down stolen money. He realizes that he can only win it back at the gambling table. The master gambler Akio accepts the challenge. However, he doesn’t realize that his only really dangerous enemy in the game is himself with his insatiable greed for more and more.

Program: Amazing Animation Shorts Program 2
Saturday, February 14 · 8:45 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Tokay, born in 1999, is a Swiss-Turkish director, creative producer & animator based in Bern. He started to experiment with stop motion animation at a very young age and specialised in this field. After his first profession as a carpenter, he achieved his Bachelor in Animation from HSLU (Lucerne University of applied Arts & Film) in 2021. With his Bachelor Film DUDE he won the Bernese film price and several awards during the festival tour. Besides his studies he had the chance to work on different stop motion projects for Cartoon Network & Adult Swim and directed a music video intro for Coldplay in 2024. Tokay graduated from HSLU (Lucerne University of applied Arts & Film) in 2025 with his master film DOUBLE OR NOTHING and is looking forward to new challenges and projects.

DUBIOUS GARDEN, ON THE BEAUTY OF THINGS

directed by Noée Butz, Léonie Minh Xuân Codet, Manoa Tetuanui, Candice Bègue, Manon Aprin
( France / 2025 / 5 mins )

Strange gardens are being grown in a strange space; and their gardener will have to fight for their beauty.

Program: Awesome Animation Shorts Program 1
Friday, February 13 · 9:00 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)
Sunday, February 15 · 12:30 pm – 2:45 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

jaderabbitjaderabbit

directed by Lily Xie
( United States / 2025 / 4 mins )

Jade Rabbit, symbol of immortality, discovered a past version of herself. A time-warping chase ensues.

Program: Awesome Animation Shorts Program 1
Friday, February 13 · 9:00 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)
Sunday, February 15 · 12:30 pm – 2:45 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Mein Fuhrer BLUES

directed by Jim Hall
( United States / 2025 / 3 mins )

Canary Canard Studios has the Blues…
A song from the heart, for the Soul of America.
It’s time to get in good trouble, necessary trouble.

Program: Amazing Animation Shorts Program 2
Saturday, February 14 · 8:45 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Jim Hall is a 2-time Peabody Award winner for his work as part of an investigative team in television. The Peabody is considered the Pulitzer Prize of broadcasting. A National Commendation from the N.A.A.C.P. for “Generous & Invaluable service to the organization” highlighted a career and commitment dedicated to telling stories with conviction and compassion on social issues. The Idaho native is currently the Executive Producer of Canary Canard Studios based in France.

MISOPHONIA

directed by Michelle Gruppetta
( Malta / 2025 / 2 mins )

“Misophonia” is a risograph animated project designed to unsettle an audience through combined sounds and visuals. This project is inspired by an aural disorder, and intends to distress the audience with a soundscape composed of these trigger noises and accompanying visuals through risograph animation. In an era where individuals, especially in Malta, are constantly bombarded from every side by an excess of noise pollution that infringes on their personal space and peace, this project highlights that even the most innocuous sounds can have an effect on people, more than we might ever realize.

Program: Awesome Animation Shorts Program 1
Friday, February 13 · 9:00 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)
Sunday, February 15 · 12:30 pm – 2:45 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Michelle Gruppetta is a Maltese previz artist and animation director. She graduated from The Animation workshop in January 2021 with a BA in Character Animation and has been working as a previz and storyboard artist ever since. She has worked mostly on 3D TV series and feature films, the latest projects being “Krolle Bolle,” with Hydralab studio, and on an unannounced TV series with Blue Zoo. “Misophonia,” is her first short film directorial debut, and is drawn from her experience of struggling with Misophonia while living in Malta.

Reset

directed by Sara Caldwell
( United States / 2025 / 4 mins )

When a tech-obsessed woman’s world goes dark during a blackout, she’s forced to face the silence… and discovers the warmth she’s been scrolling past all along.

Program: Awesome Animation Shorts Program 1
Friday, February 13 · 9:00 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)
Sunday, February 15 · 12:30 pm – 2:45 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Sara Caldwell teaches film production, animation and screenwriting courses at UC Santa Barbara and College of the Canyons, Santa Clarita, CA. As a filmmaker, she specializes in the sci-fi/horror genre and has won numerous awards for her work, including Best Screenplay at the Burbank International Film Festival; Best Animation Short, Santa Clarita International Film Festival; and Best Stop Motion Animator, Los Angeles Short Film Festival. Sara is the author of Splatter Flicks: How to Make Low Budget Horror Films (2025, Encyclopocalypse Publications), amongst other industry books. She is a member or the Writers Guild of America (WGA).

The Mill | Minsk, Maine

directed by Mike Stuttman
( United States / 2025 / 12 mins )

On a river. Processed trees, rocks, earth and sweat into other stuff. Built in the late 19th century. Continuously operated until 1981 when it was sold then mothballed. While mysterious pockets of industry persist, the site is now mostly abandoned. Preservationists covet The Mill, but it is littered with over a century of industrial junk and toxic waste. The pace is much slower than when it ran continuously on three shifts, but there’s almost always something still going on at the Mill…

Program: Amazing Animation Shorts Program 2
Saturday, February 14 · 8:45 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

An animator, educator and digital arts evangelist, Mike is the Creative Director of Vacationland Animation. Reared on developer, stop-bath, fixer and grains of silver on film — with degrees in Mathematics and Computer Art & Animation, he has been an enthusiastic participant in a content creation revolution that has irrevocably transformed the worlds of business and art. Creativity and technology have been at the core of Mike’s personal and professional interests. His work has been shown at an assortment of odd and interesting film festivals including the Coney Island Film Festival, the Big Apple Film Festival and the Atlanta Underground Film Festival. His current work, The Mill – a series of animated shorts – is set in the fictional town of Minsk, Maine.

The Ottoman

directed by Mike Stamm
( United States / 2025 / 12 mins )

The Ottoman, a hotshot mechanic and amateur robot gladiator, is looking forward to proving himself in the arena against the reigning Tournament champion and his massive mechanical Scorpion. But when his obsession with winning endangers the lives of his wife and son, the Ottoman must face some harsh lessons about what victory truly requires.

Program: Amazing Animation Shorts Program 2
Saturday, February 14 · 8:45 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

An independent film/animation director based in Brooklyn, Mike Stamm focuses on stories of unconventional people surviving on the fringes of their fictional worlds.

The Pangs of Mu

directed by Elena Kuznetsova
( Portugal, Singapore / 2025 / 2 mins )

A young musician, suffering from the Pang of Music, dreams of climbing the mountain of fame. But on his way to the top, he somehow falls victim to a side effect of his work. As a result, a crazy and extremely restless bird suddenly moves into his head. But as it turns out later, the bird didn’t come alone!

Program: Amazing Animation Shorts Program 2
Saturday, February 14 · 8:45 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Elena Kuz (Kuznetsova) (Russia / Singapore) animator, designer, and Art-teacher.
Born in Russia (on November 4, 1981). Elena has lived in Singapore for a long time. She believes that Soviet, Russian and Disney animation had the greatest influence on her In her projects. Also Elena tries to blend the traditions of Soviet animation, the style of the Zagreb School of Animation and minimalism. Before graduating from the animation school @merinovschool, Elena had already gained plenty of experience in graphic design and game creation. She worked as a UI, web designer, a character and environment designer for games, an art director, and even taught Art&Craft to little kids at an international school.

The Synthetic Age

directed by Dimitris Armenakis
( Greece / 2025 / 7 mins )

In a city where people consume cartoons, a dog reconciles with its old friends, and together, they try to escape from humans.

Program: Amazing Animation Shorts Program 2
Saturday, February 14 · 8:45 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Dimitris Armenakis is an animation director, born in Athens, Greece. He graduated from the Department of Audio Visual Arts at Ionian University, where he directed his first animated short film entitled ‘Absorbed’. In 2019, he completed the MA Animation program of the Royal College of Art in London. During his studies, he directed two animated short films: ‘First Thirst’ and ‘All You Can Eat’. ‘All You Can Eat’ participated in more than 40 animation and film festivals around the globe, including: London Short Film Festival, ReAnimania, Berlin British Shorts Film Festival, Animateka and Athens International Film Festival. The film was nominated for Best Sound Design at Watersprite Film Festival and for Best International Animated Short Film at UWPG Film Festival and Los Angeles Greek Film Festival.

Theft in the shadows

directed by Anna Oleksandrivna Kovalchuk
( Poland / 2025 / 3 mins )

“Theft in the Shadows”- is an animated film created using a frame-by-frame drawing technique that combines traditional methods with modern computer animation. The plot focuses on the mysterious disappearance of the “Mona Lisa” paintings, from an exhibition four hours before its opening. The curator is faced with a mystery: how did the theft happen despite efficient security systems?

Program: Awesome Animation Shorts Program 1
Friday, February 13 · 9:00 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)
Sunday, February 15 · 12:30 pm – 2:45 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Anna Kovalchuk was born in Kyiv and currently lives in Poland. She is a graduate of Animation at the Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź and Cosinus School in Film and Television Production Administration. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Digital Technologies in Animation Culture from Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin. She completed an internship at the regional TV station TOYA in Łódź, gaining practical experience in television production. She creates commissioned charcoal portraits, illustrations, animations, and also teaches drawing and painting to children.

TURBULENCE

directed by Christopher Rutledge, Magnus Igland Møller
( Denmark, United States / 2025 / 3 mins )

First flight. No parents. Total panic. A terrified boy just wants to survive takeoff, but the plane—and its deranged passengers—have other plans. One guy treats turbulence like a free massage, another is way too at peace with crashing, and sanity is nowhere to be found. As the plane bucks and twists, so does reality—faces stretch, limbs flail, and gravity calls it quits. Trapped at 30,000 feet in an airborne freak show, the boy must hold on for dear life… or completely lose it.

Program: Amazing Animation Shorts Program 2
Saturday, February 14 · 8:45 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Viscous

directed by Bradford Andrew Pattullo
( United States / 2025 / 7 mins )

Small, soft alien creatures live their lives.

Program: Amazing Animation Shorts Program 2
Saturday, February 14 · 8:45 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

WHERE LOVE LIED

directed by Chalmet Giselle, Guinet-Elmi Evan, Hatef Sizi, Saksham Kumar, Leriche Olivia, Léo Maestracci, Joel Kidangan, Việt Hà Nguyễn, Marcel Vanderweyen
( France / 2025 / 8 mins )

Follwing the murder of his spouse, Don Sorrentino hosts a dinner with his henchman Alberto and Mirabella, the latter’s wife. The events take a turn when Angelo, the Don’s son, murders his own father and goes on a manhunt after the couple.

Program: Awesome Animation Shorts Program 1
Friday, February 13 · 9:00 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)
Sunday, February 15 · 12:30 pm – 2:45 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Whereabouts

directed by Suejee Lee
( United States / 2025 / 2 mins )

Whereabouts is a riso-printed animated short following a woman’s journey through NYC—unfolding through small, intimate moments. An observation on presence, connection, and the quiet magic of simply moving through the world.

Program: Amazing Animation Shorts Program 2
Saturday, February 14 · 8:45 pm – 11:15 pm, Regal Gallery Place (TICKETS)

About the Director

Suejee Lee is an award-winning Korean American animator and illustrator based in Brooklyn. Her art practice is rooted in a commitment to sequential art and telling human stories, guided by a DIY, independent approach. Her work is sensitive, tender, and intimate—often poetic in nature, inspired by the emotional landscapes of everyday life. Her films have screened at festivals and animation showcases around the world. With a diverse portfolio spanning commercials, television, and live show visuals, she has collaborated with clients including Google, Netflix, Riot Games, and HBO. She also contributed animation and storyboards to an Emmy-nominated docuseries, is a recipient of the 2024 Anthem Award and was a RisoLAB Artist-in-Residence for Spring 2025.