The Circus

In the vestibule of a hospital room, a young boy waits to see his dying mother. The clamor and spiralling movements of bodies around him intensify, forming a grotesque circus—a cacophonous circle that pushes the child back, depriving him of one final touch of his mother's hand. Using rotoscoped drawings suggestive of charcoal sketches, as well as 3D and object animation techniques, The Circus compels viewing with its unsettling realism. Colour is employed metaphorically to subtly express the promise and the memory of maternal affection. Nicolas Brault's highly personal film, suffused with poetic modesty, casts a poignantly sincere gaze on the heartbreak of a child facing the fearful, mysterious experience of his mother's death.

I Want to Deliver Your Voice

The story focuses on high school girl Nagisa Yukiai who lives in a seaside town. She has believed her grandmother's story that spirits dwell in words and they are called "kotodama" (word spirit). One day, she strays into a mini FM station that has not been used for years. As an impulse of the moment, she tries to talk like a DJ using the facility. But her voice accidentally broadcasted reaches someone she has never expected.

Automatic Writing

Charcoal animation, taken from from Point of View: An Anthology of the Moving Image (2003).

Carlos

Sound! Euphonium the Movie – May the Melody Reach You!

Following their success in the qualifying round for the Kansai regional competition, the members of the Kitauji High School concert band set their sights on the next upcoming performance. Utilizing their summer break to the utmost, the band participates in a camp where they are instructed by their band advisor Noboru Taki and his friends who make their living as professional musicians. Kumiko Oumae and her friends remain determined to attain gold at the Kansai competition, but trouble arises when a student who once quit the band shows interest in rejoining and sparks unpleasant memories for the second-year members. Kumiko also learns about her teacher's surprising past and the motivation behind his desire to lead the band to victory. Reaching nationals will require hard work, and the adamant conviction in each student's commitment to the band will be put to the test.

Mate

In a mysterious country, God makes couples by binding a man and a woman with a thread. However, Wendy and Elly fell in love with each other, but Wendy was forced to give up her true love by God's opposition. One’s love is the most precious in the other’s heart.

Dear Basketball

An animated telling of Kobe Bryant's titular poem, signaling his retirement from the sport that made his name.

Dinner’s At 6

This short is about the dynamic of a family, shown through the ritual of sitting up for dinner at 6 o'clock.

Kino Kopf

Born from steel and glass Kino Kopf is created by two inventors. They are assembled by their mother, a nurturing artist, and their Father a greedy entrepreneur. Kino Kopf is the first of its kind a sentient humanoid VHS camera. They are given a life by their mother but presented to the world by their father. Kino Kopf is the next big sensation and spurs a technological revolution. They are soon forgotten and alone as new models surpass them. Kino Kopf is left alone to contemplate if they ever had a soul, as visions of an electric cowboy dance through their dreams.

Baja's Studio: Baja and the Sea

The second anime short based on Kyoto Animation studio mascot character Baja.

Mischa

In the late 1960s, with the arrival of his bar-mitzvah, Michel was tasked with learning about his family's history.

The Mango

A village in Cambodia. Bopha raises her son Sokhem alone. One night, guided by a strange voice, he sets off in pursuit of a magic mango. Bopha follows him and reaches the border between the world of the living and the dead. Memories of war and oppression resurface. Bopha then reveals his heavy secret.

Memories

A freighter crew responds to a distress call from a station run by an AI opera diva. The AI manipulates life support, VR, and nanosystems, posing dangers the crew must overcome to survive.

This Means More

Images of crowd simulation are faced with testimonies from Liverpool Football Club’s supporters who recall their experience marked by a tragic event: the Hillsborough stadium disaster in 1989, which changed the nature of the game of football.

Infinite Escher

A boy travels through the world of M.C. Escher.

The Return

A Space travel comes to an end and before the landing the Cosmonaut falls asleep. He does not hear signals from the Earth. The disaster approaches. When the ship flies over the native house of the Cosmonaut, the ring of the alarm clock which the Grandfather winded up sounds and the Cosmonaut wakes up.

Traces of Grief

Shell-shocked Barbara must face up to the loss of a dear companion after a tragic accident. Her best friend Klara and husband Torsten devise a plan to thaw Barbara's heart, after she reminisces about the incident, the funeral, and happier times. Will she agree to the suggestions of her nearest and dearest? Can grief turn into hope?

The Lasting Memories From My First Vacation To Europe

A caring family goes on a vacation to Portugal, when they finish their trip, one of the family members looks back on the memories made to reminisce of what they did together.

A Bite of Bone

A little girl reflects on her last summer with her father at his funeral.

En modell

Black and white animation based on Munch's art of work. The image changes gradually and resembles at one point The Scream.