Animated shorts! It is always so wonderful to see all kinds of handcrafted animation that doesn’t just fall out of the Disney machine. We get weird, freaky, hilarious, thought-provoking stories one after another in the Brattle. A quick overview, just to highlight these creators and their bold ideas.
fulcrum dir. Timothy David Orme
Totally hypnotic – builds to dizzying heights. Don’t get seasick!
In the Water’s Wake dir. Sarah Kennedy
Two water-based shorts in a row, though this one had a more mythical side. Loved the bright watercolors!
Johnny Crow dir. Jesse Gouchey and Xstine Cook
A remarkable achievement – a short film that mostly consists of time-lapse animation painted on the side of a brick building, largely drawn from indigenous myths. Must be seen to be believed.
PORT dir. Andrew Lehman
Felt more like a promo reel than an actual short film, but what a promo! Gave us a glimpse at an enormous tower floating ominously above an ocean. Would love to see an expanded version down the road.
Hakkori dir. Aya Yamasaki and Jason Brown
Successfully blending live-action footage, creature animation, and rotoscoping is no easy task, but Hakkori pulls it off somehow! These forest spirits are cute and charming, and their eventual transformation is remarkable in ambition.
Pottero dir. Lindsey Martin
Probably my favorite of the collection – a side-scrolling story of a woman outsmarting a hometown cryptid, a monster known as Pottero. No matter how far she goes, Pottero is going to find her.
Posted No Hunting dir. Alisa Stern
Ah, stop-motion, our freakiest art form. Well-employed here! Be careful in the woods at night…
Everybody Goes to the Hospital dir. Tiffany Kimmel
This film won the animated short prize at the festival, and for good reason! The audience was audibly unsettled by the story of a girl undergoing a difficult operation. Ends with a quote from The Body Keeps the Score. Dark!
Petal to the Metal dir. Emily Pelstring
It’s blue! It’s cool! It’s about flowers!
Lilly Goes to the Dogs dir. The Bum Family
The Bum Family returns to BUFF with another adventure starring Lilly the giant orange monster. These are always charming and fun, employing a child’s sense of play to let a bunch of chaos unfold. This time, Lilly and her puffball friend Fluffe cause havoc at a dog show, unbothered by the destruction and hubbub. I hope Lilly stays an annual fixture of BUFF for years to come.
Argus dir. Ethan Barrett
A man is told his job is to press a button when a green light flashes. The light never seems to turn on. But he’s still here. How long has he been in this room? The blobby texture of the claymation adds to the unsettling tone.
O, What Rice! O, What Beans! dir. Jer Moran
A vampire (?) lets his love for rice and beans ruin his life. Hopefully you like hearing the phrase “rice and beans” over and over again.
Pancake Panic! dir. David Filmore
A series of wacky events unfold – not entirely my speed but I did appreciate the rabbit wielding a knife.
Part of the 2022 Boston Underground Film Festival – click here to catch up with our continuing coverage!
