Category: ARFF Amsterdam 2024 – Best Animation & VFX

Original Film Title: Bottoms UP!

Director’s Name: Brandon Schwindt

Writer’s Name: Brandon Schwindt, Josh Lowe

Producer: Clayton Coblentz

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 20 minutes

Film Description:

‘Bottoms UP!’ follows Amelia, a world-weary proctologist, and her loyal dog as they inadvertently discover a portal to another dimension. Lost in a surreal A.I.-assisted rotoscope realm of classic-television-themed vignettes and eccentric characters, Amelia embarks on a whimsical quest to reunite with her beloved pet and escape the bizarre world of ‘Bottoms UP!’.

Original Film Title: Vita Nova

Director’s Name: Dmytro Zavora

Writer’s Name: Josef Reding

Producer: Dmytro Zavora

Country of Origin: Ukraine

Country of Filming: Germany

Language: English

Runtime: 7 minutes 20 seconds

Film Description:

“Vita Nova,” a short film by Dmytro Zavora, is a moving animated drama based on a story by German author Josef Reding. Set in post-war Germany, the film follows a man who visits a pharmacy with the intent to buy poison to end his life. As he stands at the counter, his indecision leads him to reflect on his circumstances and the potential reasons to continue living. Through this 7-minute narrative, the film explores themes of despair, resilience, and the search for hope amid adversity

Original Film Title: Mirage

Director’s Name: Devin Peters, Jeffrey Su, Michael Wang

Writer’s Name: Jennifer Li

Producer: Hanson Ma

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 2 minutes 26 seconds

Film Description:

A tale of love unfolds between two individuals from opposite social classes, revealing the struggle to overcome societal boundaries in their quest for happiness and love.

Original Film Title: Dear Child I

Director’s Name: Devin Peters

Writer’s Name: Chris Hedges

Producer: Ben McFarlane, Christian Dyson

Country of Origin: United Arab Emirates

Country of Filming: United Arab Emirates

Language: English

Runtime: 1 minute 11 seconds

Film Description:

Dear Child I, written by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author Chris Hedges takes the viewer on an uncompromising journey into the life of a child living under Israeli bombardment in Gaza. The film intentionally challenges the viewer to look at their own actions during the bloodshed, while also hinting at a possible hopeful future.

Original Film Title: Judy’s Garden

Director’s Name: Evie Metz

Writer’s Name: Evie Metz, Nick Daly

Producer: Evie Metz

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 7 minutes

Film Description:

In Judy’s Garden, a woman is confronted by death and taken on a journey through her past. The garden is shown as a cosmic arena of continuous death and renewal, one which all living things, including the gardener herself, are a part of. The film is an ode to these cycles in the natural world and a meditation on what it means to be alive.

Original Film Title: Fiego and the Magic Fish

Director’s Name: Joe Murray

Writer’s Name: Joseph Murray

Producer: Joe Murray

Country of Origin: Belgium

Country of Filming: Belgium

Language: English

Runtime: 11 minutes 17 seconds

Film Description:

A happily married Italian fisherman named Fiego catches a magic fish and makes wishes to give his wife the good life. A reimagining of the German fairytale “The Fisherman and his Wife”

Original Film Title: LUKi and the Lights

Director’s Name: Toby Cochran

Writer’s Name: Toby Cochran, Sascha Groen, Janna Brouwer-Schouten, Anjo Snijders

Producer: Adrian Ochoa

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 10 minutes 40 seconds

Film Description:

LUKi, a charming and upbeat robot known for living life to the fullest, confronts a life-altering ALS diagnosis.

Through the lens of LUKi’s unwavering resilience, the story of his battle against ALS transforms into a testament to the human (and robotic) spirit’s ability to find light even in the darkest of times. With every choice he makes, every smile he shares, and every second he cherishes, LUKi paints a vivid portrait of what it means to truly live, even as the sands of time slip through his grasp.

Original Film Title: Double Trouble

Director’s Name: Muhan Yao

Writer’s Name: Muhan Yao

Producer: Muhan Yao

Country of Origin: United States

Country of Filming: United States

Language: English

Runtime: 1 minute 39 seconds

Film Description:

Double Trouble is a 2D animated film based on a personal story about two sisters who went through rivalry, understanding, and reconciliation. Though tension built between them and erupted into big fights, they came to realize they could look out for each other and that their relationship is important.