SCAD Savannah Film Festival: Student Animated Shorts

There were multiple screenings and panels at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, but the Student Animated Shorts showcase has always been one of my favorites. Here, audiences witnessed the fantastic young talent from SCAD. It has been an excellent opportunity to support them and gain inspiration as an artist. This article is meant to honor the talent and profound stories each short shared with the audience.

“Laika and Nemo”

This short, by Jan Gadermann, was the opening animation of the event. It was done with stop-motion animation, and its style reminded me of Pixar’s “Luca”. The plot of this short film touches on an important and relevant social topic: bullying. The protagonist, Nemo, and the visitor, Laika, have been bullied because of their differences from the rest of society. However, they teach a lesson by helping the people who bullied them and saving each other. I believe the characters’ act of nobility and the profoundness of this plot is enhanced even more by the fact that there is no dialogue in the film. Everything is communicated visually. No language barrier could block the big lesson that this story shared with the audience.

“Blue Curry”

This beautiful 2D animation is mostly an analogy. The story focuses on a lesson that a mother is sharing with her son about Earth, its diversity, and the richness that it brings to life. She compares this diversity with the varied ingredients that in the kitchen come together to create a delicious meal. With multiple colors and abstract shapes, the beautiful visuals are meant to communicate an equally beautiful message. The mom says towards the end of the short film: “Stirring it and mixing it until everyone gets along.” Just like the ingredients in the pot, so should people blend for the greater good and world peace.

“Memoria(L)”

Memorial by Ian Kelly is a historical short with a more serious subject. Its motion media approach, with 2D animation and historical images, tries to share with the audience an important reminder. “How to remember(?)” By showing this question, multiple times and the images regarding the Republic steel conflict,  the creator honors the victims of this conflict. It also attacks the injustices behind it.  

“The Pope’s Dog”

This short film premiered during the SCAD Animation Fest at the beginning of the fall quarter. Seeing it again at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival was a lovely experience, especially after witnessing the behind-the-scenes panel during the Animation Fest. This short film was 2D animated but with volumetric lighting and a 3D stylized background. The plot consists of the Pope’s dog getting possessed by a demon in the Vatican’s exorcism office. The dog makes a mess and threatens the Pope and the guard until an angel saves them. “The Pope’s Dog” is a very wholesome and beautiful short that everyone should watch.

“Lost Souls”

This 2D animated short tells a lost soul’s nostalgic and healing story. This soul is lonely after his family and his only friend stopped visiting the grave and bringing him gifts. The last gift the soul received was a music box from his best friend. Even though everyone forgot about this lost soul, he was able to connect with another equally-lonely soul thanks to that final gift: the music box. Unfortunately, they both forgot what brought them joy before the afterlife. They both made peace with their death during this short film and moved on.  

“Goodbye, Jerome “

Common to the spiritual approach of the previous short film, “Goodbye, Jerome” shows that marriage is not eternal like the protagonist thought in the film. Jerome arrives in Heaven looking for his wife, Marilyn, so that he can share eternal life with her in the afterlife. However, when he finds her, she worries that Jerome died just to get back to her. Therefore, she decides to let him go and finalize their relationship. In this short, the heartbreaking moment of Jerome’s emotions after the breakup is shown with abstract shapes and multiple colors. Finally, Jerome gets help to pick up his pieces. This short film shows that not everything is lost during a breakup. Anyone can pick up their pieces and move on stronger and more peacefully.     

“The Uncertain Snow”

In this 2D animated short, the protagonist is in conflict with her relationship because her partner mistreats her. This film is a symbolic comparison between the protagonist’s job (taking pictures in freezing environments) and her relationship; both are as cold as ice. We could see her mental conflict and flashbacks as she went through “the uncertain snow” of a relationship.

“The Soloists”

This short film is a combination between 2D and 3D animation. Its plot attacks gender inequality present in society, especially in the much more extreme cases. This short ridicules the rules of many countries by forbidding dancing, singing (in a group smaller than 3), and having a dog. The three old sisters are in a singing group, but after the passing of one of the sisters, the remaining two are on a quest to find the third member to perform at a music festival. Unfortunately, every potential substitute dies whenever they audition. Ultimately, they choose the dog as their third member in disguise. Even though they fought hard to get to the music festival with the third member, they got caught. I believe this story represents and mirrors the unfair hardships that women have to go through to achieve what they desire, particularly in countries where inequality rules.

“Remnants of the Night”

This beautiful 2D animated piece showed an abstract spiritual experience. Without audio, “Remnants of the Night” could connect with the audience by using purely colored abstraction.

“Kaghati”

3D Animation inspired by Pixar’s lighting and modeling style. It has a very wholesome and short plot where a Grandpa teaches his granddaughter how to fly a kite. It is a beautiful, feel-good, wholesome short that everyone should watch.

“Mileage”

This short film has a deep and dark theme regarding the fear of aging and death. In this story, An enchanted old taxi driver exchanges his youth with a young lady. After they fight in the cab, she kills the taxi driver. Then she takes his position as revenge with the desire to get her youth back by taking it away from the next victim that gets in this enchanted cab. This 2D animation is enhanced by the lack of dialogue and the use of a vintage Spanish ballad named “aging,” which fits the theme perfectly.

“Clicker”

To wrap up the showcase, the Film Festival streamed one of the funniest animated shorts: “Clicker” It is a 2D animation that portrays the protagonist’s (Bloo; a TV, and Trevor; a Beatbox) relationship issues with modern-day TV shows. It is a gay story that shows that no matter the scenario or overall setting, if a relationship fails, nothing will be able to save it but the commitment of the two.

 It was an honor to witness all of these remarkable talents and stories. They were all an inspiration to embrace the stories and the voice within every one of us. I was looking forward to seeing more from these great creators.