2011 PCFF Shorts Collection: Preschool Edition

Your Shorts Are Showin’ (YSAS)

PCFF proudly presents this reel of shorts that were submitted or invited to our 2011 festival. These films are a wide assortment of animation, live action, musicals and narratives. Some of these filmmakers are as young as YOU!

Grampa Kevorkian
USA, 2010 / Dir. Claire Almon, / 2 min /English / digital projection.
What do you think of when you remember your grandparents? Is it the smell of their house, the feel of a scratchy sweater they wear, or the way they crinkly their eyes when they smile at you? Grampa Kevorkian is a love letter to those precious memories we have about the ones we love.

Kevin the Superhero
Denmark, 2009 / Dir. Catherine Kunze & Jacob Wellendorf / 9 min / Danish w/ English subtitles / digital projection.
The Yellow House is a documentary project, made for children of Denmark, about living side by side with different cultures. The main characters are two girls who have recently moved in; Chloe, age 7, and Thea, age 5. Through their exploration of the area we are invited into the homes of the different residents. In every episode, Chloe and Thea visit a new family or neighbour. The families are from widely different cultures, countries and social classes. In this particular episode, they visit their six-year-old friend Kevin who dreams of becoming a superhero.

Mig Said Series
Taiwan, 2010 / Dir. Mig Jou / 5 min / English /digital projection
What can a white bear have anything to do with a black bear? How can a penguin be inspired by birds? Do we only make friends with people similar to us? This short, children’s film attempts to convey the power of inclusiveness inspired by our differences.

The North Star
USA, 2010 / Dir. Gary Goldberger, John Lechner & Peter H. Reynolds / 15 min / English / digital projection
New York Times best-selling author Peter H. Reynolds’ classic storybook is now a gorgeous 15-minute animated film with narration by Tim Curry and original score by Tony Lechner. Following a young boy’s journey throughout life, “The North Star” is an allegory that raises questions about which road we take and how to seek out our own unique path through life. “The North Star” celebrates the individual. It invites us to rethink curriculum, career choices, and other critical life decisions in a way that respects who we really are and empowers us to use our own unique gifts.

The Olive Branch
USA, 2010 / Dir. Little Airplane Production / 1 min / English / digital projection
“The Olive Branch” is a brand-new series currently in development about two very different characters who live together in the branches of a lovely olive tree. Each one-minute episode is a simple story about conflict resolution and is told entirely without words. This approach will insure that “The Olive Branch” can be shown in any country in the world without the need for translation or dubbing. And to make certain these episodes reach the widest possible audience, they will be made available to both domestic and international broadcasters for the price of one unit of that country’s currency per episode. “The Olive Branch” has received key endorsements from UNICEF, Deepak Chopra, the Simon Wiesenthal Center and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Murphy’s Shorts
USA, 2009 / Dir. Todd Hemker / 2 min / digital projection
A family watches a boy, who is very impressed with himself, confidently show off his moves on a high diving board. All seems to go according to plan until he enters the water. Oh, the drama!

Tobi!
USA, 2010 /Dir. Little Airplane Production / 4 min / English / digital projection
“Tobi!” is a series of four-minute visual poems that premiered on Treehouse TV/Canada and Nickelodeon Australia on March 7 to coincide with UNICEF’s International Children’s Day of Broadcasting. Tobi is a little boy who wants to make his world a better place to live. Each episode helps preschoolers understand one pressing global issue as Tobi takes care of his world, which is represented in a visually striking and poetic way. In this episode, Tobi goes with his friend to a beach.

Runaway Bathtub & Christmas Tree
USA, 2004 / Dir. Annie Poon /3 min, 2 min / digital projection
Two shorts by Paper Theater, which creates animated cartoons of cut paper and drawings. They engage the head, heart and funny bone. The shorts are autobiographical and tend to refer to magical moments in the director’s childhood.

Coal Puppet
USA, 2009 / Dir. Rick McLean / 5 min / digital projection
“Coal Puppet” demonstrates nature’s power to destroy as well as to heal. Puppet creator Rick McLean made the puppet and all the sets from debris he had gathered from the Deukmejian Wilderness, which was destroyed in the 2009 California wild fires.