BIZARRO

Bizarro – Some films defy easy descriptions and thus this reel came to fruition. Time travel, flamingoes and pirates all have something to say here if you give them your time. Creative narratives aplenty!  (Mulit-national, 2021-22 / 70 mins / Ages 8+ for subtitle reading) 

FILMS AND FILM LINE-UP ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

ANOTHER TIME (Darb’oħra) – Ben, a young boy with a keen and curious mind, stumbles upon a charming little toyshop in the heart of a Maltese village. Intrigued by its potential mysteries, he wanders in. Among the mechanical treasures and skilled woodwork lying inside, Ben’s attention lingers on a mysterious hidden object on one of the shelves. Overwhelmed by his curiosity, he discovers something he could never have imagined, that will take him on a journey into the captivating mysteries of time and space.  (2022 / 13.5 mins / Malta / dir. Sarah Zammit / Maltese w/English subtitles)

BENCH – Sometimes body language can be grossly misunderstood with not so subtle consequences.  (2021 / 2 mins / UK / dir. Rich Webber / no dialogue)

BLEH – In the eyes of an imaginative preschooler, cellphone users are like zombies and there are dangers all around.  (2022 / 4 mins / Netherlands / dir. Tim Alards / no dialogue)

CODE ROSE – In the open sea, a flamingo lands on an aircraft carrier. To keep the runway clear and get the planes to take off, the military have to get rid of it. But the flamingo and its congeners return relentlessly to put pink on the grey war machine. (2022 / 5 mins / France / dirs. Taye Cimon, Pierre Coëz, Julie Groux, Sandra Leydier, Manuarii Morel, Romain Seisson / no dialogue)

THE FALL – Leafie is a plucky little maple leaf who loves to groove. But when their latest performance takes an unexpected turn, the harsh realities of the season come crashing down. (2021 / 3 mins / Canada / dir. Desirae Witte / in English)

HELLO STRANGER – An astronaut lands on an unknown planet where everything is foreign at first but then becomes strangely familiar. (2021 / 6 mins / Germany / dir. Julia Ocker / no dialogue)

META – META is an animated film that takes up topics such as change, cycles, connection, and interaction in a playful and experimental way. The aim is to show that everything consists of many parts and that in the end we are all connected with each other.  (2022 / 3.5 mins / Germany / dir. Antje Heyn / in English)

NAUTIBUOYS – A band of totally professional pirates attempts to fix their ship. Just what drives this ship and everything on it is more akin to Spongebob than to Pirates of the Caribbean.  (2021 / 5 mins / Canada / dirs. Goonshire & Arnold Gutierrez /Rrrrr’ in English)

SUNSHINE MOTEL – Seven-year-old Rose is on holiday with her mother when she wakes up alone in the Sunshine Motel. This is a fascinating study of the motivating power of boredom especially with no parental oversight. And if left for long enough they will take matters into their own hands.  (2021 / 6.5 mins / Netherlands / dir. Rosita Wolkers / Dutch w/English subtitles)

SWOP – DENTIST – Sef doesn’t want to go to the dentist so he tricks his friend Wesley into swapping heads with him. Wesley realizes too late that he has no choice but to go through with Sef’s dental treatment. Fortunately, the pain is soothed by the present he gets from Sef’s parents as consolation. It’s a head swapping world out there. (2022 / 10 mins / Netherlands / dirs. Job, Joris & Marieke / Dutch w/English subtitles)

OLD YOUNG CROW – An Iranian boy befriends an old Japanese woman at a graveyard in Tokyo. The beautiful, animated tale that evolves from this encounter is entrancing. (2022 / 12 mins / USA / dir. Liam LoPinto / in Japanese and Persian w/English subtitles)