Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty

Ireland, 2008, 6 minutes

Granny O’Grimm’s Sleeping Beauty tells the story of a seemingly sweet old lady who terrifies her little granddaughter at bedtime with her dark version of the Sleeping Beauty fairytale. Nominated for best animated short film in the 2010 Academy Awards.

De Beste Gar Forst (United We Stand)

Canada, 2002, 9 minutes

Nine octogenarian leftists arrive at the trail for their annual trek through the woods, rucksacks on their backs. They sing songs of solidarity as they walk, single file, through the forest. Well into the wild, they hear shouts. They investigate and find a young woman mired in a bog. They find a solid patch of ground leading toward her and set up a rescue line: they pull her from the mud, and with hardly a word of thanks, she resumes her hike. The men take in her youth and the beauty of nature. They pause. They sing. As the sun sinks slowly on the horizon, it is not alone.

Beats Per Minute

USA, 2009, 8 minutes

Through very lovable and entertaining choreography, an incredibly talented French street dancer leaves Europe with a one-way ticket to Hollywood to show the world a style of dance they’ve never seen before. But in order to reach his dreams of becoming a professional break-dancer he must first confront his past and learn to control his fate.

Istallet for Abrakadabra (Instead of Abracadabra)

Sweden, 2008, 22 minutes, Subtitled

A young, amateur magician gets his chance to make an impression on an attractive new neighbor when a gig for his father’s birthday party opens up.

Intermission

The Moon and the Son

USA, 2005, 28 minutes

The Moon and the Son is an autobiographical animated film by John Canemaker. The short explores the difficult emotional terrain of father/son relationships as seen through Canemaker’s own turbulent relationship with his father. 

Featuring the voices of noted actors Eli Wallach and John Turturro in the roles of father and son, The Moon and the Son combines memory, fact, conjecture, trial transcripts, audio recordings, home movies, photos, snapshots, and original animation to tell the story of an Italian immigrant’s troubled life and the devastating consequences of his actions on his family.

Fits & Starts

USA, 2002, 10 minutes

Fits & Starts is one of those short films that makes you love the possibilities of film. This original gem tells the story of a young man and woman who spend the afternoon drinking orange soda and conversing through cassette recorders. It ends with a smashing musical number. The film is an absurd, surreal comedy like nothing you’ve ever seen.