Computer Animation Festival

Creator(s):
Timm Völkner

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH

Synopsis: Migraine is the third most prevalent illness in the world with 15% of the world‘s population being affected. However, the majority of the unaffected is terribly unaware of the side effects and social and professional consequences migraine patients have to live with. Using an ambivalent love letter language, AURA introduces the disturbing world of a migraine patient. It is not explaining medical processes, but rather gives and insight based on emotions.

Country(s) of Origin: Germany

Creator(s):
Jocelyn CHARLES
Jules BOURGÈS
Nathan HARBONN-VIAUD
Pierre ROUGEMONT

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
N/A

Synopsis: A brilliant scientist sees his convictions crumble during a picnic at the lake.

Country(s) of Origin: France

Creator(s):
Benjamin BERREBI
Jakub BEDNARZ
Diego CRISTÓFANO
Mohammad BABAKOOHI
Karlo PAVICIC-RAVLIC
Marthinus VAN ROOYEN

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
N/A

Synopsis: A young Polish partisan flees from the Warsaw Uprising. Whilst hiding in the yard of a countryside manor, he is chased up a tree by a large wolfhound. With his rifle out of reach, there seems to be no way to escape his predicament.

Country(s) of Origin: France

Creator(s):
Benoît Filippin
Paul Gautier
Laureline Massias
Mathieu Milarent

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
N/A

Synopsis: Eos, a twelve years old child, disturbed by his father's loud and angry voice runs away from his house while a storm rises...

Country(s) of Origin: France

Creator(s):
Shaofu Zhang
Andrew Chesworth

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
TAIKO Animation Studios

Synopsis: Spring Festival is the most important event in China, when families reunite in the town where the children grew up. At the film's core is the tradition of hanging a ‘Fú’ (meaning ‘blessing’) banner upside down, symbolizing "good luck comes", tying in to the overall campaign idea of turning traditional concepts on their head; in this case, 'home' coming to you rather than the other way around.

Country(s) of Origin: Brazil

Creator(s):
Daniela Dwek
Chrisy Baek
Maya Mendonca

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
SVA BFA Computer Art

Synopsis: Hamsa treats the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the lens of a Jewish Israeli girl. This is a message of love which aims to teach that humanity conquers all prejudices; at the end of the day, we are all the same. "Tikvah", which is the young girl's name, was not chosen randomly. With the Hebrew meaning of Hope, it represents a new hopeful future for both peoples, without the prior stigmas the older generations still hold onto. One thing to remember is that the ethnicities can be reversed and the story will remain the same. Not only that, but the story is true and universal to many other ethnic conflicts around the world. Using 3D Animation provides a platform that transcends all social barriers and can captivate one's attention to address a serious topic by using lighter visuals.

Country(s) of Origin: United States of America

Creator(s):
Aslan Malik

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
The Hype / Pixomondo

Synopsis: Pixomondo's Hype studio was asked to created the opening credits for HBO Asia's new show Dream Raider. Under the direction of Aslan Malik, The Hype created the concept, designs and executed the entire opener in-house.

Country(s) of Origin: Germany

Creator(s):
Francesca Panetta
Halsey Burgund

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
MIT Center for Advanced Virtuality
independent

Synopsis: In July 1969, much of the world celebrated the “giant leap for mankind” that the successful moon landing constituted. In 2020, nothing is quite so straightforward. In Event of Moon Disaster illustrates the possibilities of deepfake technologies by reimagining this seminal event. What if the Apollo 11 mission had gone wrong and the astronauts had not been able to return home? A contingency speech for this possibility was prepared, but never delivered by President Nixon – until now. The immersive project invites you into this alternative history and asks us all to consider how new technologies can bend, redirect and obfuscate the truth around us.

Country(s) of Origin: United States of America

Creator(s):
Arthur ALLENDER
Mathieu ANTOINE
Léna BELMONTE
Cyrielle GUILLERMIN
Victor KIRSCH
Elliot THOMASSON

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
N/A

Synopsis: In a dense and icy forest, Piotr, a young hunter, finds himself violently paralyzed by a bear trap. While he is slowly freezing to death, the prey he was hunting approaches...

Country(s) of Origin: France

Creator(s):
Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu
Dean Hamer
Joe Wilson

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
Kanaka Pakipika

Synopsis: Long ago, four extraordinary individuals of dual male and female spirit brought the healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii. Beloved by the people for their gentle ways and miraculous cures, they imbued four giant boulders with their powers. The stones still stand on what is now Waikiki Beach, but the true story behind them has been hidden – until now. Narrated in an ancient Hawaiian dialect, Kapaemahu brings this powerful legend back to life in vivid animation, seen through the eyes of a curious child.

Country(s) of Origin: United States of America

Creator(s):
Junha Kim

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
California Institute of the Arts

Synopsis: Musician Lenny escapes from his boring routine through his music. Singing his new song "Turn Me On", he meets his muse Tinkerbell, travels together in the fantasy world, and fascinates various fairy tale characters. The entire music video is produced in 3D animation, featuring a low frame rate reminding of a stop motion animation and a unique expression of material that varies from sequence to sequence.

Country(s) of Origin: South Korea

Creator(s):
Krez Denis

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH, Animationsinstitut

Synopsis: In a fictitious world, a wall goes through a country and its city. Both sides face each other irreconcilably. The film tells the story of the 40 year old rocket scientist Paul who falls in love with a supposed woman. Who, like him, is not absorbed with the irreconcilable differences of both sides and do not want to decide for one side. The drama begins when the love relationship between the two becomes public. Mary is not an ordinary woman, but an intercontinental rocket, 30 meters high and weighing 110 tons with a 50 megaton nuclear warhead at its tip.

Country(s) of Origin: Germany

Creator(s):
Hugo Caby
Antoine Dupriez
Aubin Kubiak
Lucas Lermytte
Zoé Devise

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
Pôle 3D

Synopsis: Two polar bears are driven into exile due to global warming. They will encounter brown bears along their journey, with whom they will try to cohabitate.

Country(s) of Origin: France

Creator(s):
Shaofu Zhang

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
TAIKO Animation Studios

Synopsis: As the CG animation style for Pangu was developing, inspiration was drawn from the experimental films of Disney and UPA in the 1950s. The production was structured similar to a hand-drawn television production, with very clearly defined choices in the storyboard and design stages. The filmmakers were excited to emphasize music and graphic design to tell the story of a rigid father and fluid son. Producer Andrew Chesworth’s recurring mantra with art director Bobby Pontillas throughout production was “the design is the story.” The character designs were inspired by traditional Chinese opera masks. They have these bold geometric shapes that lend themselves to exaggerated performance. Incredible artists like Kat Tsai, Susan Huang, Meka Karam, Charles Hilton and Noor Sofi contributed to the hand-drawn background art. The characters were created in CG, but the backgrounds were made as if the film was a traditional 2D production. In October 2019, Pangu premiered on Tencent Video in China with over 9 million views. TAIKO strives for excellence in its goals to connect with and entertain global audiences.

Country(s) of Origin: United States of America

Creator(s):
Christophe SARRACO
Pauline LAVELLE
Hadrien AUGIER
Théo BLANCHARD
Hugo FREDOUEIL

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
N/A

Synopsis: Hillevi, a young viking warrior, faces Jörmungand, the World-Serpent.

Country(s) of Origin: France

Creator(s):
Julien Bisaro

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
Picolo Pictures

Synopsis: Shooom, a baby owl, hatches just as a storm turns the bayou surrounding her tree upside down. No sooner has she fallen from her nest, then the little fledgling totters off into the mangrove, pushing a second egg from the brood along with her. Come hell or high water, she’s determined to find a mother... even if that mom turns out to be an alligator or a raccoon!

Country(s) of Origin: France

Creator(s):
John McGhee

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
3D Visualisation Aesthetics Lab, UNSW Art & Design

Synopsis: Soap vs COVID-19. This short cinematic 3D visualization illustrates the power of soap and water in the destruction and removal of the COVID-19 virus from our hands. The message in the film is intentionally direct and emotive. Using contemporary digital cinematography combined with scientifically accurate 3D data visualization of the full virus structure, this fully computer-generated piece explores the dynamic interactions occurring at the molecular level when we wash our hands with soap and water. Underpinned by a provoking soundtrack with the terrain of the human hand, the aesthetic of this work parallels a barren battlefield, positioning this piece of public information beyond the didactic. The work also draws influence from contemporary sci-fi film making and video game full motion videos (FMVs). This unique 3D visualization combines the latest scientific 3D data on the structure and composition of the SARS-CoV-2 virion (virus particle in the film) with industry-leading computer graphics pipelines. The molecular structures of the viral proteins including the spike, membrane, and envelope proteins, as well as the nucleoprotein were sourced from the protein data bank (https://www.rcbs.org) and applied using MolecularMaya (Clarafi, https://clarafi.com). The membrane lipids on the surface of the membrane were created using the online membrane builder - CHARMM-GUI (https://charmm-gui.org), while soap molecules were modeled by a 3D computer artist. Complete virions were created by procedurally populating a spherical base geometry with various proteins or lipids using Autodesk Maya’s MASH tool, while the core consisted of nucleoproteins populated along a dynamic curve. Ultimately, this film is designed to be a public information release that reminds the audience of the importance of handwashing with soap and water during the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Country(s) of Origin: Australia

Creator(s):
Milan BAULARD
Ismaïl BERRAHMA
Flore DUPONT
Laurie ESTAMPES
Quentin NORY
Hugo POTIN

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
N/A

Synopsis: On a lake, a heron is fishing while winter arrives.

Country(s) of Origin: France

Creator(s):
Pascal Schelbli

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg GmbH, Animationsinstitut

Synopsis: The Beauty is a poetic journey through a fascinating underwater world, where plastic and nature becomes one. For one breath our concerns and feelings of guilt dissolves between eerily beautiful coral reefs and mysterious depths of the ocean. What if plastic could be integrated into sea life? Take a deep breath and dive into a world, where feelings of guilt dissolve amongst the mysterious depths of the ocean. A world where we encounter bizarre creatures and discover eerily beautiful landscapes. Unfortunately, our air doesn’t last forever and we have to realize that nature alone can't solve this issue.

Country(s) of Origin: Germany

Creator(s):
Jeremy Schaefer

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
Ringling College of Art & Design

Synopsis: Craig, a pizza delivery boy recalls the night he was making a delivery to a cold blooded gang boss and his goons. Unknowingly, Craig delivers not pizza, but the legendary Box Assassin. The assassin shows up and wreaks havoc among the gangsters. Craig attempts to escape but is taken hostage by the gang boss. At the mercy of a cold blooded gangster, Craig fears this might be the end.

Country(s) of Origin: United States of America

Creator(s):
Veselin Efremov

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
Unity Technologies

Synopsis: 'The Heretic' is the fourth real-time-cinematic project by director Veselin Efremov and producer Silvia Rasheva. It tackles one of the most significant artistic and technical challenges in CG animation today - creating photorealistic animated humans. While telling a story of how humans and technology eventually might merge, the Heretic is the team’s first attempt to take on this technical hurdle. The production is combining an array of ground-breaking tech to obtain and maintain the aesthetics and high standards we are used to in conventional filmmaking.

Country(s) of Origin: Bulgaria

Creator(s):
Bohong Deng

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
Dans Digital

Synopsis: The film centers around a space carrier in the era of interstellar navigation of the mankind. Inside this space carrier about the size of an asteroid, three rings (i.e. port industrial ring, ecological ring and urban ring) spin slowly with centrifugal force to simulate gravity. At the bottom of these rings are massive oceans and everything is in perfect order. The space carrier is leisurely advancing towards the depths of an unknown universe.This film conveys a subtle message that human beings share this limited space on our planet; countries and nations should not battle each other, but eliminate estrangement, unit as one, and look ahead with a broader vision to seek new energies, explore the unknown and drive the progress of human civilization. Just as the slogan aptly said at the end of the film, “The Journey of Mankind is The Sea of Stars.”

Country(s) of Origin: China

Creator(s):
Roy Stein

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
N/A

Synopsis: "Too Late" was created by a team of animation artists from all over the world, collaborating in their free time, on weekends and evenings, out of passion for creating more adult oriented animated content, and belief in the message behind this film.

Country(s) of Origin: Canada

Creator(s):
Ágnes Győrfi

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design

Synopsis: A child’s experiences at her rural grandparents come to life in haiku-like images. The connection between the child’s spirit and nature is both personal and universal, general and symbolic. The scenes of the film are mosaic pieces that incorporated throughout the creation.

Country(s) of Origin: Hungary

Creator(s):
Yibing Jiang

Studio/Organization Affiliation(s):
Unity Technologies

Synopsis: Windup is a story about a father who tries to stay connected with his hospitalized daughter through music. He plays a windup music box that she can hear in her dreams that help guide her the way back. Technical wise, it's a proof point to show that we can achieve animated feature quality and rendered real-time (30 fps) in the Unity engine. Rather than using methods seen in VFX, we take techniques from the AAA game production that push the visual bar while being real-time. This project was a collaboration of artists all over the world. Most of us were working at home remotely through the internet. Which means we were using our personal regular desktops that most CG artists have. Real-time rendering made this impossible collaboration possible! Currently, Windup had been official selected into 17 major international film festivals, including 9 Oscar- Qualified ones.

Country(s) of Origin: United States of America