The Water of Freshness

A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.

County Durham, England, 1984. The miners' strike has started and the police have started coming up from Bethnal Green, starting a class war with the lower classes suffering. Caught in the middle of the conflict is 11-year old Billy Elliot, who, after leaving his boxing club for the day, stumbles upon a ballet class and finds out that he's naturally talented. He practices with his teacher Mrs. Wilkinson for an upcoming audition in Newcastle-upon Tyne for the royal Ballet school in London.

A fleet of Martian spacecraft surrounds the world's major cities and all of humanity waits to see if the extraterrestrial visitors have, as they claim, "come in peace." U.S. President James Dale receives assurance from science professor Donald Kessler that the Martians' mission is a friendly one. But when a peaceful exchange ends in the total annihilation of the U.S. Congress, military men call for a full-scale nuclear retaliation.

A collection of vignettes from Ostrobothnia.

Tentacles is a 90 second animated short that brings a magic mushroom trip by a staff member at the Scala vividly to life. Inspired by classic Sci-Fi, Horror and B-movies, Tentacles is crafted in-camera using real Octopus tentacles, objects and cut-out photographs in stop-motion. The film is an experimental and playful attempt to explore how animation, particularly mixed media animation can be used to communicate narratives in unexpected and exciting ways that enhance the original story.

SCALA!!! Programmes - is an animated love letter that uses the Scala’s infamous poster-sized programmes to celebrate the feature length documentary, SCALA!!! Directed by Jane Giles & Ali Catterall and the music of by Barry Adamson (It’s Business as Usual).

A young actor and his wife undergoing an IRS audit have more to worry about than the usual cheating when the IRS secretary turns out to be hot for the wife and the auditor turns out to be an ex-trick of the actor.

Three retired women travel by bus on their way to discover Europe. They’ve recently lost their husbands and now it’s time to start living. They’ve heard people talk about the wonders of tourism all their lives and are dying to experience them firsthand.

Forced by his son's birthday wish, fast-talking attorney and habitual liar Fletcher Reede must tell the truth for the next 24 hours.

Two rock-'n-rolling teens, on the verge of failing their class, set out on a quest to make the ultimate school history report after being presented with a time machine.

In the world of Orïsha, a young woman goes on a quest to reclaim the magic that was violently stolen from her people. She and her brother ally with the daughter and son of the king to fight back against his brutal rule.

Dwarf Nose is a fairy tale by Wilhelm Hauff, which was published in a collection of fairytales in 1826.

Frederick Butterfield has always been runner up to his twin brother Herman. When Herman, the older by a mere minute, becomes the world's oldest man, Frederick finally sees an opportunity to be first place.

Summer of 1982. Teo claims he has found a wormhole. His brother Óscar does not believe him - at least not for now.

In a time of superstition and magic, when wolves are seen as demonic and nature an evil to be tamed, a young apprentice hunter comes to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack. But when she saves a wild native girl, their friendship leads her to discover the world of the Wolfwalkers and transform her into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.

Based on a poem by Samuil Marshak about an incredibly absent-minded man from Leningrad.

Vasilisa the Beautiful is kidnapped by an evil force that has invaded her kingdom. Prince Ivan fails when he tries to save her and the kingdom. He decides to seek help from the mighty firebird.

Three LA girls, dragging the body of the man they accidentally ran over with their car through the desert, fight about the most politically correct way to dispose of the corpse.

Thumbelina is born in a calyx. A bumblebee opens the flower and the little one goes on a journey of discovery. She has to hide from a nubile frog in a nut and lands on a water lily leaf. A fish bites through the stem of the leaf. Thumbelina swims down the stream until she is called to dance by a cockchafer. The dance fails and the beetle pushes her off the leaf into the depths. She falls into a spider's web and onto a dandelion. She sails away with an umbrella of seeds and lands on her calyx again. The autumn storm breaks the flower. Thumbelina finds shelter with a field mouse. There she cares for a sick swallow. The mouse wants to marry Thumbelina off to the mole, but the little girl manages to escape with the help of the swallow. They both fly off to the sunny south.

Like many people of his generation, Ali has decided to run away from the hardships of war. Along his way, he meets a strange person in a bus station: an encounter that will change his perspective.