For the multimedia exhibition Tangenten I (Tangents I), Dammbeck and co-organizer, sculptor and painter Frieder Heinze had planned to collaborate on a film that would combine non-camera animation with 35mm footage of a train ride between the two Dresden districts of Radebeul and Pieschen. When the exhibition was banned in 1978, Heinze turned to other projects, but Dammbeck continued working on the film by himself. Metamorphoses I—the first experimental film ever to be shown publicly in East Germany—marks the filmic beginning of Dammbeck’s long-term art project the Herakles-Konzept (Hercules Concept).
A Blue Soldier and a Yellow Soldier play a board game trying to outwit each other, struggling for control over a piece of land. The Farmer who belongs to the land is not allowed to play and must pick a side. As the fighting escalates, what side does she choose?
A feminine machine, stuffed with modern nano-technology and useless operations is depicted in this mixed-media 2D animation short, highlighting the consequences of consumerism and the downfall of civilized society. The machine reminiscent of a two-dimensional video game, leads to a destructive chain reaction after a strange malfunction, with people turning into clones and robots.
Inspired by the energetic German film, Run Lola Run, City Shocks delves into the chaos of urban life through a series of interconnected vignettes, while following a character navigating the bustling streets of a sprawling metropolis.
An 8-minute satire on politics featuring the first French presidential election campaign broadcasts from 1965 and The Shadoks.
A mixed media animated piece which utilizes acrylic paint on cels, a camera obscura, stop motion puppetry, shadows, after effects, a scanner, and an exuberant amount of glitter dubbed “random disco flakes”. Originally a zine, Queenie and the All or Nothing Thin King is a short film that follows the internal and unhealthy thought processes of a little felted blobby person named Queenie.
In a dark and cramped attic, Luna, a moth with dreams of becoming a dentist, sets up her first professional practice from home. As she works, she discovers an intoxicating euphoria in the glow of her dental light, forming an obsession that fuels her craft and enhances her skills. As the days blur together, her fixation deepens and her artistry decays along with her sanity.
A mixed media film exploring the sweet & tender relationship between a family and their dog, Wandsey. Named after the borough of their home, Wandsworth, the film tenderly explores what home means, and how the presence & relationship of a pet can transform what home can be. With its scrapbook-like form, each memory turns like a page, as Gabby and her dad lovingly revisit the 17 beautiful years they shared with Wandsey. Softly and sweetly, the film asks what it means to love — and shows how the love we give & receive from our pets can truly transform a home.
A dog that dreams of space travel is pushed to pursue his ambition after leading a mundane life of routine.
A disturbing puppet short exploring the concept of creativity.
When Naoko presses "play" on her CD player, she finds herself face-to-face with a mysterious entity inside of a subway train and reminisces on the meaning of friendships, nature and death.
"Phoools" dives into an artist's obsession with the simplest of shapes - a few ovals rotated around a circle, universally agreed to be called a flower. As he starts seeing this pattern everywhere, from drain covers to textiles, his perception shifts. The line between observer and observed blurs, reality melts into imagination.
Animator Ryan Larkin does a visual improvisation to music performed by a popular group presented as sidewalk entertainers. His take-off point is the music, but his own beat is more boisterous than that of the musicians. The illustrations range from convoluted abstractions to caricatures of familiar rituals. Without words.
Trapped in their own thoughts, a young person whose life and identity have always been shaped by others must confront their traumas to finally become themselves, detach from their past and finally move forward to be proud of who they truly are.
ESPERPENTO
Tux and Fanny are back and they’re looking for a new home. Come along as they discover VHS tapes hidden under beds, forgotten statues in the desert, and brain biting ladybugs. Will they find a place to call their own or are these two friends destined to roam the land forever?
A load of Halloween monsters freak each other out in a strobing cacophany.
The late Fujio Akatsuka is revered by many Japanese artists and scholars for his developments to early comedy manga, but his contributions aren't just limited to the world of print media. Featuring commentary from family, friends, colleagues, and celebrity fans, Fujio Akatsuka's story is told with archival footage and animation, showcasing the life of the man who went beyond manga.
Follows the turbulent history of a young man and his complicated experiences with love. Years after his father’s suicide and reeling from a painful breakup, he’s forced to recollect his memories and heartache as he attempts to reconcile the love he’s lost with the love he once received.
After receiving devastating news one morning, Esther, a silent young girl, goes through her daily routine while a darker reality gradually unfolds.