Animrocznie, a selection of short films with a Halloween twist, returns in a new format – as a dialogue between the two curators of the programme.
Tosia and Weronika set out looking for answers to their sneaking questions. As always, they found them in animation. Unfortunately this time, as the conversation went on, creeping darkness, weird coincidences and unsettling plot twists started to get out of control.
If, just like them, you find yourself wondering while brushing your teeth in the morning:
Can plasticine cause pain and terror? What can insomnia lead to? Is the wolf in the woods really the worst thing that can happen to Grandma? What does the soul do when the body dies? What secrets does an isolated emu farm hide? Why shouldn’t children watch commercials? And what is the night shift at a gas station really like?
That means this seance is for you.
Amarelo Banana, dir. Alexandre Sousa, Portugal, Hungary 2025, 12′42″
After another night of insomnia, a socially frustrated man comes across an eerie community that lives in his building. As a way of breaking the boredom he decides to pay them a visit and it quickly turns into a bizarre experience that will make him question if what’s happening is real.
Black Cap, dir. Piotr Dumała, Poland 1983, 5’15’’
Black Riding Hood is on her way to her grandmother’s house, carrying a basket. While walking through the forest and picking flowers in a woodland clearing, she is suddenly overcome by an inexplicable fury. Meanwhile, a wolf is lurking nearby. Their encounter sets off an unpredictable spiral of events.
Judy1964, dir. Marie-Hélène Van Thuyne, Belgium 2025, 5’10’’
In 1960s suburbia, young Judy is captivated by a new toy gun commercial, but when she stumbles upon her parents’ real firearm, the line between playful fantasy and real danger blurs.
Fried!, dir. Lizzie Watts, United Kingdom 2025, 9’53’’
As Dev drives home from a mysterious, ageing nuclear facility, he becomes stranded at an isolated emu farm run by old mystic lesbians. Suspicious of their intentions, Dev fears they will sacrifice him at the local stone circle.
Little Soul, dir. Barbara Rupik, Poland 2019, 9’12’’
A dead body became stuck by a river bank. Its decaying insides still hide a human soul - a miniature of the deceased. Rotting organs part and a tiny creature gets out. Standing on the river bank, it says goodbye to the corpse and sets off on a journey through the post-mortem land.
Bunnyhood, dir. Mansi Maheshwari, United Kingdom 2024, 9’07’’
Bunnyhood is a frenzied, 9-minute rollercoaster ride, described by Directors Notes as “pure nightmare fuel,” and akin to “watching the scribbled drawings etched onto an old school desk come to life”.
Playing God, dir. Burani Matteo, Italy 2024, 9’
A clay sculpture comes to life in the darkness of a workshop, surrounded by strange creatures…
Gone wrong, dir. Anne-Linh Jérôme, Ambre Butel, Roman Saunier, Maxime Arnould, Juliette Houël, Adrian Villeda, Alisson Colombe, Ylan Dinguidar, France 2025, 6’25’’
Stuck in her miserable apartment in Hong Kong, Mei, a young woman will have to run for her life after a strange visitor appeared during her livestream.
Fisheye, dir. Łukasz Rygał, Poland 2025, 11’10’’
A gas station attendant unexpectedly forms a bond with an ordinary fish. From this seemingly trivial encounter emerges a series of unsettling events.
