ADVENT CALENDAR 2023
The fourth year - every day a tip or trick connected with animation. This year, for the first time, English-friendly! We ask our favorite people from the animation bubble and request one recommendation from them! Here, you can feel free to come back to films and other surprises that were released every day on FB and IG.
William Kentridge Interview: How We Make Sense of the World (2014)
WHY? „This interview reallyinspired and motivatedme with lasting effect, ever since I first discovered it years ago. Kentridge speaks with such ease and poetry about the magic andwonder of the artisticprocess and makes spacefor uncertainty and doubtin a way that I feel veryconnected to. I‘m sure I wouldn’t be the same artist if I wouldn’t have discoveredthis perspective.“ — Raman Djafari
TIP by WHO? Raman Djafariis an illustrator, animator and filmmaker based in Hamburg, Germany. With a background in illustration and design he ventured into animation, film and music videos. Through his work he tells both surreal and fragmented narratives that explore the human condition. Next to his own creative work he also teaches animation and illustration. And we simply lovewhat he does!
Backflip (2022) Nikita Diakur WHY? „Do you feel anxious about Christmas time? Do yourself a favour and learn how to do a backflip from Nikita!“ — David Štumpf
TIP by WHO? David Štumpf is a director and animator. He graduated at FAMU with film SH_T HAPPENS which premiered at La Biennale in 2019. He has collaborated with various international studios, including Marvel Studios, Netflix, Buck and Hornet. Currently, he teaches animation courses for students at UMPRUM. He loves his dog Berta and his muse Michaela Mihalyi . David is our dear friend and we admire his sense for movement and humor!
En mi pecho de fuego aún queda sitio para templar tu puñal: una historia de amor (2021) Pablo Ballarín
WHY? „For everyone who collected Pokémon stickers as a kid, this romance-gangster-Pokéfilm will definitely make you laugh so loud. It is fucking hilarious!“ — Michaela Mihalyi
TIP by WHO? Michaela Mihalyi was born in the year of Nirvana’s Nevermind, 1991 in Slovakia. She has studied animation in Bratislava as well as in Prague - FAMU. Her last film SH_T HAPPENS, co-directed with David Štumpf , has been screened at many great film festivals. Momentarily, she is in the development of her next short animated film inspired by menstruation. She likes films, coffee, and beer equally.
TUTORIAL - Automatic Squiggly Lines (2023) Sander Joon
WHY? „One thing that inspires me to animate are new techniques and tools. I'm using Blender for pretty much everything now and these "automatic squiggly lines" were the first reason I decided to dive into it.“— Sander Joon
TIP by WHO? Sander Joon is a film director from Estonia who specializes in absurdist storytelling. He has directed four award-winning short films, including Sierra. Constantly exploring new possibilities in animation, he loves collaborating with people who share his passion for the craft. We've been fans of Sander's work since Veloodrol came out in 2015. And look how amazing he is! We asked for a tip, and he - without blinking an eye - made a video tutorial!
Check his website or vimeo or instagram
Tips to stay awake (2023) Samuel Patthey
1 Don’t eat breakfast or only fruits.
2 In the morning before leaving for work I practice (15min) yoga (the 5 tibetans), this helps me to awaken my body and my spirit.
3 Go to work with the bicycle if possible.
4 Running or walking in the nature during the lunch break makes you more efficient and focus for the afternoon.
5 Give your body enough sleep and read a book instead of staring at a screen again.
Repeat until you feel the benefits…
WHY? „I feel we have a very unhealthy work. Animation feels close to static, with a lot of screens, inside, sometimes in blackboxes… To be very efficient, focus, productive and to stay healthy, I try to have enough movement, fresh air and a proper nutrition. Here is my tips to stay awake. Hope this can encourage others to give themself some good? “ — Samuel Patthey
TIP by WHO? Samuel Patthey was born in Berlin with a pencil in his hand! He is an animation film director, illustrator, and graphic designer who enjoys experimenting with various artistic approaches and techniques. He is primarily influenced by the Art Brut movement and strives to work as intuitively as possible to capture the essential. Currently living and working in Switzerland. We have been following his work since Travelogue Tel Aviv came out in 2017 and are eagerly anticipating his new film Sans-Voix, currently in production.
Check his website or vimeo or instagram vimeo or instagram
La Casa Lobo / The Wolf House (2018) Joaquín Cociña, Cristóbal León
WHY? „I was enchanted by the rawness but at the same time the authenticity of this film, in which I once completely immersed myself and was carried away by the simultaneously surreal, but also realistically dusty and abandoned world when I watched the movie for the first time at Annecy festival. Even though the movie came out without English subtitles here, I didn't mind it at all. Then I was very happy when the movie received the award for the best feature film at Anifilm in 2019. “ — Daria Kascheeva
TIP by WHO? Daria Kashcheeva is a film director, animator, and scriptwriter. Born in Tajikistan, she studied musical direction in Moscow and then animation at FAMU in Prague. Her film Daughter (2019), won many international awards and while her newest film Electra is still being showcased at festivals, she is already working on something new and exciting. Daria is a highly talented and strong woman, and we love talking with her, not just about films! We 100% support her when she says: "Animation is not a genre, it’s a technique!"
Animation RESIDENCIES - TIP by f-a-t.cz
WHY? „Perhaps your heart yearns for a residency where you can peacefully work on your new film, but you might feel a bit disoriented in the possibilities. We bring you our 12 tips! Surely these are not all the possibilities! Send us your tips, and we'll gladly add them to the sheet! Some open calls are still open, so don't hesitate and give it a try.“ — f-a-t.cz team
AnimatekaPRO Masterclass - Boris Labbé (2022)
WHY? „This is not only a shout out to the brilliant and inspiring Boris Labbé, but also to the coziest festival out there - Animateka. Treat yourself to Boris's masterclass about his masterpieces now and visit this winter wonderland of a festival as soon as you get the chance!“ — Kata Gugić
TIP by WHO? Kata Gugić is a filmmaker and animator. Her graduation film Cockpera was screened and awarded at numerous film festivals worldwide. Currently, she is working on a short animated film, an ode to the night called Nightbloom. She is based in Zagreb. Kata is a highly talented and hardworking animator, director, and artist. We were captivated by her during her pitches of the WIP film (she rocked there), and we are inspired by her wild drawing style! On top of that, she is the president of ASIFA Croatia!
Cécile McLorin Salvant: D'un feu secret (2023) Amanda Bonaiuto - TIP by f-a-t.cz
Pierre Oberkampf: Meteores (2023) Agnès Patron, Morgane Le Péchon - TIP by f-a-t.cz
WHY? „Enjoy double trouble with animated music videos. I saw both of these videos at the beloved Animest in Bucharest, and I love both for their high visual quality. They are different, yet both are amazing!“ — f-a-t.cz team
a/ Sweet Like Lemons (2023) Jenny Jokela -
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b/ Nun or Never! (2023) Heta Jäälinoja -
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c/ Via Dolorosa (2023) Rachel Gutgarts -
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WHY? „I'd like to recommend these three shorts currently featured in festivals. What they have in common is that all three are created by directors who choose to make sensitive and sensual, very personal films with a high level of craftsmanship and subtle humor in the visuals. I find these films to represent a very intelligent and humble approach to storytelling, and their creators to be the most inspiring filmmakers.“ — Flóra Anna Buda
TIP by WHO? Flóra Anna Buda is an animation filmmaker & graphic artist. She is using art to communicate. One of her main goals is to keep searching for new ways of creating diverse universes, telling honest stories and finding a way to create an artistic project out of her recent interest with an open mind. If Flora recommends three festival films, don't forget her masterpiece 27. We have watched this film multiple times and absolutely love it. She is a strong female voice in current animation.
Check her website or vimeo or instagram
BELLBOY: Bambino (2023) Romane Granger
WHY? „The colors, the concept, the animation, the character design… it’s full of beauty and finesse !“ — Gabrielle Selnet
TIP by WHO? Gabrielle Selnetis a French director and animator, a former student of Gobelins & La Poudrière. Goodbye Jérôme! created by Chloé Farr, Adam Sillard, and Gabrielle has received awards at numerous festivals worldwide. Now she is out of school for good and working on something new! Of course we noticed Gabrielle because of our beloved film Goodbye Jérôme! but we are also fans of her 1 minute short Nicotine Baby and we are hungry for her fresh graduation film To Beat a Dead Horse!
Check her instagram or vimeo or behance
Wednesday with Goddard (2016) Nicolas Ménard
WHY? „Short, sweet, funny, deep and at the end, touching. It's one of those short films that made me understand how infinite the possibilities are in this medium, creatively speaking. A seemingly simple, bizarre and absurd world building, used to its full advantage as a metaphor to cover deep topics with amazing humor.“ — João Gonzalez
TIP by WHO? João Gonzalezis a Portuguese film director, animator, illustrator and a musician with classical training in piano. He has a big interest in combining his musical background with his practice in authorial animation, always taking the role of composer and sometimes instrumentalist in the films he directs, occasionally setting them to a live performance. Don't tell us that you haven't seen Ice Merchants (2022), Nestor (2019) and The Voyager (2017)? We can tell you... Keep an eye on this Portuguese talent!
Check his instagram or youtube
The Waiting (2023) Volker Schlecht - TIP by f-a-t.cz WHY? „The Waiting is finally online! Film captivates from the very first moments. A German production, it is made by a well-coordinated trio: visual artist, animator and director Volker Schlecht, plus screenwriters/producers Alexander Lahl and Max Mönch. This film does not merely aim to amaze the audience with its visual impact. It also sends an urgent message: frogs have survived the dinosaurs, but will they also survive humans?“ — f-a-t.cz team
Animation Showreel (Possibly the "best" ever) (2011) ProductofNZ
WHY? „It was made about 12 years ago, which makes it even more impressive. It inspired me after I was in a creative dark hole and was in search of an idea for a short film. Eventually it led to the films Ugly, Fest and now backflip. What makes this video special is that it looks off in so many beautiful ways and it is difficult to tell if it was meant to be this way. I totally believe that it was and that makes it a work of genius.“ — Nikita Diakur
TIP by WHO? Nikita Diakur is a freelancer making adverts, music videos and short films. The signature technique used in his films is dynamic computer simulation, which embraces spontaneity, randomness and mistakes. His films received multiple awards and were screened at film festivals around the world. He is based in Germany. Poor cat, urban rave and many attempts to make a backflip. Nikita is fun, inspirational, and we love his style and thinking about film.
Check his website or vimeo or instagram
Coline Rio: Monstres (2023) Iulia Voitova - TIP by f-a-t.cz
Harvey and The Zoons: Half As Sweet (2023) Zohar Dvir - TIP by f-a-t.cz
WHY? „Second double trouble with animated music videos. They are again very different! One is meditative, full of watercolors, and the second is 3D and crazy!“ — f-a-t.cz team
The films and commercials of the Swedish director Roy Andersson
WHY? „To come up with new ideas, I also like to be inspired by works outside of animated film. Something that always gets my mind going are the wonderfully absurd films by the Swede Roy Andersson. In addition to his feature-length films (e.g. ‘You, the Living’, ‘A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence’), I recommend taking a look at his commercials, which are full of little observations of human life. Have fun watching these lovely masterpieces!“ — Alexander Gratzer
TIP by WHO? Alexander Gratzeris an animation filmmaker and visual artist. Currently, he is working on a new short animation film as part of Lemonade Films. He studied painting in Vienna and later pursued animation at MOME in Budapest. He is based in Austria. Imagine the feeling of warmth that completely fills you after a particularly good soup. Those are exactly the kind of feelings I experience when I watch films by the tall and funny director, Alex, who is usually able to handle everything from animation to sound!
Check his website or instagram or vimeo
Milly Yencken's work and her film The Eastern Rain (2023)
WHY? „I would like you to discover the work of Milly Yencken, a painter, a ceramicist, a magician whose brush moves with wonder. If you're lucky, you might catch her film The Eastern Rain which is circulating around various film festivals around the world.“ — Lucija Mrzljak
visit her website and watch trailer
TIP by WHO? Lucija Mrzljakis an illustration artist and an animation film director from Croatia, based in Estonia. She studied animation in Zagreb, Krakow, Prague and Tallinn. There she was influenced by the twisted Estonian sense of humour. She works for the film studio Eesti Joonisfilm. Perhaps you know Lucija’s short film Stork (2020), but you definitely shouldn’t miss her latest work Eeva (2022), co-directed alongside Morten Tšinakov. The film is not just about the loss of a loved one but also explores the stages of grieving.
The Shins: The Rifle's Spiral (2012) Jamie Caliri
WHY? „For me this music video perfectly sums up the beauty of stop motion animation as a medium; how it blends so many art forms like painting, sculpture, photography, theatre and film. Director Jamie Caliri and Production Designer Alexander Juhasz create a tactile, artistic world on screen that draws you in from the first frame and transports you to the realm of magic and danger. You can really feel the hand-made craft that has gone into bringing this video to life and the Behind the scenes video gives a great insight into the process.“ — Joseph Wallace
watch it here and making of here
TIP by WHO? Joseph Wallaceis an animation director, writer, and producer based in the UK. He primarily utilises stop-motion puppet and cut-out animation. His award-winning work spans short films, music videos, commercials, and sequences for feature films and television. Wallace’s last film Salvation Has No Name (2022) is a political allegory exploring prevalent themes of xenophobia and the refugee crisis. We love it, and additionally, it was co-produced in the Czech Republic!
Check his instagram or website
The Purple Season (2023) Clémence Bouchereau - TIP by f-a-t.cz
watch it here (until 13. 10. 2024)
WHY? „The Purple Season is available on Arte for a limited time! This short film, crafted using the unique pinscreen technique, stands out as one of our best animated shorts this year. Clémence first encountered the pinscreen during her studies at La Poudrière, inspired by Michèle Lemieux (known for Here and the Great Elsewhere - 2012). Completing the film required over two years of animation.“ — f-a-t.cz team
Hardly Working (2022) Susanna Flock, Robin Klengel, Leonhard Müllner, Michael Stumpf (Total Refusal collective) - TIP by f-a-t.cz
WHY? „Film gives priority to characters that normally fade into the background of video games: NPCs. NPCs are non-playable characters that populate hyper real worlds to create the appearance of normality. Usually these digital extras play no major role in the story of the game. Here a laundress, a stableman, a street sweeper, and a handyman are the four main characters of this film, originally from the blockbuster Wild West-themed video game Red Dead Redemption 2. With ethnographic precision, the film observes their daily work: a rhythm composed of loops that makes them work daily and tirelessly!“ — f-a-t.cz team
Poems of Jane Miller
WHY? „I found The Greater Leisures by Jane Miller from an old book shop in Tallinn in 2015. That’s the only object I’d really care to save from a burning house. Her early poems are kinetic, witty and lush. To me, they hold the bitterness and preciousness of life. I’m on a constant mission to find her first published book Many Junipers, Heartbeats.” — Heta Jäälinoja
TIP by WHO? Heta Jäälinoja is an animator and animation director from Finland. She is interested in rhythm and choreography of drawings. And in telling a good story. She likes to collaborate with other art forms like theatre and documentary film. We love her work since we saw her graduation film from EKA - Penelope in 2018. Her latest film, Nun or Never! (2023), is, in our opinion, one of the best films of this year! We admire her fresh, light drawing style and sense of humor!
Check her blog or her vimeo or her instagram
Wrong Trousers (1993) Nick Park
WHY? „Actually our number is 26! Why? Because we're celebrating the 30th birthday of Aardman's short masterpiece! Is your favourite clay criminal mastermind Feathers McGraw? It's unbelievable, but this short premiered in the UK on December 26, 1993. It won a BAFTA, the Grand Prix at the Animafest Zagreb and Tampere Film Festival, and the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film in 1994! We still laugh, we still love it, and we still want to watch it again. Celebrate with us and enjoy this masterpiece!” — f-a-t.cz team
Thank you for following us and for your support. We hope you enjoyed the ADVENT CALENDAR 2023. A big thanks to everyone who contributed their own tips or recommendations and participated.
ADVENT CALENDAR ran from December 1st to December 24th, 2023, on IG and FB.