A collection of short films curated by Utah Film Center.
Trails of the Morning
Directed by Masa Avramovic 3 min | 2021 | France Dramatic | Animated Presented in French with English subtitles
Here comes a little girl who?s more of a morning person than Morning itself? and offers us a tender and touching portrait of friendship.
Contours
Directed by Stephen Trimble, Amy MacDonald 7 min | 2022 | USA Documentary | Live Action Screens in English
Contours was created and presented in 2004. This multi-disciplinary performance celebrates the value and beauty of Great Salt Lake and all its inhabitants. Utah-based film team.
Arctic Song
Directed by Germaine Arnattaujuq (Arnaktauyok), Neil Christopher, Louise Flaherty 6 min | 2021 | Canada Dramatic | Animated Screens in Inuktitut with English Subtitles
In this six-minute short, Inuit artist, storyteller, and co-director Germaine Arnattaujuq (Arnaktauyok) depicts Inuit creation stories in all their glory. Arctic Song tells stories of how the land, sea, and sky came to be in beautifully rendered animation. Telling traditional Inuit tales from the Iglulik region of Nunavut through song, the film revitalizes ancient knowledge and shares it with future generations.
Content Advisory: This film contains themes of death that might be frightening to some young viewers.
Gruff
Directed by Kohl Glass 12 min | 2020 | United States Screens in English
Two goats wait for their big brother to kill the troll that may or may not be under the bridge they need to cross in this adaptation of Three Billy Goats Gruff. Cast: Shawn Francis Saunder, Trenton James. Utah-based film team.
Winter in a Day
Directed by Liddy Salter 7 min | 2022 | USA Dramatic | Animated Non-Vocal
Winter in a Day is a 2D animated children?s short that follows two best friends, Bear and Fox, and the adventures they have on the last day before Bear?s hibernation. Bear dreams of one day experiencing winter and is sad to be missing it once again. With the help of some friends, Fox creates winter in a day for Bear”
Sand Pie
Directed by Kate?ina Karhánková 10 min | 2022 | Czech Republic, France Dramatic | Live Action with some Animation No dialogue
This film depicts forms of bullying that might be frightening to some young viewers. Mína with her Toy friend are having fun in a sandpit. Suddenly, mud pies are stamped out and the Toy is captured by cycling Totemites! Only the youngest one, Tricycler, feels sorry for the Toy. To save the Toy tied up to a high Totem seems impossible. Our heroes need to overcome risky challenges including digging tunnel under the playground and bike chasing. Finally, Tricycler gives Mína a hand and new friendship is born. Cast: Josefína Rame?ová, Kristián Va?ek, Karel Rous, Dan Leso, Zuzana Zvoní?ková
Content Advisory: This film depicts forms of bullying that might be frightening to some young viewers.
Ursa
Directed by Natalia Malykhina Bratli 10 min | 2021 | Norway Dramatic | Animated No dialogue
This film contains mothers separated from children and themes of death that might be frightening to some young viewers. A little polar bear Ursa is alone in the cold dark Arctic and looking for his mum. He walks through a blizzard, through icy cold tundra and sharp ice hummocks, towards the northern lights and the magic song in hope to find his mother. On his way Ursa meets different Arctic animals – friends and enemies, and after many challenges comes to the edge of the earth. In front of him is only the sea and the northern lights. And there in the distance, in the northern lights he sees his mum. Little polar bear is floating to her on an ice floe, and a big blue whale pushes him ahead. The floe becomes smaller and smaller and eventually melts. But Ursa still manages to reach the edge of the northern lights and there he meets his mum. And they are floating together in the sky and become into two constellations – the Great Bear (Ursa Major) and the Little Bear (Ursa Minor).
Content Advisory: This film contains mothers separated from children and themes of death that might be frightening to some young viewers.
Janwaar
Directed by Danny Schmidt 10 min | 2022 | USA, India Documentary | Live Action Screens in Hindi, English with English Subtitles
Janwaar celebrates a rambunctious group of kids whose lives are transformed when a skatepark is built in their small village in India. Raw talent, creativity, and unadulterated childhood find a home on four wheels, and manage to break down generations of caste and gender barriers in the process. Utah-based film team.
