Animation Today
presented by Cartuna
Sunday, April 12, 2:30 p.m. @ 2220 Arts + Archives
Q&A with filmmaker Wei Keong, moderated by guest curator Sean Buckelew
Animation is a special medium within the spectrum of filmmaking, an artistic avenue where truly anything is possible. It can be made collaboratively with big teams, and can adhere to traditional narrative filmmaking principles, or it can be made by a single person and truly eschew any rules. It can make manifest the imaginary while also showing its own handmade analogue craft in every frame.
The independently produced animated short is a special format within the medium. The films in this program exist outside of the boundaries of the commercial industry, and genuinely function as art for art’s sake. They come from a diverse range of artists from all over the world (including the United States, where, without much support for the arts, it is incredibly difficult to create animated shorts), featuring a wide variety of techniques, from tactile stop motion made by veterans of the craft to cutting-edge 3D by young mavericks that are giving the big studios a run for their money. And beyond the medium, they are just unique, compelling films made by radical filmmakers.
I'm incredibly excited to present these films to an LA audience. In a time when organic creative processes feel constantly challenged, it’s inspiring to remember what’s still possible.
—Sean Buckelew, guest curator
Acid City
US Premiere
Directors: Jack Wedge, Will Freudenheim
USA, 15 min, DCP
Acid City is a documentary about a fictional city in the middle of a great acidic ocean. The film follows a film crew over the course of one day, as they interview and document what life is like in the isolated city. Acid City is composed of real interviews conducted across NYC, ranging from regular people on the street, to water scientists and emergency responders, as well as invented characters. The film is an exploration of the city's resilient and self-sufficient nature, as well as its relationship to water and extreme heat through both a practical and spiritual lens.
Producer: Tom Brown
Distributor: Miyu Distribution
Une Fugue
US Premiere
Director: Agnès Patron
France, 15 min, DCP
Of Brother, Sister remembers his black eyes, the same hair as hers, slender shoulders like the wings of a bird, and that he knew by heart the path to the river. Of Brother, Sister has forgotten nothing.
Distributor: Sacrebleu
Lethe
US Premiere
Director: Liang-Hsin Huang
Taiwan/France, 7min, DCP
A sculptor with Alzheimer’s goes on a self-healing voyage on the river Lethe after his death, experiencing a cycle of remembering and forgetting as he seeks the memories of himself and his daughter.
Production: Avec Ou Sans Vous
Producers: Valentin Maupin, Aristote Douroudakis
Distributor: Inwave Films
Paper Trail
West Coast Premiere
Director: Don Hertzfeldt
USA, 14min, DCP
Don Hertzfeldt’s new animated short film, Paper Trail, is a 14-minute high-speed study of someone's life, seen only through pieces of paper. New animation techniques were developed to create the film's unique look and pace.
Music: Naomi Alligator
Distributor: Bitter Films
The Gnawer of Rocks
Los Angeles Premiere
Director: Louise Flaherty
Canada, 15min, DCP
Two young women out for a walk follow a trail of coloured stones left on the ground, which leads them to danger. They are trapped in the lair of the Mangittatuarjuk, the Gnawer of Rocks. The women are terrified when they realize what the monster has been doing. The young women and their village must use the teachings of the elders to defeat the monster.
Producer/Writers: Louise Flaherty & Neil Christopher
Distributor: Taqqut Productions Inc.
More Than Happy
US Premiere
Director: Wei Keong Tan
Singapore/USA, 7min, DCP
In a queer utopia, two couples sit in conversation at a restaurant, waiting for service that will never arrive. As hunger grows, they talk about time and happiness. Not wanting to wait forever, they decide to leave.
Script: Wei Keong Tan
Producer: Davier Yoon, Wei Keong Tan
Distributor: Square Eyes
Cartuna is a Brooklyn-based distribution and production company focused on animation, DIY, and cult films. The company most recently released the Indie Spirit-nominated BOYS GO TO JUPITER and is currently releasing DEAD LOVER (in glorious Stink-O-Vision) and DANCE FREAK. Cartuna has produced the Blu-ray releases of HUNDREDS OF BEAVERS, AJ GOES TO THE DOG PARK, ADAM GREEN’S ALADDIN, NOVA SEED, and Sundance Special Jury Prize winner NUTS!. Upcoming projects by Cartuna include DOG OF GOD (Latvia’s submission for the 2026 Oscars), TAMALA 2030: A PUNK CAT IN DARK, the animated features MOONFISH and SILENCE SOMETIMES, and the 2026 Sundance Short Film Jury Award-winner LIVING WITH A VISIONARY. Past projects include OBEX, SULTANA'S DREAM, STRAWBERRY MANSION and TUX AND FANNY.