23.07.2021
The films for the competition series have been selected
This year, the festival will be held mainly among domestic guests and participants, but our festivalgoers will still be able to enjoy cinematic experiences created around the world. This year’s series will feature films submitted in 2020 and 2021 and they have been selected from more than 3,900 short animated films. Although the number of titles in the main competition series were increased this year, a lot of great works and master-level creators were left out.
“The choices are becoming very challenging. This time around the number of films was also overwhelming,” commented TAFF’s artistic director, Joni Männistö, on the competition selections. “There are more and more great films, and it feels like they’re also longer than before. Students also make a lot of 7-10 minute movies.”
Fresh names and Oscar nominees
A total of 59 films from 24 countries were selected for the main competition series of the festival. The selections include new films from Bastien Dubois, Uri and Michelle Kranot and Miloš Tomić, who have previously visited TAFF. Animations from Adrien Merigeau and Daria Kashcheeva, both Oscar nominees, will also be seen as part of this year’s competition series. Eating in the dark, directed by Inari Sirola, a graduate of the Royal College of Arts, brings Finnish touch to the international competition.
In addition to the main competition series, the competition program also includes two series reserved for Finnish animators as well as for films suited for the younger audience. The domestic series features works from both students and better-known film makers. Familiar names for experienced TAFF visitors include for example Tatu Pohjavirta and Kaisa Penttilä, whose work Maihinnousu is also seen in the TAFF Junior series that’s suitable for children.
International competition:
All Those Sensations in My Belly | Marko Djeska | 2020 | Croatia
And then the bear | Agnès Patron | 2019 | France
Anna, cat-and-mouse | Varya Yakovleva | 2020 | Russian Federation
Arka | Natko Stipaničev | 2020 | Croatia
Awkward | Nata Metlukh | 2020 | United States
Ben and Kat or Kat and Ben Go To Little Lake Fountain | Elizabeth Whitfield & Nicholas Dimas | 2019 | United States
Carrousel | Jasmine Elsen | 2020 | Belgium
Cosmonaut | Kaspar Jancis | 2020 | Estonia
Daughter | Daria Kashcheeva | 2019 | Czech Republic
Displaced | Laura Benavides Ramirez | 2020 | Estonia
Easter Eggs | Nicolas Keppens | 2020 | Belgium
Eating in the Dark | Inari Sirola | 2021 | United Kingdom
Ecorce | Samuel Patthey & Silvain Monney | 2020 | Switzerland
Film Found | Claudia Munksgaard-Palmqvist | 2020 | Denmark
Freeze frame | Soetkin Verstegen | 2019 | Belgium
Genius Loci | Adrien Mérigeau | 2019 | France
Happiness | Andrey Zhidkov | 2020 | Russian Federation
Hide N Seek | Barbora Halířová | Czech Republic
Hit and Run | Hannah Brewerton | 2020 | United Kingdom
Homeless Home | Alberto Vázquez | 2020 | France
I Want A Sun In My Pocket | Laui Laessa | 2019 | Costa Rica
I Wish | Nadia Goldman | 2021 | Russian Federation
Lursaguak. Scenes from life | Izibene Oñederra | 2019 | Spain
Marbles | Natalia Spychala | 2020 | Poland
MATE | Chaerin Im | 2019 | United States
My Exercise | Atsushi Wada | 2020 | Japan
Naked | Kirill Khachaturov | 2020 | Russian Federation
Navozande, the musician | Reza Riahi | 2020 | France
Night Bus | Joe Hsieh | 2020 | Taiwan
Night Shift | Linda Stūre | 2019 | Latvia
Nod. Wink. Horse. | Ollie Magee | 2020 | United Kingdom
Poum Poum! | Damien Tran | 2021 | France
Precious | Paul Mas | 2020 | France
Purpleboy | Alexandre Siqueira | 2019 | Portugal
Push This Button if You Begin to Panic | Gabriel Böhmer | 2020 | United Kingdom
Radiovision – Mihovil Logar Speaking | Miloš Tomić | 2019 | Serbia
Room with a Sea View | Leonid Shmelkov | 2020 | Estonia
Serial Parallels | Max Hattler | 2019 | Hong Kong
Sh_t Happens | Michaela Mihalyi & David Štumpf | 2019 | Czech Republic
Sheep, Wolf and a Cup of Tea… | Marion Lacourt | 2019 | France
Socrates’ Adventures in the Under Ground | Aria Covamonas | 2020 | Mexico
Souvenir Souvenir | Bastien Dubois | 2020 | France
Symbiosis | Nadja Andrasev | 2019 | France
Thank you | Julian Gallese | 2020 | United Kingdom
The Chimney Swift | Frédéric Schuld | 2020 | Germany
The Dream Report | Jack O’Shea | 2019 | Ireland
The Hangman at Home | Michelle & Uri Kranot | 2020 | Denmark
The Man and the Head | Nilas Røpke Driessen | 2019 | Denmark
The piece of tail in the mouth of the snake that bites its own tail | Pablo M. Ballarín | 2019 | Estonia
The Stork | Morten Tšinakov & Lucija Mrzljak | 2020 | Estonia
The Surrogate | Stas Santimov | 2020 | Ukraine
The Zucchini’s Smile | Lucas Ansart | 2020 | France
TIE | Alexandra Ramires ( Xá ) | 2020 | Portugal, France
Vadim on a walk | Sasha Svirsky | 2021 | Russian Federation
Washing Machine | Alexandra Májová | 2020 | Czech Republic
We Have Everything | Francisca Villela | 2020 | Chile
What resonates in silence | Marine Blin | 2020 | France
Why Slugs Have No Legs | Aline Höchli | 2019 | Switzerland
WOULD YOU PLEASE? | Ada Güvenir | 2020 | Belgium
TAFF Junior:
A Stone in the Shoe | Eric Montchaud | 2020 | France, Switzerland
Away | Mathilde Pepinster | 2019 | Belgium
Beginning of the Light | Anastasia Melikhova | 2020 | Russian Federation
El Mago Georges | Katalin Egely | 2020 | Argentina
Gon, the Little Fox | Takeshi Yashiro | 2019 |Japan
Kiko and the Animals | Yawen Zheng | 2020 | France
La Bestia | Marlijn van Nuenen & Ram Tamez & Alfredo Gerard Kuttikatt | 2020 | France
Matilda and the Spare Head | Ignas Meilūnas | 2020 | Lithuania
Orgiastic Hyper-Plastic | Paul Bush | 2020 | Denmark, United Kingdom
Pearl Diver | Margrethe Danielsen | 2020 | Norway
Pishto’s Birthday | Sonya Kendel | 2020 | Russian Federation
Sweater | Zilai Feng | 2019 | United States
The Kite | Martin Smatana | 2019 | Czech Republic
The Landing | Kaisa Penttilä | 2021 | Finland
Tide | Joana Rosa Bragança | 2019 | Portugal
TIES | Dina Velikovskaya | 2019 | Germany
National competition:
Afterparty | Lauri Pulkkinen & Hertta Lehtovirta & Sanna Liinamaa & Janne Häkkinen & Ulkrika Fredrikson | 2019 | Finland
All tender things | Tatu Pohjavirta | 2020 | Finland
CRAZY | Inari Sirola | 2019 | United Kingdom
Do I know what I’m looking for? | Ylva-Lii Wahlström | 2019 | Finland
Eating in the Dark | Inari Sirola | 2021 | United Kingdom
Hello | Mikko Aumala | 2020 | Finland
Maybe Ur A Star | Aliina Kauranne | 2019 | Finland
Patent Nr. 314805 | Mika Taanila | 2020 | Finland
Plunger | Lauri Ketonen & Konsta Verta | 2019 | Finland
Rinse and Shine | Iiris Korjus & Katariina Haukka | 2021 | Finland
Taiga | Leena Lehti | 2021 | Finland
The Big Day | Joonas Ennala | 2020 | Finland
The Devil Knocks Thrice | Pauli Setälä | 2020 | Finland
The Landing | Kaisa Penttilä | 2021 | Finland
Treasure Hunt | Paula Garcia | 2020 | Finland
UV-Fright | Ylva-Lii Wahlström | 2019 | Finland
What Time Is | Niina Suominen | 2020 | Finland