International competition
This year, Fantoche is once again presenting a diverse selection of films in every respect. The selection team chose 25 animated short films to screen in the four competition programmes: Films that inspire, surprise and broaden horizons.
From February to June, the annual Fantoche selection process takes place. For this year’s edition, around 160 films, picked from more than 2,800 short film submissions, made it into the final deliberations. After careful consideration and fervent debates, 25 films were selected for the International Competition. The films are authored by 26 directors living in 18 different countries, of which 13 are female, 10 are male and three are non-binary. Moreover, we are thrilled and proud to announce that in this year’s edition, two thirds of the films will be celebrating their premieres.
A recurring theme in this year’s International Competition is the feeling of unrest. Through the condensed lens of animation, the viewer is confronted with war, protest and climate change, witnesses relational conflicts with others and themselves, encounters unfulfilled dreams and nightmares, engages in grief and consolation.
In the warm embrace of a cinema seat, we learn frame by frame how navigating unrest can unfold, even peacefully.
Compared to the previous two years, where computer-drawn 2D films dominated, we are seeing a renaissance in the use of different types of animation techniques. Particularly computer-generated 3D animations stand out with a distinctive, bold and experimental approach, and are represented by four films.
We hope you enjoy watching our selection of films from all over the world.