Charlottetown – Seven short films in one night make up Short Stuff II, a free evening of film at the Confederation Centre Art Gallery. Ranging from four and a half minutes to just over 17 minutes long, the seven films cover topics as diverse as immigration to the nuisance of blackflies. Five of the films do not even contain spoken words.
Organized by Melanie Comeau, a gallery co-op student from École François-Buote, Short Stuff II begins at 7 p.m. July 22 and is free to attend. The films are from the National Film Board.
The films include:
1974 – 8 min 07 sec
1974 is a mystical experience, a shimmering odyssey into the mysteries of perception. Up to 24 strata of different materials from oil paint to pencil drawings, filmed under the animation camera, contribute to the visual richness of the film, while progressive rock composed by Robert M. Lepage adds a harmonious counterpoint.
The Apprentice/L'Apprenti – 9 min
An old fool meets a young fool at a crossroads in the 14th century. The old fool stays at the crossroads while the young fool skips blindly down the wrong road. The old fool must teach his young apprentice about the trials and tribulations of taking the wrong road. A quirky tale in imaginative animation.
Baroque'n Roll – 4 min 29 sec
A young immigrant is rejected because of his different ways and unusual clothing but is eventually accepted by the other kids when he impresses them with his bravery and resourcefulness. Based on article 30 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, this film illustrates the right of children belonging to minority groups to enjoy their own culture, religion and language.
Sainte barbe – 7 min 45 sec
Little bald Léon loves his grandfathers bushy black beard, which seems endowed with magic powers. It even turns caterpillars into butterflies. But Léon's grandmother wants to cut off the unkempt beard and regain the distinguished-looking man she married, who wore just a tidy moustache. When the old man's asleep, grandmother prowls, scissors in hand, but Léon's keeping a watchful eye on her. As long as grandpa lives, the beard will stay!
Madame Tutli-Putli – 17 min 21 sec
The National Film Board of Canada presents a stunning, stop-motion animated film that takes the viewer on an exhilarating existential journey. The film introduces groundbreaking visual techniques and is supported by a haunting and original score. Painstaking care and craftsmanship in form and detail bring to life a fully imagined, tactile world unlike any you have seen.
Sleeping Betty – 9 min 13 sec
Princess Betty sleeps in a narcoleptic stupor. The king appeals to his subjects to wake her, and several respond: Uncle Henry VIII, Aunt Victoria, an emotional alien, a cool witch and a handsome prince. But will Betty be wakened with just a kiss?
Drawn in India ink, this animation presents Claude Cloutier’s disjointed, anachronistic and playful universe.
Blackfly – 5 mins 06 sec
Blackfly is a breakneck romp based on the song of the same title, written and sung by Canadian folk singer Wade Hemsworth, with back-up vocals by Kate and Anna McGarrigle. This animated film recounts Hemsworth's battles with this quintessential "critter" during a summer of surveying in Northern Ontario.
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Media contact: Dan Wall, publicist, Confederation Centre of the Arts, phone (902) 628-6135
Email: confederationcentre.com, web www.confederationcentre.com
or
Megan Gauthier, PR assistant, phone (902) 628-1864 ext 315, Email: confederationcentre.com