Weird Market unveils the best short films in competition
Weird Market is approaching its 14th edition, with the Spanish animation, video games and new media event taking place in Valencia for the first time from 27 September to 2 October. Accreditations are now open.
The organizers announced the 38 works from 18 countries around the world who will compete in the WFest international short film festival, as well as the 12 companies that will take part in the recruiting day.
WFest is divided into two competitions: national and international. The films can be seen for free (after passing through the box office) at the Filmoteca de Valencia (Palazzo Rialto) on Tuesday 27 September; Thursday 29 October; and Sunday 2 October.
Il Spanish competition will contain 11 works, one of which, The first thing by Omar Al Abdul Razzak and Shira Ukrainitz in co-production with France. This documentary presented in Annecy shows the friendship between the only Israeli Orthodox Christian Arab clown and a Syrian girl who survived the war.
One of the hallmarks of this edition is the mix of emerging talents with established names such as Pedro Rivero. The winner of two Goya awards ( Birdboy e Birdboy: The Forgotten Children ) is also the author of the screenplay for The Platform , a feature film that has become a worldwide viral phenomenon. Rivero will arrive in Valencia with Kevin Iglesias to compete with The Days That (Never) Were . The production is supported by festivals such as San Sebastián, Sitges or Zinebi and has been selected internationally in the United States, Colombia, Croatia, Mexico, Turkey and Australia.
ropedAmong the works that will compete to be on the list of winners of the last two Movistar + Short Film Project Awards of Weird Market: He Ran Towards His Comrade by Genis Rigol and Roped by Carmen Córdoba. Two stories with a strong social charge, but from very different perspectives; while the former presents an elderly businessman in search of popularity who displays ethical and moral contradictions, the latter presents the bonds between mother and daughter in a personal and intimate way. Córdoba's first film, Roberto, won more than 160 national and international awards, including selection in 11 festivals that qualified for the Oscars.
Topical issues and conflicts will be very present in the themes of the film selection, with a clear example being The Heights by Alejandro Salgado, an award-winning author who here sets his sights on the women carriers on both sides of the Ceuta and Melilla border. Carlos Saiz's Muerte Murciélago confronts the viewer with a child in an isolated city with toxic water, who begins to imagine his future away from there. Choche Hurtado brings Kokuruga # 2, a short film screened in Clermont Ferrand where his bitter humor and portrayal of the loss of innocence and the transition from childhood to pre-adolescence stood out.
Good night, Mr. TedSuspense and noir style are featured in Naive Mischief in Manson and Marc Torres' Oak Paso, Nicolás Solé's Good Night Mr. Ted and Alex Rey's Phonorama. Animator and cartoonist Torres uses a reduced color palette for this work that carries the vibe of series like American Crime Story or Twin Peaks. Solé uses black and white to immerse a teddy bear in a classic crime drama. Finally, Rey blends a passion for film, illustration and animation in her version of a story inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's The Backyard Window.
Local talent who will also be represented by Nicolás Petelski and his short film Hot Singles in Your Area. Petelski participated with his debut film A Table Game in the 2018 edition.
WetIl international competition will present 27 short films from a total of 17 cinemas from all over the planet. A wide amalgam of techniques ranging from stop motion to digital 3D to drawing on paper. The most represented country is France with a total of six works, three of which are in co-production: Cuddle by Margot Reumont (co-production with Belgium), Anxious body by Yoriko Mizushiri (Japan) e Yugo by Carlos Gómez Salamanca (Colombia). The others are Abstain by Marc Héricher, Horizon of Success by Théophile Gibaud e Wet by Marianne Bergeonneau, Mélina Mandon, Lauriane Montpert, Chloé Peyrebrune and Elvira Taussac.
The UK is in second place with five short films: Night of the Living Dread by Ida Melum, Spring Roll Dream by Mai Vu, Your mountain is waiting by Hannah Jacobs, Curiosities by Tessa Moult-Milewska e Black Slide by Uri Lotan (co-production with Israel).
Louis I. King of the sheepLinked with three works each are Germany and Switzerland. The first backs Benztown by Gottfried Mentor, Louis I. King of the Sheep by Markus Wulf e Hysteresis by Robert Seidel, while for the Swiss part there are the record by Jonathan Laskar, Sweet nothing by Joana Fischer and Marie Kenov e sauna by Anna Lena Primavera and Lara Perren.
The selection is completed by two short films from the Netherlands: Pig by Jorn Leeuwerink e Sprite Fright by Matthew Luhn; two works from the United States: bottle cap by Marie Hyon and Marco Spier, e Meal on the plate Chenglin Xie (in co-production with China); and the rest of the works that will compete for a place on the final list of winners are Elevator Halo by Anastasia Papadopoulou (Greece), Passenger by Juan Pablo Zaramella (Argentina), Amok by Balázs Turai (Hungary), Iizuna Fair by Sumito Sakakibara (Japan), Bestia by Hugo Covarrubias (Chile) e Dog Apartment by Priit Tender (Estonia).
Iizuna FairOne of the highlights of the agenda of each edition of the Weird Market is the recruiting day, in which the leading companies in the sector will try to recruit new talents. A total of 12 international studios will have their talent scouts for this research which brings together more candidates each year.
On the morning of Thursday 29 September, 3 Doubles Producciones, Ánima Kitchent, El Ranchito, Hampa Studio, Mago Production, Lusco Fusco Animation, The Glow Animation Studio, Wise Blue Studios, B Water Animation Studios, The SPA Studios, Aupa Studio and TV ON Producciones will review portfolios and conduct interviews to build their teams.
