Palm Springs ShortFest nominates 40 films for Oscar-winning animation competition

The 27th annual Palm Springs International Short Fest returns to hold all its screenings in the theater at Camelot Theaters (Palm Springs Cultural Center) from 22 to 28 June. The festival will screen 49 curated programs with 295 films, including 32 world premieres, 13 international premieres, 46 North American premieres and 22 US premieres. More than 5.500 short films from 104 countries were presented.

"As we move towards this next phase together, we feel a strong sense of gratitude for sharing the 2021 edition of the ShortFest in person," said art director Lili Rodriguez. "At the heart of our plans has been a commitment to this large community of storytellers and viewers and we are thrilled to make our return to the big screen safe and fun."

Highlights of the animation selection include new and bubbly works such as Joanna Quinn's Business of Art, by Claude Cloutier bad seeds, Reza Riahi's Navozande, the musician o Parrot, a thesis film by emerging Swiss animator Sunitha Sangaré that premiered in Palm Springs, as well as internationally awarded pieces such as the film by Jean-François Lévesque I, Barnabe, Kristian Mercado Figueroa's New Rico, Bastien Dubois' Souvenirs, Souvenirs and by Daria Kopiec Your bullshit.

ShortFest Co-Directors of Programming Linton Melita and Sudeep Sharma said, “The entire programming team was amazed by the quality and quantity of amazing films made and presented in these unprecedented times. We think this program represents the best work of exciting, daring and talented directors from all over the world and we can't wait to celebrate them by sharing their films in a theater with an in-person audience! "

The winners of the jury prize will be announced on Sunday June 27 by the official selection, presenting them with prizes and cash prizes worth $ 25.000 including five Academy Award qualifiers (including the best animated short film). Over the course of 26 years, the festival has presented over 100 films that have received Oscar nominations. The festival also features a Best Animated Short Film for Students category.

Parrot

This year's animation selections are:

• Fashionable (France) Director: Jean Lecointre
• Business of Art (UK / Canada) Director: Joanna Quinn
• Service after life (France) Directors: Coline César, Florent Chaput, Steven Lecomte, Claire Maury, Emilie Milcent, Sophie Payan
• All those feelings in my belly (Croatia / Portugal) Director: Marko Dješka (Documentary)
• Are you still watching? (Australia) Directors: Tali Polichtuk, Alex Cardy, Kitty Chrystal
• bad seeds (Canada) Director: Claude Cloutier (first in the United States)

• bear (USA) Director: Cherry Zhou
• BoxBalet (Russia) Director: Anton Dyakov
• Cockpera (Croatia) Director: Kata Gugić
• Colored (South Korea) Director: Jae Hyeon Cha, Byeong Hyeon Hwang
• Friend of a friend (France) Director: Zachary Zezima
• Ghost dogs (USA) Director: Joe Cappa
• Goodnight Tomato (France) Director: Cyprien Nozières (American premiere)

• Golden Heart (France) Director: Simon Filliot
• Orazio (France) Director: Caroline Cherrier
• I, Barnabe (Canada) Director: Jean-François Lévesque
• I'm here (Poland) Director: Julia Orlik
• It's all the salt's fault (Colombia) Director: María Cristina Pérez González (American premiere)
• Love is only a death away (Czech Republic) Director: Bára Anna Stejskalová
• Millennial Prince (USA) Director: Julie Fliegenspan
• Misery loves company (South Korea / USA) Director: Sasha Lee
• Navozande, the musician (France) Director: Reza Riahi
• Night bus (Taiwan) Director: Joe Chan (first in the United States)
• New Rico (USA) Director: Kristian Mercado Figueroa
• Our bed is green (USA) Director: Maggie Brennan
• Our mine (USA) Director: Shayna Strype (California premiere)
• Pigeon (South Korea / USA) Director: Sang Joon Kim (North American Premiere)

• Polka dot boy (France) Director: Sarina Nihei
• After giving birth (Germany) Director: Henriette Rietz
• car scratch (France) Directed by: Chenghua Yang (American premiere)
• Remember Remember (France) Director: Bastien Dubois (Documentary)
• Enter the river (China / France) Directed by: Weijia Ma
• A stone in the shoe (France / Switzerland) Directed by: Eric Montchaud (North America premiere)
• Parrot (Switzerland) Director: Sunitha Sangaré (International Premiere)
• The machinist (Germany) Director: Christian Wittmoser, Zuniel Kim (Documentary, North American Premiere)

• TULIPANO (USA) Director: Andrea Love, Phoebe Wahl
• The walk (Canada) Director: Yoakim Bélanger (American premiere)
• We have a heart (Poland) Director: Katarzyna Warzecha (Documentary)
• What resonates in the silence (France) Director: Marine Blin
• Your bullshit (Poland) Director: Daria Kopiec

The ShortFest Forum will also take place from 22 to 28 June, with virtual lectures and panels with industry representatives, directors and additional guests. ShortFest remains dedicated to providing a space to facilitate connections between creators, industry and the festival audience. This year's panels will cover a wide range of topics, including building an inclusive set, international co-productions and collaborations, short film distribution, documentary landscape, feature film distribution, festival strategy, financing of feature films, festival programming, pitching, social change and impact cinema, moving from short films to feature films, working with actors and private round tables with agents, managers and workshops, grants and artist development. A list of industry attendees will be announced closer to the event. ShortFest directors will have priority access to the ShortFest Forum. Seven of the panels will be available to the general public, subject to mandatory registration. Registration open today.

The complete line-up and program of the film are available on www.psfilmfest.org.