REX Festival Program 2022
As every year, the festival main event will take place at one of the oldest cinemas in Stockholm, Zita Folkets Bio. This edition, the selection consists of the newest and greatest European animated short films, produced through 2021-2022.
With more than 110 films selected, spread in 12 different thematic programs such as: Darks, Realities, Families, Walls, Comedy and Absurd, REXperimental, MIX, Animated Music Videos, Stop Motion, Swedish Animation, Kids and EUNIC Travelling Program, REX tries to bring to the animation enthusiasts of Stockholm a variety of different techniques of animation as well as variety of many different stories and topics, made by the hands of some of the top animators in Europe!
Besides all the thematic programs we also have one program in competition which is dedicated only to the Swedish Students of Animation who will bring to us their graduation projects.
We haven’t forgotten about the little ones! There will be three blocks of animated short films dedicated for our beloved youngsters, starting from 29-31.10.
Schedule 2022
Saturday 29.10 Zita Folkets Bio
REX kicks off with Animationsdagen at Filmhuset! A day of talks, panels, and the opening screening of REX. Arranged by Creative Europe Desk
MEDIA Stockholm in collaboration with REX Animation Film Festival.
Filmhuset, Bio Mauritz 13:00
Animationsdagen
Zita Folkets Bio 29.10. – 06.11.
Here are our thematic blocks, including Kids programs and Student Competition
Saturday 29.10.
ZITA 3 14:00
KIDS 1
ZITA 1 18:00
Stop Motion
ZITA 1 19:30
Realities 1
Sunday 30.10.
ZITA 3 14:00
KIDS 2
ZITA 1 18:00
Darks 1
ZITA 1 19:30
Comedy and Absurd
Monday 31.10.
ZITA 3 14:00
KIDS 3
ZITA 2 19:30
Families 1
ZITA 2 19:30
Walls
Tuesday 01.11.
ZITA 2 18:00
Comedy and Absurd 2
ZITA 2 19:30
Realities 2
Wednesday 02.11.
ZITA 1 18:00
Swedish Animation
ZITA 2 19:30
Darks 2
Thursday 03.11.
ZITA 1 18:00
Student Competition
ZITA 2 19:30
M i X
Friday 04.11.
ZITA 2 18:00
Families 2
Saturday 05.11.
ZITA 2 14:00
REXperimental
ZITA 2 16:00
Animated Music Videos
Sunday 06.11.
ZITA 1 18:00
EUNIC Travelling Program
Films
Stop Motion
6 shorts of this block will bring to us the feeling of the very traditional way of making animation. From making the puppets and the sets to animating them, everything in this block is simply perfection!
ZITA 1 Saturday 29.10. 18:00
Stop Motion
THE BLACK reCAT
By Paolo Gaudio
Italy
5:44
A stop motion adaptation of the novel by E. A. Poe ‘The Black Cat’.
Stop Motion
Oh So Convenient
By Huei Jen Hung
Estonia, Taiwan
4:40
A man who has a unique way of using toilet paper after pooping.
A couple who always order food because they don’t like to put on clothes.
A family who has a way to avoid washing dishes.
A woman who likes her table to be sparkly clean.
People use bags for every little thing.
Just like that, the convenience of life at your fingertips which we enjoy every single day.
Too much waste? No problem, flash them all down to the toilet!
Stop Motion
Til We Meet Again
By Ülo Pikkov
Estonia
14:09
Animation short “‘Til We Meet Again” talks about the tragic history of a small Ruhnu Island. Fearing for their lives, its entire population abandoned their homes while escaping the war in 1944. Decades later they had a chance to finally return, only to find out that the strangers had settled in. In addition to the twists and turns of the history, “‘Til We Meet Again” looks deeper into the meaning of home – is it merely a location or a place that gives one a peace of mind.
Stop Motion
Other Half
By Lina Kalcheva
United Kingdom
13:20
As an Individual Being in a world comprised of Merged Couples, Ren longs to find his other half and become complete.
Stop Motion
HEXED
By Louise Bongartz, D. Forest Gamble, Francisco Martins Fontes
Spain
04:33
As an Individual Being in a world comprised of Merged Couples, Ren longs to find his other half and become complete.
Stop Motion
Laika & Nemo
By Jan Gadermann, Sebastian Gadow
Germany
15:00
Nemo looks different. Nobody else wears a diving suit and such a huge helmet. But then he meets Laika, an astronaut.
REX Animation Film Festival presents a selection of recent European animated short films. 15+ means that films are suitable for ages 15 years and up. All the films that are in a language other than English are subtitled in English.
This year’s shorts are curated into 12 different thematic programs such as: Darks, Realities, Families, Walls, Comedy and Absurd, REXperimental, MIX, Animated Music Videos, Stop Motion, Swedish Animation, Kids and EUNIC Travelling Program
And of course there will be Student Competition which is dedicated to Swedish students of animation.
The 3 short film blocks for children are suitable for 7+ years old.
REX Animationsfestival presenterar ett urval av nya europeiska animerade kortfilmer. Märkningen 15+ betyder att filmerna har åldersgräns 15 år, Filmer med språk har alltid engelska undertexter.
Årets 6 tematiska kortfilmsblock för vuxna är: Families, Stop Motion, Warped Worlds, Walls, Studies and Grownups. And 2 thematic
Självklart har vi även 2 kortfilmsblock för barn: REX for Kids I (7+) och REX for Kids II (5+). Filmerna i REX for Kids I har språk och live-översätts därför på scen av de enastående sagoberättarna Bland drakar och dragqueens och artisten Carnita Molida.
Block of 4 Shorts • 48 min • 15+ • English subtitles
Realities 1 –>
6 Two blocks of animated documentary shorts will show us nine different stories based on true events.
ZITA 1 Saturday 29.10. 19:30
Realities 1
Letter to a Pig
By Tal KANTOR
France
16:40
A Holocaust survivor reads a letter he wrote to the pig who saved his life. A young schoolgirl hears his testimony in class and sinks into a twisted dream where she confronts questions of identity, collective trauma, and the extremes of human nature.
.
Realities 1
WAR
By Dimitar Dimitrov
Bulgaria
06:17
A little girl named WAR, with surial abilities, grows up
isolated in a foster home. Flowers wither, trees
dry up, objects are set on fire by the proximity and her touch. One
day WAR escapes from the orphanage, unfolding to
extreme her gift, causing all sorts of disasters to
humanity. When everything seems hopeless and the world is in
flames and ashes, on the last unburned island, in a ray
light, WAR meets love in the face of a boy named PEACE.
.
Realities 1
Once upon a time in Israel
By Weronika Szyma
Poland
10:44
An animated documentary in the form of a travel journal. A girl while being in love with a Palestinian boy goes to Israel for the first time. Her simplified vision of the world and a desire to take sides in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is quickly confronted with the reality of living on the border of Sderot and the Gaza Strip.
Realities 1
Garrano
By Vasco Sá, David Doutel
Portugal
14:08
AA Garrano horse is forced to pull a heavy load under a blazing sun.
Young boy Joel discovers a man who is about to set a forest on fire.
Block of 5 Shorts • 57 min • 15+ • English subtitles
Realities 2 –>
6 Two blocks of animated documentary shorts will show us nine different stories based on true events.
ZITA 2 Tuesday 01.11. 19:30
Realities 2
Silvering
By Eilidh Nicoll
United Kingdom
05:57
Upon discovering a grey hair, a woman becomes entangled in insecurity and fear of the future. The sanctuary of the bathroom takes a turn for the sinister as she spirals into a panic – and the hair becomes her tormentor.
Realities 2
Homebird
By Ewa Smyk
United Kingdom
09:55
Struggling to make it in a big city, a young artist finds herself retreating into the rose-tinted memories of the village she left behind.
Realities 2
Slow Light
By Katarzyna KIJEK, Przemysław ADAMSKI
Poland
11:00
A boy who was born blind, suddenly at the age of seven sees a light. A medical examination reveals that his eyes are so dense that it takes seven years for the light to reach the retina and hence for the image to reach his consciousness.
The consequence of the eye defect translates into the mental immaturity of the man, lack of understanding of the present and belated reflections on long-gone facts. The man is never mature enough for his age and constantly lingers on the past.
Film made in original technique representing the tactile reality of the present and 2D animation showing the past.
Realities 2
Another Presence
By Simon Ball
United Kingdom
12:00
Another Presence recounts the unique and often curious experiences of people living with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), the third most common form of dementia. A multi-sensory condition that can cause dream-like symptoms, it’s a condition like no other. Told through the testimonies of those living with DLB, the film explores the surreal and lesser known effects of dementia, compelling us to question how our brains function and to what extent we can trust our senses.
Realities 2
Camille
By Eric Ledune
Belgium
18:00
A Holocaust survivor reads a letter he wrote to the pig who saved his life. A young schoolgirl hears his testimony in class and sinks into a twisted dream where she confronts questions of identity, collective trauma, and the extremes of human nature.
.
Block of 5 Shorts • 51 min • 15+ • English subtitles
Darks 1 –>
Death, killing, diseases, mental illness, pornography, depresion, war and other dark events were put together in these two blocks of animated shorts that we obviously decided to call them Darks.
ZITA 1 Sunday 30.10. 18:00
Darks 1
The Seine’s tears
By Yanis Belaid, Eliott Benard, Nicolas Mayeur, Etienne Moulin, Hadrien Pinot, Lisa Vicente, Philippine Singer, Alice Letailleur
France
08:49
17 october 1961, “Algerian workers” get down the streets to manifest against the mandatory curfew imposed by the Police prefecture.
Darks 1
In his Mercy
By Christoph Büttner
Germany
11:55
One evening a prison director announces to a convict being executed next day. As by a miracle later at night the cell door opens. Being exhausted by endless interrogations the convict drags on through dark prison corridors. On his odyssey to gain freedom he is tossed back and forth by various mental states: his fear of being discovered, his hope for salvation and moments of sheer madness.
Darks 1
Pieceful day
By Gabrielle Mouret
France
06:00
Someone wake up somewhere and his carried away by his daily life.
Darks 1
The awakening of the insects
By Stephanie Lansaque, Francois Leroy
France
14:09
Hong Kong. Mr Lam is an old gentleman who loses his memory since the death of his wife. On March 5, the day of “the awakening of the hibernating insects”, he receives the unexpected visit of old Ms. Meng. This Taoist exorcist is determined to chase the demons lodging in the head of the old man.
Darks 1
Fall of the Ibis King
By Mikai Geronimo, Josh O’CAOIMH
Ireland
10:00
The antagonist of a dark opera becomes increasingly unsettled following the unlikely return of the former lead actor.
Block of 6 Shorts • 57 min • 15+ • English subtitles
Darks 2 –>
Death, killing, diseases, mental illness, pornography, depresion, war and other dark events were put together in these two blocks of animated shorts that we obviously decided to call them Darks.
ZITA 2 Wednesday 02.11. 19:30
Darks 2
Granny’s Sexual Life
By Urška Djukić, Émilie Pigeard
France, Slovenia
13:40
Four old women, reflect on their memories of old times when they were young and how different the relationships between men and women were back then. Their voices merge into one single voice, that of the grandmother Vera, who tells her story in proper detail. A trip into grandmother’s youth and the memories of her intimate life illustrate the status of Slovenian women in the first half of the 20th century.
Darks 2
Mom, what’s up with the dog?
By Lola LEFEVRE
France
07:09
Gwen is a young girl who just turned 11. As she discovers her sexuality, she catches her dog laughing.
Darks 2
In case the body exults
By Florian Genthial
France
07:00
On a movie set, Johann, a young camera opérator, shoot a rape seen. Even he is friend with the actress, he became more an actor of this decad system than a witness.
Darks 2
The Night Watch
By Julien Regnard
Belgium
12:00
A couple rushes out of a glamorous party. On their way home, an argument leads to a brutal car accident. When George regains consciousness, Christina has disappeared. He will then experience a real descent into hell.
Darks 2
La Meute
By Louise Cottin-Euziol, Lou-Anne Abdou, Antoine Blossier Gacic, Charline Hedreville, Agathe Moulin, Victoria Normand, Gabriel Saint-Frison
France
06:09
After a harrassing day, Marion, a young woman in her twenties, recounts her story to a policeman, hoping to be unterstood. For her, the responsible one is part of the hounds. For him, she is the one responsible.
Darks 2
US
By Nelson Fernandes
Portugal
05:00
“Us” is a short film of animation which mixes several Stop Motion techniques, proposing a journey through the conflicted human condition. War, loneliness, nature, crossings, fallen dreams are some of the recurring aspects in this animated poem on paper.
Block of 7 Shorts • 50 min • 15+ • English subtitles
Comedy and Absurd 1 –>
Comedy and Absurd or nonsense humour highlights the ridiculousness of life, pushing normally accepted realities to nonsense extremes, these two blocks will give the audience a fresh and new perspective.
ZITA 1 Sunday 30.10. 19:30
Comedy and Absurd 1
Regular
By Nata Metlukh
Ukraine, United States
05:00
The story is set in a graphic design world where fonts are the main characters. They interact with the environment according to their properties: Bold makes everything thicker, Italic tilts things, Monospace equalizes objects by width, etc. Fonts are assigned to build a garden, and the five boxing wizards jump in quickly to inspect their work. A negative space storm flushes everything away, but Regular comes and fixes the garden.
Comedy and Absurd 1
Cuties
By Theo W Scott
United Kingdom
05:00
BFI Network Presents: A hand-drawn sequential telling of human history in all its horror and glory, culminating in our next evolutionary leap.
Cuties explores the elusive beauty in how we as a species continue forward in spite of our proclivity for destruction.
Comedy and Absurd 1
RIM
By Hagar Faibish
Germany
06:47
The isolation of a character from his dystopian world and a fusion with a virtual world of television. While trying to purchase a key that promises escape from his dreary outside world and free his mind, the character loses touch with his outer world bit by bit and diffuses with a TV program.
Comedy and Absurd 1
Goodbye Jérôme!
By Gabrielle SELNET, Adam SILLARD, Chloé FARR
France
07:44
Having just arrived in paradise, Jerome sets out to find his wife Maryline. In the course of his search, he sinks into a surreal and colourful world in which no one seems to be able to help him.
Comedy and Absurd 1
To the last Drop
By Simon Schnellmann
Germany
05:46
In the rhythm of the dripping chemo, an IV pole fights for the life of a cancer patient.
Comedy and Absurd 1
Sierra
By Sander Joon
Estonia
15:00
Father and his son are losing the folkrace. In order to win, a boy turns himself into a car tire. Loosely inspired by the director’s childhood, Sierra pulls us into the surreal car racing world.
Comedy and Absurd 1
Sauna
By Anna Lena Spring, Lara Perren
Switzerland
04:19
Ava enters the Sauna for the first time. She is overwhelmed by the nudity, her thoughts, and the physical sensations. The other guests go about their routines. With the rising heat Ava starts to relax. Finally, she melts away and dissolves into complete ecstasy.
Block of 3 Shorts • 50 min • 15+ • English subtitles
Comedy and Absurd 2 –>
Comedy and Absurd or nonsense humour highlights the ridiculousness of life, pushing normally accepted realities to nonsense extremes, these two blocks will give the audience a fresh and new perspective.
ZITA 2 Tuesday 01.11. 16:00
Comedy and Absurd 2
A Town Called Panic: The Summer Holidays
By Vincent Patar, Stéphane Aubier
France
26:00
School is over. Indian and Cowboy are getting bored. They decide to build a boat and set out in search of adventure. But their first attempt is a disaster. With the help of the animals, they finally manage to inaugurate their proud vessel. But of course, nothing will happen as planned…
Comedy and Absurd 2
A Film About a Pudding
By Roel Van Beek
United Kingdom
09:25
After Ronin neglects to clear up her dropped groceries, they start to mix and bubble, transforming into a small pudding. Whilst this initially seems odd, for Ronin, it is easily ignorable. Over the next few days, the pudding grows bigger and bigger. As it threatens to engulf the entire city how far will she, and the other inhabitants of her city, go to continue ignoring it?
Comedy and Absurd 2
My Tiger
By Jean-Jean Arnoux
France
14:10
Mr K works for « Pastagel », a miraculous product which keeps your hair perfectly smooth and shiny all day long. Mr K tries to be neat, but his hair is rebellious and doesn’t stay in place, perhaps just like him?
Block of 7 Shorts • 54 min • 15+ • English subtitles
Families 1 –>
Relationships between families, parents, partners, friends, colleagues etc, are often lovely, but they can be complicated as well. These 2 blocks of shorts treat all kinds of relationships in society these days!
ZITA 2 Monday 31.10. 18:00
Families 1
Almost Unreal
By Eve de Montbrial, Léa Vasselle-Bossy, Margaux KempffDirector, Grégoire Deranville, Ambre Jacques, Eléonore Chaumont, Alexis Descamps
France
06:22
Obsessed with the loss of his sister, an old janitor creates a magical world through collage, hoping to bring her back. But when he thinks he has found her, his perfect world falls apart…
Families 1
Good Job
By Eric BRADFORD, Techin CHEN, Virág NEGYEDY, Jose Alejandro SEGURA MENA
France
05:10
With her deadline fast approaching, Mimi the cat panics across the vast halls of a tech company on a mission to gain approval from her uncaring superiors.
Families 1
The General’s Room
By Georges Marion
Danmark
07:58
A young boy’s understanding of his parents’ decision to sell their old family house will confront him with his family’s roots, and blur the border between past and present.
Families 1
In The Upper Room
By Alexander Gratzer
Austria, Hungary
08:09
Every season a young mole visits his blind grandfather, who lives deep underground in a comfortably decorated burrow. As the two grow older their relationship becomes more intense and important questions arise.
Families 1
Steakhouse
By Špela Čadež
Slovenia, France, Germany
09:30
The steak has been marinating for a few days now. The pan is heated. Franc’s stomach is rumbling. But Liza’s
co-workers surprise her with a birthday party. Will she be home on time?
Families 1
THE CLEARING
By Daniel Hope
United Kingdom
12:33
In a desperate battle with his ballooning ego, Bill struggles in vain to re-woo Deb with his below-par outdoor skills and, quite frankly, shocking behaviour, until their last-ditch camping trip takes a VERY sinister turn.
Families 1
IRIS
By Iris Kea Pontoni Wachowicz
Netherlands
03:49
As a child, I was frequently asked, “Iris, why don’t you have a father?” To me, a strange question. That I was being raised by 2 mothers and did not see my father a lot, I considered to be perfectly normal. Yet it wasn’t.
In the animated film IRIS, I share my origin story. The story I have always been asked so many questions about. I share the quest of my mothers who, in the 90’s, searched for a suitable man to fulfill their wish. In the film I highlight the coincidences and events in their life that lead to the decisions that were made. And those decisions have lead to a new life, my life.
Block of 5 Shorts • 53 min • 15+ • English subtitles
Families 2 –>
Relationships between families, parents, partners, friends, colleagues etc, are often lovely, but they can be complicated as well. These 2 blocks of shorts treat all kinds of relationships in society these days!
ZITA 2 Friday 04.11. 18:00
Families 2
Pachyderme
By Stéphanie Clément
France
11:00
As every summer, Louise is entrusted to her grand-parents for a few days of vacation in the country. The green grass of the garden, the swimming in the lake, the fishing with Grandpa, everything seems as sweet as Grandma’s strawberry pies. Yet this year, the snow will fall in summer and a monster will die.
Families 2
Bardo
By Aisling Conroy
Ireland
04:06
A woman questions her lifestyle choices when the travails of urban living are one day jolted into juxtaposition with a simpler way of life.
Families 2
Troublemaker Tommy
By Rao Heidmets, Pauline Heidmets
Estonia
14:58
The benefits of urban life also attract forest animals. Life in a zoo is everyone’s dream.
Families 2
Luce and the Rock
By Britt Raes
Belgium
12:59
One day, out of nowhere, a giant Rock lays in the middle of the peaceful little village where Luce lives. The villagers can’t even open the door to their houses anymore! Luce is angry: go away Rock, you don’t belong here! And why are you here anyway?
Families 2
The Sausage Run
By Thomas Stellmach
Belgium, Germany
09:54
The 10-minutes cartoon film THE SAUSAGE RUN tells the tragic story of a little lamb with the help of multiple Zoetropes, loosely based on the well-known Grimm’s fairy tale ‘Little Red Riding Hood’.
The roles of the humans and animals are exchanged. The human characters in the film are depicted as anthropomorphous animals. The animal in the story, the big bad wolf, is here a human being.
Block of 6 Shorts • 49 min • 15+ • English subtitles
Swedish Animation –>
Not only for the support that we as a festival should pay to the Swedish animation but also for the quality of the films and the topics that they treated, having a block of Swedish animated Shorts at REX this year was unavoidable and we love it!
ZITA 1 Wednesday 02.11. 18:00
Swedish Animation
A Long Protracted Scene of An Accident
By Lisa Rydberg, Lars Henrik Andersson
Sweden
14:30
Henrik (10 years old) is given an important task by his Dad. Keep track of your mum while he’s away. Henrik tries to. But what did that really mean.? One day Henrik finds a letter in his mum’s handwriting; “I don’t wanna live anymore…”
Through its uniquely shaped narrative, drawn out in whimsical animation, this film invites us to bear witness to the emotional struggle of a nuclear family. It is a subtle but decisive reminder of the scary dysfunctionality of family that often promises to keep us safe. As the young protagonist struggles with too much responsibility, we witness how he carries the burden of his parents’ obstacles and we become fully immersed in his anxiety as a child. The film is embellished with humor to balance and counter the dark and disturbing content.
Swedish Animation
The Calling
By Frida E. Elmström
Sweden
08:03
The Animal hears a calling and decides to find its source. At the bottom of a well it discovers something both frightening and familiar.
Swedish Animation
Florian
By Gustav Bengtsson, David Bengtsson
Sweden
14:50
Florian is a young boy who escapes the abuse of a diabolical stepfather and instead settles in nature with his robot Vinnie, where he builds a hut to get away from it all, but something draws him back to civilization.
Swedish Animation
The Negro Space Program ®
By Marien Singbo Wa Tata
Sweden
02:05
A man on a walk has a cautionary encounter which sends him on an intense ancestral journey through spacetime. A metaphysical trip about race, colonialism, and belonging unravels.
Swedish Animation
Lunar Love & Ever
By Gabriel Gabriel Garble
Sweden
02:20
A full moon keeps everyone awake, especially one moon-obsessed ladybird. Will it ever reach the moon??
Swedish Animation
Smile
By Jonas Forsman
Sweden
06:51
GroM wakes up one morning to find that his mouth is stuck in a sour face. He, who wants to be happy and smile! His friend LobO comes visiting and together they embark on a journey to find a GroM’s smile. They try with a circus visit and with magic potions, but it only makes things worse. Will GroM ever Smile again?
Block of 6 Shorts • 55 min • 15+ • English subtitles
M I X –>
Six amazing shorts that didn’t fit to any of the thematic blocks but were too good to be left outside, we decided to put them together in one block called MIX.
ZITA 2 Thursday 03.11. 19:30
M I X
The Record
By Jonathan Laskar
Switzerland
08:38
An antique music instrument dealer recieves a magical vinyle record from a traveller: “It reads your mind and plays your lost memories”. Obsessed by this endless record, the antique dealer listens to it again and again, and the memories reemerge until one last and most painful memory is revealed: how he got separated from his mother on the Swiss border during World War II.
M I X
45”
By Lucija Oroz
Croatia
04:50
Fear is part of our identity, it is our everyday life and we experience it in different ways. We grow up with it, and over time we overcome or suppress it. However, it is always present, transforms itself into something else, follows our steps, and enters our dreams. It is said that fear has big eyes, they grow where we meet the unknown and then, to some aspects of reality, such as time, we give unrealistic proportions. Only when the fear is overcome, the eyes shrink and the picture becomes clearer.
M I X
Contretemps
By Claire SUN, Chloé MAINGÉ, Lise LÉGIER, Laurine BAILLE, Gabriel GÉRARD
France
06:49
Living with OCD, Anna has an organized routine. This balance breaks when her sister forgets a piece of
instrument. To bring it back, Anna has to face a world out of her control in which her fears materialize.
M I X
Slouch
By Michael Bohnenstingl
Germany
18:00
Wannabe musical legend Slouch is pushed by his song-writing-demon Nuffti to deep dive into his darkest emotions, while his girlfriend Lisa is pregnant and wants him to transition into a harmonic family life…
M I X
Seniors 3000
By Julien David
France
16:25
A biomechanical fusion between Marlene, a secretary who has been working for 30 years, and the model x3000 printer is going to create a new generation of workers: the senior 3000. The revolution in the work world is underway!…
M I X
Of the waiting
By Adriano Vessichelli
Italy
03:49
A journey within the ruins of memory.
Block of 8 Shorts • 55 min • 15+ • English subtitles
REXperimental –>
In contrast to mainstream animation, experimental animation challenges our perception and emotions. It often lacks a clear narrative structure – you often cannot anticipate what will happen next. If you want to understand it, you need to look beyond the usual narrative and technical explanation.
ZITA 2 Saturday 05.11. 14:00
REXperimental
The blind writer
By Georges Sifianos
Greece
10:00
The drawings of this film were made blindfolded, that is, without looking at them while drawing but using only tactile cues. This constraint deconstructs the individual drawings, which are then assembled into a whole in the viewer’s mind. The film gropes along like a blind man. This reflects the writer’s perplexity, who questions dogmas and certainties. Faced with the complexity of the world, eternal questions concerning the relationships among people, political and metaphysical questions arise:
– Who created the universe?
– God.
– And who created God?
Faced with ready-made ideological answers, the writer admits his helplessness, his blindness is more metaphorical than real. What does “see” mean? Does what we see, the appearance, reflect reality? The viewer is called to provide his/her own answer. S/he is the one who will have to decide, as his perception does, by assembling the disparate lines of the drawings in order to make them meaningful.
In a world where communication has acquired special significance, where images and views are constructed on order, how can one discern what is substantial?
Is the candy edible or its colorful wrapping? The orange or its peel?
Paradoxically, the answer is not as simple as it appears.
REXperimental
backflip
By NIkita Diakur
Germany
12:30
Attempting a backflip is not safe. You can break your neck, or land on your head, or land badly on your wrists. None of that is nice, so my avatar does the trick. It practices on a 6-core processor with the help of Machine Learning. The processor is not the newest but still calculates 6 jumps per iteration. One iteration takes one minute, this is 360 jumps in an hour and 8.640 jumps in a day. I wouldn’t be able to jump so much myself.
REXperimental
The Creation
By José-Manuel Xavier
Portugal
06:59
At the beginning there was the white. The white over which the spirit of the author hovers.
From the white a line is born and from the line the movement, from which the author creates a multiplicity of shapes, inspired by the masterful opening of “The Creation” by Joseph Haydn, performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by the late Sir Colin Davis.
The biblical creation that inspired the musical piece merges here with the artistical creation of José Xavier, where the movement asserts itself as the primacy of all things.
REXperimental
Throng
By William Clarke
United Kingdom
03:25
Crowds of people start to chaotically fill the screen, whilst a tourist tries to navigate their way through.
REXperimental
Weekly Planner
By Heidi Sarah Stokes
United Kingdom
04:01
‘Weekly Planner’ explores a need to celebrate the everyday, in all its simplicity and complexity.
REXperimental
Gaze
By Yuantian Gao
Germany
02:48
As I write this the war in Ukraine is 130 days old and has not yet ended.The film is based on Szymborska&s poem &;Vietnam&; and I tried to find the most honest and direct way to show the impression of the war on the lives of ordinary people. From the beginning to the end, the film adopts a subjective perspective, using subjective feelings to gradually lead viewers to immerse into the historical scene.
REXperimental
Demi-Gods
By Martin Gerigk
Germany
05:35
What is the human experience of war, narcissism and ecological destruction? Demi-Gods addresses these three dark aspects of humanity in the form of a musical and visual essay. It shows our worship of these dark forces, which have now become normalized and fetishized. A furtive look from us mortals at the mechanics of the dark demi-gods of our time; turned into a surreal sequence of sonic and visual transformations.
REXperimental
PRESS(ED)
By Senne Driesen
Belgium
09:36
Every single day the same infinite struggles. We are trapped in our repetitive work pattern. A dead end street with no way out, what kind of valuable work do we do?
PRESS(ED) is a silent film with live music. A nostalgic trip that makes us aware of the monotonous industrialization.
Block of 10 Shorts • 40 min • 15+ • English subtitles
Animated Music Video –>
“Dance, dance, dance with the radio” But this time we will receive the dance vibes from the cinema screen while sitting in the chairs watching these ten amazing Animated Music Videos.
ZITA 2 Saturday 05.11. 16:00
Animated Music Video
The Music that you play”
By Nikolaus Jantsch
Austria
03:54
‘The music that you play’ is a song by Austrian band Yellow Mellow, the music video is created by animation artist Nikolaus Jantsch using a technique called “direct animation”, or “drawn on film”. The footage was produced by painting, drawing and scratching directly on 16mm film. With the help of nowadays software, this century old technique supports the character of the engaging music with a fresh approach, turning great sound into a rousing visual imagery.
Animated Music Video
Little Things
By Camille Burles, Andréea Ciora, Lou Fraleu, Manon Lambert, Clara Mesplé, Chloé Viala
France
04:40
Piqued by her curiosity, a cow is carried away by the mechanics of a destructive giant.
Animated Music Video
PROGedia – We Are the Night
By Alessandro Amaducci
Italy
05:00
A journey into the world of nocturnal paintings. A dancing celebration of the night.
Animated Music Video
Phat Dat – Flowers
By Rémi RICHARME
France
04:17
This film, full of colours and poetry, goes with the song “Flowers” by Phat Dat. It talks about the sensation of awakeness, when the spring is back, the coming back of life and the joy. The animation, made with gouache painting on paper and glass, is inspired by the farm workers painted by Malevitch, and by Franz Marc’s animals.
Animated Music Video
Transparent Black and Iron Rich Red
By Mario Kreill Cirillo, Isabel Emily Wiegand
Italy
03:50
In a fantasy world where human beings have glowing hearts whose intensity is tuned to the emotions they feel, a young woman is lonely and bored in her room made of clouds. Suddenly she discovers she can create objects out from nothing: a doll, a flower, a guitar, but soon even the objects do not relieve her solitude. Then her imagination creates, unexpectedly, human figures that keep her company. A man, an old woman, a girl. At first the relationship they establish with their creator seems beautiful and fulfilling, but then things go wrong and the illusion vanishes. The woman returns alone, but this time she is determined to enjoy her solitude, and plays and dances to her music.
Animated Music Video
PROGedia – Down
By Alessandro Amaducci
Italy
05:30
A group of androids absorbs the energy of the music of the past from a screen, producing a digital hybrid that tries to interpret those atmospheres.
Animated Music Video
Poppy ‘HER’
By Chris Ullens
United Kingdom
03:44
Somewhere in an enigmatic and dystopian future, a queen gets entertained by her very own brutal talent show.
Animated Music Video
PURE
By Olga Jolanta Przytuła
Poland
04:21
PURE is like a travel into the unknown. Like a dream or an oneiric story coming from within, ready to be told. It slowly unravels its secrets, without giving one, specific thought. It’s a poem to your inner sensibility.
Animated Music Video
Cimpoiasca
By Barbora Halířová
Czech Republic
03:13
Cimpoiasca is a music video that uses folklore motives to tell the story of a pure woman’s friendship. With the help of schnapps and wild dances, these women manage to overcome a little nightmare.
Animated Music Video
Good Times
By Hanna Pätsi
Sweden
02:30
Max Wassen (Artist) makes several attempts to move towards “Good Times”. Unfortunately, he either gets stuck in the same skating loop, blown off a building, and rejected by his own lyrics in the clouds. This eventually leads to a final but uncertain leap of faith.
Block of 9 Shorts • 49 min • 15+ • English subtitles
Student Competition –>
Presenting the nine finalists of the REX Animation Student Award 2022. The winner will be announced at the end of the screening.
ZITA 1 Thursday 03.11. 18:00
Student Competition
The Beast within me is a Child
By Mai Alneng
Sweden
05:00
Do we ever become adults? If so, when? Regardless of where we are in life, the question seems to remain unanswerable. We improvise and take risks, and yet we never seem to reach a goal. Even with the work we put in to meet expectations, especially our own, that gnawing feeling of inadequacy persists.
Perhaps we never lose our inner child, but rather become blind to its whims, both good and bad. Maybe growing up is about befriending and reconciling with that child, rather than searching to control it. Could it be that the inner child we all have is what binds us all together?
Student Competition
Good Times
By Hanna Pätsi
Sweden
02:30
Max Wassen (Artist) makes several attempts to move towards “Good Times”. Unfortunately, he either gets stuck in the same skating loop, blown off a building, and rejected by his own lyrics in the clouds. This eventually leads to a final but uncertain leap of faith.
Student Competition
Restless Sleeper
By Vanja Ivarsson
Sweden
07:00
I lie awake while everyone else is sleeping. Outside
my window the moon shines so brightly from it’s
heavenly abode. Suddenly I hear voices, the sound of
the world outside my window. I can’t stay here alone
with my thoughts, I need to join them.
Restless Sleeper is a film about an alien who has trouble falling asleep. Eventually
the restlessness overflows her and she jumps out of her window, leaving the safety
of her tower behind. She gets mixed up with a weird gang, sings karaoke and
travels through the night sky on the back of a pyjamas wearing cat. The film is
about nostalgia, the difficulties of growing up and about finding a place where you
belong. It’s a film for the ones who has trouble falling asleep at night, for whoever
that needs it and for the ones that ever felt like an alien.
Student Competition
Outage
By Wilmer Norrby
Sweden
03:00
An unplanned blackout brings about a curious night for the residents of a humdrum apartment complex. Left bewildered, a pair of neighbors bond wordlessly through the impersonal beam of a flashlight. The inconvenience is resolved sooner than anticipated.
Student Competition
Bottled Up
By Matilda Tanja Alexandra Rippe
Sweden
05:42
Fox-friends Bee and Sock are picking berries when the forest spirit floats by. Mischievous Sock catches it, but what are the consequences of capturing the spirit of the forest without telling your friend?
Student Competition
Lights Left Behind
By Emil Kiviniemi
Sweden
06:04
Simple lines and a wordless song create subtle emotions on an intimate journey, left under the lights in the sky.
Student Competition
Karamelltjuven
By Malin Åhlberg Olsson
Sweden
04:34
Two children keep order on a fantasytrain to keep the passengers happy while a certain candy thief lurks in the shadows.
Student Competition
Birthday
By Emilia Eriksson
Sweden
05:04
An old lady is visited by her daughter on her 87th birthday. While the two of them are having some tea, the daughter suddenly coughs up a key. With this key, the old lady unlocks a door that allows her to move on, leaving her daughter behind to take her place.
Student Competition
Being A Dog
By Felix Swahn
Sweden
08:03
Tim is longing for love.
He’s a lonely human being who struggles with exclusion every day. Every time Tim feels different than others he transforms into a french bulldog.
Ginger makes Tim feel human. Ginger is an old friend of Tim`s whom he was in love with, unrequited love. Tim collides with Ginger in the street, they talk and become friends again.
After meeting Ginger Tim becomes a dog again. This time he chooses to enjoy being a dog and sees all the possibilities of a dog`s life. It’s good to be a human being but it’s good being a dog sometimes too.
Block of 5 Shorts • 59 min • 15+ • English subtitles
Walls –>
Walls have been constructed to separate one from the other since before recorded time. This program will send us through different barriers, either physical barriers or as a metaphor of isolation, seperation, and forced displacement.
ZITA 2 Monday 31.10. 19:30
Walls
The Umbrella
By Claire Ledru
France
15:30
Incessant rain erodes the earth, its material collapses, nothing remains of the landscape except long and narrow pillars rising against an immense sky. On one of these islands, a survivor stands still, clinging to his umbrella, his only weapon against the downpour. In the narrow confines of this tiny stage, individuals will be forced to live one on top of the other.
Walls
FORTRESS
By ZALESKY’S Slawek Zalewski
Poland
12:54
The authorities of a town declare a state of siege. A visually impaired old man becomes the commander. The manipulated inhabitants trust the news. The town becomes a closed fortress. The authorities decide to fire a cannon at the alleged enemy: everything gets destroyed, but everything is now under full control. The fortress becomes a bygone history, but the demons of war never sleep…
Walls
Night
By Ahmad Saleh
Germany, Jordan, Palestine, State of, Qatar
15:57
The dust of war keeps the eyes sleepless. Night brings peace and sleep to all the people in the broken town. Only the eyes of the mother of the missing child stay resilient. Night has to trick her into sleeping to save her soul.
Walls
Prisoner Outside
By Igor Medvedev
Germany
06:41
Locked up and isolated, a prisoner starts to merge his imagination with the real world and tries to escape the prison with his newly found powers.
Walls
Living In A Bubble
By Natalie MacMahon, Nikola Drvoshanov
Germany
07:43
Who says it is easy to live in our modern world? Aren’t we all a bit isolated in different ways? “Living in a bubble” tells the story of two strangers, who live in the bubble they created for themselves, which doesn’t allow them to connect to anything or anyone.
Block of 11 Shorts • 80 min • 15+ • English subtitles
EUNIC Travelling Program –>
Eleven shorts, from eleven European countries that supported REX this year: Belgium (Wallonia), Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, Poland, Romania and Spain. The aim of this block is not just to be screened during the festival, but to travel around Sweden throughout the year.
ZITA 1 Sunday 06.11. 18:00
EUNIC Travelling Program
Letters to Parkkimäentie
By Mika Koskinen
Finland
08:15
And the greatest of these is love. Director’s grandparents letters and grandmother’s diaries have a dialogue throughout centuries. Same emotions which we all go through are present also in old letters. Time passes and eventually there is only one left with never ending longing. A bed which has been taken away rises as a symbol for the lost.
EUNIC Travelling Program
Chitchat
By Flore Péan, Elisa Baudy, Jeanne Damas, Gabin Ageorges, Bradley Lejeune
France
07:36
Searching for social links, Oscar contacts strangers by phone, until he finds Arlette. During the conversation, he shares his insight about the world.
EUNIC Travelling Program
Canary
By Chrysoula Korovesi, Marios Gampierakis
Greece
05:54
A canary is born in captivity amongst other caged birds. A coal miner is experiencing the hardships and risk of everyday labour. The two of them will meet and form a special bond of companionship and solidarity, vital to their existence in this harsh environment under the surface of the earth, until a violent incident will rupture their routine and awaken them.
EUNIC Travelling Program
And the Rest You Already Know
By Ruta Stalmokaite
Lithuania
02:00
You are listening to a dialogue between two people – my grandparents. They are sharing a fun yet sentimental story from when they were in their 20s (it is the 1960s, they are in Lithuania which was then still part of the Soviet Union). This animation is my dramatic take on the story with which I am sharing a bit of both of the characters’ perspectives.
EUNIC Travelling Program
Piret Sigus, Silja Saarepuu
By Piret Sigus, Silja Saarepuu
Estonia
07:12
The film’s story is based on the Slavic folktale, which has been told for ages by the peasants point of view. The film shows story from underground angle – giving overview what really happened while peasants were engaged in the cultivation of vegetables. Also about property, collaboration and betrayal.
EUNIC Travelling Program
HEXED
By Louise Bongartz, D. Forest Gamble, Francisco Martins Fontes
Spain
04:33
Madera, a lonesome woman, lives a quiet existence in a small apartment. But nothing is as simple as it seems, and her problems are physically materialized in the form of a cube that appears in her world.
EUNIC Travelling Program
PURE
By Olga Jolanta Przytuła
Poland
04:21
PURE is like a travel into the unknown. Like a dream or an oneiric story coming from within, ready to be told. It slowly unravels its secrets, without giving one, specific thought. It’s a poem to your inner sensibility.
EUNIC Travelling Program
Catisfaction
By Andre Marques Almeida
Portugal
06:35
This is a story about a man and a cat. No sorry… A man, a cat and a dream. Wait… probably a man, a cat, a dream and a vespa!
It’s about relationships and how they can shape our life forever.
But it’s also about a weird character and his cat who claims his way to the eternity.
Maybe it’s just a story about a man and a cat. But a good one.
EUNIC Travelling Program
Camille
By Eric Ledune
Belgium
18:00
Camille, 5 years old, takes a naive and rebellious look at her dad, a trader who dreams of being the Wolf of Wall Street. From easy money to contempt for the poorest, she candidly observes the excesses of a capitalist society in the midst of a crisis that will take her dear dad from greatness to decadence…
EUNIC Travelling Program
Cimpoiasca
By Barbora Halířová
Czech Republic
03:13
Cimpoiasca is a music video that uses folklore motives to tell the story of a pure woman’s friendship. With the help of schnapps and wild dances, these women manage to overcome a little nightmare.
EUNIC Travelling Program
Sasha
By Serghei Chiviriga
Romania
12:43
Confused by the whole world and his own body, a teenager is forced to discover in a strange way the truth about his sexual identity by confronting his other half.
Block of 3 Shorts • 45 min • 7+ • English subtitles
KIDS 1 –>
Our little and loved ones will have the opportunity to enjoy the festival with three blocks of amazing animated shorts, curated only for them!
ZITA 3 Saturday 29.10. 14:00
KIDS 1
Funny Birds
By Charlie Belin
France
30:00
Ellie is entering secondary school in Saumur. Shy and fascinated by nature, and birds, she spends her time with books. Ellie draws the attention of Anna, the school’s librarian. The day when Ellie must absolutely return a book to Anna, she finds the school library closed. Ellie decides to take it back to Anna’s home,a few miles from school, on an island on the Loire River. An island full of birds.
KIDS 1
My Name is Fear
By Eliza Płocieniak-Alvarez
Germany
05:28
The charming emotion “Fear” that lives in your head wants to give an interview. Maybe you can become friends! Or is there a reason to be afraid of being afraid?
KIDS 1
ALPHONS ADVENTURES – THE BIRD GOD
By Julia Thonig
Germany
09:22
The adventurer Alphons is searching for the mythical Mayan bird God ‘Kukul’ which rules over the Mexican jungle. To prove his existence, he wants to catch the bird God at all costs.
Block of 5 Shorts • 37 min • 7+ • English subtitles
KIDS 2 –>
Our little and loved ones will have the opportunity to enjoy the festival with three blocks of amazing animated shorts, curated only for them!
ZITA 3 Sunday 30.10. 14:00
KIDS 2
Edmond and Lucy – The Incredible Featherstag
By François Narboux
France
11:05
Edmond, Lucy and Mitzi are listening to Mima as she tells them tales about an amazing imaginary animal that lives in the forest: the Feathered Stag. Mitzi is fascinated and dreams of actually seeing one! Mima warns her: the Feathered Stag is very discreet and only a few lucky ones have ever gotten the chance to catch a glimpse of it! Edmond and Lucy decide to make Mitzi’s dream come true and bring the creature to life…
KIDS 2
Franzy’s Soup-Kitchen
By Ana Chubinidze
Georgia
08:30
Lonely alien Chef Franzy discovers that her special pink soup is not just delicious, but also magical, when she shares it with starving creatures living on a strange planet.
KIDS 2
Giggle Wiggle – Hot Summer Day
By Marzena Nehrebecka
Poland
06:00
Giggle Wiggle tells a story of a friendship between a great green
gnome Giggle Wiggle and a little girl named Blabberina, who engage (be it willingly or otherwise) in colossal conflicts of tiny nations.
In Giggle Wiggle’s world, quarrelsome characters are small and silly
KIDS 2
Candlelight
By Scott Newton
United Kingdom
06:47
In a dusty attic, a tall dinner candle springs to life. As the playful and curious candle explores, learning to hop, skip and dance, it discovers a second candle. The two play and dance their way through the attic, falling in love.
However, a shocking discovery is made when both candles realise that the heat from their combined flames, whenever they touch, causes them to rapidly melt.
Splitting up, the two must decide whether life without the other can still be magical, or if they want to sacrifice everything for love.
KIDS 2
Monkey Domino
By Ulf Grenzer
Germany
04:07
An ape is reminiscing about his life in the jungle.
At the zoo he meets a manager and his daughter, who is a great fan of animals.
The manager can hardly get around to do his job via mobile and laptop, while the Orangutan and the girl both have a lot of fun together.
A chain of occasional events changes his cage life for ever.
Block of 5 Shorts • 41 min • 7+ • English subtitles
KIDS 3 –>
Our little and loved ones will have the opportunity to enjoy the festival with three blocks of amazing animated shorts, curated only for them!
ZITA 3 Monday 31.10. 14:00
KIDS 3
Mom is always right
By Marie Urbánková
Czech Republic
07:39
Mirek has a huge belly and nobody knows why. Diets and strenuous exercise don’t help. His big belly causes many complications. The simple act of putting on socks turns into a hellish mission. We follow the stories of several heroes, each with unusual troubles. Where do they stem from?
KIDS 3
I’m not afraid!
By Marita Mayer
Germany
07:02
Mirek has a huge belly and nobody knows why. Diets and strenuous exercise don’t help. His big belly causes many complications. The simple act of putting on socks turns into a hellish mission. We follow the stories of several heroes, each with unusual troubles. Where do they stem from?
KIDS 3
Operation Frankenstein
By José María Fernández de Vega
Spain
11:00
Three siblings find a broken mannequin in the dumpster and decide to rebuild it using whatever they can find. After that, they try to animate it like Dr. Frankenstein did with his monster.
KIDS 3
Runelight
By Matt O’Donnell
United Kingdom
04:44
Runelight is about the permanent impact that loss can have on our lives, and a reflection on how it can feel as though our world is literally changing around us.
KIDS 3
Giant & the Seed
By Sara Shabani
Germany
10:00
Impelled by its own curiosity, a little seed stumbles out of its paradise-like habitat and into the heart of danger and desperation. Only if it learns to shed its persona and discover what it truly needs, it might return home and uncover the nature of the gentle Giant that guards over it.
Venue & Tickets
Zita Folkets Bio is the venue of the REX 2022 main festival event. To be part of the festival a REX membership is required for all adults (15+), at the cost of 20 kr.
Single tickets can be purchased online at Zita.se, and at Zita Folkets Bio box office. Festival passes are only sold at the box office at Zita Folkets Bio. Passes grant admission to all festival screenings, space permitting. Show your pass at the box office to pick up a physical ticket.
Accessibility: Zita
Ticket to one screening:
Full price 80 kr
Reduced price* 60 kr
REX for Kids price 40 kr
Double Bill two films price 120 kr (can be bought only at the reception)
Note: Everyone with a ticket should also have the membership card (20 kr) that can be bought at the reception at Zita
Festival pass:
Including REX membership and online festival pass
Full price 220 kr
Reduced price* 180 kr
Note: Festival pass and the membership card can be bought only at the reception.
* Reduced price for students, youths under 27 years old, unemployed, and senior citizens.
Online Edition:
Available between 29.10 to 13.11 at TriArtPlay
Online (for on block of shorts) 39kr
Online REX for kids 19kr
Online festival pass: 180 kr
www.triart.se/p/rex-animation-film-festival/
The 9th Edition of REX Animation Festival was made with support from Stockholm stad, the Swedish Film Institute, Region Stockholm and EUNIC Stockholm.