Sharks Eat Meat: December 2023

Sunday, December 31, 2023

DAY 4307 - 2023

Saturday, December 30, 2023

FESTIVAL ANGAELICA - FILM FEST REVIEW

Festival Angaelica - OVERVIEW

Festival Angaelica is an online film festival rounding out the year of 2023. There are hundreds of short and full length films to view for free available at

https://angaelica.vhx.tv

Some of my favorites from Festival Angaelica are Angel in Trouble, Animal Faces, Caco, Grandma’s Special Fabric, Diya, La Curandera Cumbiambera, Dusk, and FINE.

Select Reviews -

Angel in Trouble (3min)
Clara Denise West and Randika Liyanagama
https://kokoandfriends.com/
@kokoandfriendsproducts
kokoandfriends@aol.com

Sporty bugs learn about bullying in this cute and charming 2D cartoon with an important message.  

Animal Faces (4.5 min)
Fréd Médrano
@medranofrederic
www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7F4d6ql4gs

A calm black and white drawn art animation of animals and tropical music. This short also features outstanding music by the animator.
 

Caco (4min)
Alba Carerra

Lovely use of materials in addition to clay in this heist short about a mischievous raccoon and crow. The patterns and clever use of materials create a beautiful world.

Dimmed (8min)
Andrew Essig & JIF Reel Studios
https://www.whataguymedia.com/

In this dramatic spy film a couple gets caught up with law enforcement and international espionage.
 

Carl Runs the Paper (25min)
Joey Horan & Manish Khanal
https://actualfilms.net/meet-team/
https://www.khanalproductions.com/

A newspaper documentary about a mountain town, small journalism, and enthusiasts who struggle to keep a dying medium alive.
 

The Gallerist (21min)
Adam Holoubek
@adamhfilms

Artful, mostly black and white romance and drama between an artist and gallerist. Set inside the artist’s studio and told through flashbacks as well.
 

Corsets (8min)
Rubén de Eguía
@rubendeeguia

This short film takes a behind the scenes look at theatre production during Covid. The drama exposes the insecurities people have and the metaphorical masks they wear.
 

Carinho Feito pelas Mãos - Caress Made by the Hands (5min)
Guilherme Petry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKnYwJ2nS6s
https://vimeo.com/751672910

This moving story of a marionette's strings breaking comes to life with smooth, animation with subtle gestures and well designed sets. The short presents contemplative themes about loss and age.
  

Take the Wheel (3min)
Electric Enemy
@electricenemy

Vivid colors and nice textures fill this heavy metal road trip animation that’s also a lyric video for the band Electric Enemy.

Autumn Moon (8min)
Myles Kovalik

Two young women anxiously recall memories together before moving apart. The film skillfully uses Sepia and other monochromatic color schemes to create an eerie mood.
 

Gamepad (8min)
Azad Sadeghi
@azad._.sadeghi
@pashizstudio
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnvA5cYgHmA-rKDKdRHaXEQ

This animated short takes a cool and refreshing look at the Earth’s history over billions of years in a video game simulator.  

Outlook (5.5min)
Ashlesha Prabhu
@prabhuashlesha

This poetic short film follows a woman who takes a long hike up a stairwell, sometimes eavesdropping, and other times trapped with her own thoughts.
 

Grandma’s Special Fabric (7min)
Yu-Ting Wang
@palabubii

Heart warming, memorable, and delicately textured tale about a sweet grandmother and aging. The lovely visuals are paired with a delightful soundtrack and audio.
 

Diya (3.5min)
Aroona Khiani
https://aroonakhiani.portfoliobox.net/
@aroonescape

A colorful illustrative 2D animation about a youngster visiting a foreign land and the magic they find there. The cartoon is filled with excellent character design and lively settings.
 

Alleyway of Dreams (3.5min)
Robert David Duncan
X - @duncanrob

This animation if full of beautiful paintings that blend abstraction and landscapes similar to Kandinsky. 

La Curandera Cumbiambera (22min)
Ivan Flores
@discosresacas
@loscoulters
@aibioweapon
@sharks_eat_meat
https://lacuranderacumbiambera.blogspot.com/

This 2D animation is a science fiction, action-adventure with animals in a space battle with a rockin’ world music soundtrack.
 

Dusk (1.5min)
Eli Kurland & Schantelle Alonzo
https://mishipiku.carrd.co/
https://mishipiku.weebly.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okK8FGMnVGw
@mishipiku

Two sisters train as knights in a medieval setting with great character design, expressive 2D animation, and clever use of colors to set the mood.

FINE (9min)
Maya Yadlin
@encore.films
www.encorefilmsprod.com

This is a standout short film where a family of four squabbles on a van trip through the desert to a holiday party. The story is perfectly contained within the 9 minute length. The mountainous setting is a gorgeous backdrop, and the acting is subtle and realistic.
 
 
 