Am I dreaming?
BIG RED'S ADVENTURE : VANESSA CASTRO
Directed and animated by Vanessa Castro in collaboration with the band The Fascinating Chimera Project, Big Red’s Theme is a video game–inspired animated music video that follows a day in the life of Big Red, an orange tabby cat, from his own point of view. An ordinary day-in-the-life becomes an epic neighborhood quest filled with encounters, triumphs, and discoveries shared with other critters.
Animated over nine months entirely in Blender and After Effects, Big Red’s Theme invites viewers to reflect, play, and embark on their own neighborhood adventures, foregrounding nonhuman lives and the landscapes that sustain them.
Vanessa Castro is a New York–based, director, editor, and multidisciplinary artist working across digital art, music, and film. Her animations appear in the NEON documentary Seeking Mavis Beacon (2024), Adult Swim’s short New Game (2022), and Gilga’s short film Seek No Favor (2025). Her own projects have screened at Fantoche International Animation Film Festival, Ridgewood Off-Kilter Film Festival, Catskill Comedy Festival, Smhoakstock, and Boston Hassle Fest. She is currently finishing up her second music record, and developing her 3D animated short Player 1 (working title).
Animated over nine months entirely in Blender and After Effects, Big Red’s Theme invites viewers to reflect, play, and embark on their own neighborhood adventures, foregrounding nonhuman lives and the landscapes that sustain them.
Vanessa Castro is a New York–based, director, editor, and multidisciplinary artist working across digital art, music, and film. Her animations appear in the NEON documentary Seeking Mavis Beacon (2024), Adult Swim’s short New Game (2022), and Gilga’s short film Seek No Favor (2025). Her own projects have screened at Fantoche International Animation Film Festival, Ridgewood Off-Kilter Film Festival, Catskill Comedy Festival, Smhoakstock, and Boston Hassle Fest. She is currently finishing up her second music record, and developing her 3D animated short Player 1 (working title).
But What a Moment : Johanna Falke
Summoned by voiced from beyond, a person begins her journey through a massive city in search of "The Heart".
In a dystopian city, where mindless corporate security guards patrol the streets, a person is given the quest to start the cosmic reboot. She has to travel through the city, it's undergrounds and through dimensions to reconnect with "The Heart". But there is danger around every corner.
Johanna Falke (she/her) born 15.01.1999 finished her Diploma in fine arts at the HBK in Braunschweig in 2025 under Natalie Czech in the class of new media and poetics. Currently she lives and works in Berlin, while her debut Film "But what a Moment" makes its way through the queer and experimental film festival scene all across Germany.
In a dystopian city, where mindless corporate security guards patrol the streets, a person is given the quest to start the cosmic reboot. She has to travel through the city, it's undergrounds and through dimensions to reconnect with "The Heart". But there is danger around every corner.
Johanna Falke (she/her) born 15.01.1999 finished her Diploma in fine arts at the HBK in Braunschweig in 2025 under Natalie Czech in the class of new media and poetics. Currently she lives and works in Berlin, while her debut Film "But what a Moment" makes its way through the queer and experimental film festival scene all across Germany.
Repertoire of Death - Guadalupe Arellanes
Photographed on 16mm, Repertoire of Death blends found sounds with rarely heard music from the personal archives of Yma Sumac "Queen of Exotica" in order to blur the boundaries between past/present, dead/alive, and dream/waking.
Guadalupe Arellanes is a Latina filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California. She is inspired by Mexican and Latin American magical realism, colors, and symbols.
Guadalupe Arellanes is a Latina filmmaker based in Los Angeles, California. She is inspired by Mexican and Latin American magical realism, colors, and symbols.
Field of Fog : Giulia Palombino
In an anonymous place of retreat, a journey unfolds, punctuated by hallucinations and moments of awkwardness. One by one, figures emerge from their beds, stepping into a shared experience. The sequences of their simple movements give rhythm to a nonlinear story that unfolds like a seamless loop.
Giulia Palombino is an Italian animator and artist based in Berlin. Working with hand-drawn, frame-by-frame animation, she moves between film and visual art. Her practice centres on rhythm, repetition, and restrained movement, often placing minimal gestures within open narrative structures. Her animations and drawings have been presented in festivals and exhibition contexts across Europe.
Giulia Palombino is an Italian animator and artist based in Berlin. Working with hand-drawn, frame-by-frame animation, she moves between film and visual art. Her practice centres on rhythm, repetition, and restrained movement, often placing minimal gestures within open narrative structures. Her animations and drawings have been presented in festivals and exhibition contexts across Europe.
The Magic Orange : Ali Burns
The Magic Orange is a romance film gone wrong that tells the story of a girl who wants to manic pixie dream girl her boyfriend’s depression away. She has seen it in the movies, and in songs, and in books…so why can’t she do it as well? The film follows Molly and Paul as they journey home after a car crash. Paul becomes so emotionally distant that sometimes he is not there at all. This pushes Molly to try harder to get Paul to open up, and she forgets herself in the process. Ultimately, Molly's ache to be let in leads to an unsettling ending for both characters and provides a reflection on the sweet horror of losing yourself in another person.
Ali Burns is a filmmaker based in Auckland, New Zealand. She grew up in a small town on the East Coast of Aotearoa. There, she developed her love of storytelling, with a particular interest in strange, surrealist stories about sticky human emotions. After studying film and earning a Master's in scriptwriting from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University, she has created several award-winning short films.
Ali has also created the music for several of her short films including a song for The Magic Orange. She is involved in music independent from filmmaking and plays in several bands and works for local independent radio station 95bFM.
Ali Burns is a filmmaker based in Auckland, New Zealand. She grew up in a small town on the East Coast of Aotearoa. There, she developed her love of storytelling, with a particular interest in strange, surrealist stories about sticky human emotions. After studying film and earning a Master's in scriptwriting from the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University, she has created several award-winning short films.
Ali has also created the music for several of her short films including a song for The Magic Orange. She is involved in music independent from filmmaking and plays in several bands and works for local independent radio station 95bFM.
Lo Sciocco : Coco Roy
Shot on super 8 we follow the fool on a journey of self reflection , sadness and acceptance.
Coco Roy is a filmmaker , artist and musician. Her films have been shown both locally and internationally. Predominately shooting on super 8, her films revolve around hidden memories , dreamscapes and the occult. Combining her love of art and filmmaking she often sews the costumes and creates the worlds in which her characters inhabit. When she isn’t busy on a filmset you can find her playing in Whyte Lipstick or swimming at the Y.
Coco Roy is a filmmaker , artist and musician. Her films have been shown both locally and internationally. Predominately shooting on super 8, her films revolve around hidden memories , dreamscapes and the occult. Combining her love of art and filmmaking she often sews the costumes and creates the worlds in which her characters inhabit. When she isn’t busy on a filmset you can find her playing in Whyte Lipstick or swimming at the Y.
Not Alone : Momo Cao
I ate her. Pain didn’t eat me.
Moving through memory, grief, and the restless waves of the mind, traces of a twin sister remain, while a hidden grace waits in the silence.
Momo Cao is a New York–based visual artist and animation director. Since her first film In the Winter (2018), she has continued creating independent animation and illustrations.
Moving through memory, grief, and the restless waves of the mind, traces of a twin sister remain, while a hidden grace waits in the silence.
Momo Cao is a New York–based visual artist and animation director. Since her first film In the Winter (2018), she has continued creating independent animation and illustrations.
