The 2025 Brooklyn Film Festival Animation Program
by William J. Hammon, ActuallyPaid.com
It was once again my pleasure to take in the Animation Program at the Brooklyn Film Festival this month, one of my favorite events of the entire cinematic calendar. Thirty-one shorts and TV pilots got their moment in the spotlight this year, separated into three thematic categories (“Through the Dreaming Lens,” “Loosen the Frame,” and “Bold Worlds”) based on how they explored new and surreal ideas and employed innovative art styles. In the end, three films took home prizes, with the hope that even more accolades are in their futures. Here are six highlights of the competition, including the victors:
The 12-Inch Pianist
Written and directed by Lucas Ansel, this eight-minute stop-motion bit of absurdity took home the Audience Prize at the festival, and it’s not hard to see why. Taking inspiration from the, let’s call it “classic” joke about a genie misunderstanding a wish for male enhancement, the film relishes in its literal take on surreal silliness. What begins as a cheeky nod to one of the oldest forms of wordplay quickly takes on new and wondrous meaning when the titular piano player makes himself known.
It’s quite impressive how smoothly Ansel guides his brief narrative, especially when the premise can easily spin off into wild tangents. Instead, by introducing the pianist and making him part of a shockingly casual bit of existentialism, the joke gets turned on its proverbial head multiple times in ways that eerily make total logical sense, bringing in themes of queer identity, self-love, and acceptance. All this from a simple, decades old pun. I’m sure there’s an appropriate compliment about great things in small packages that would fit here quite nicely.
If you’re a fan of stop-motion, you’ll love this film. If you’re a fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race, you’ll love this film. If you’re a fan of artistic pride and self-expressive whimsy, you’ll love this film. It’s a simple story of a boy mocked for his simplistic costume on Halloween. After seeing some mysterious doors out in a hayfield, he enters a magical boutique where he creates the fabulous witchy wardrobe of his dreams.
Directed by first-time filmmaker PJ Magerko-Liquorice, there’s a clear influence from the likes of The Nightmare Before Christmas in the spooky motif, and the animation is so crisp and disciplined that Henry Selick himself would be proud. There’s nothing nefarious or even outright political in this showcase of, shall we say, haunt-couture, though some regressive influences might think there is. It’s much more about the innocence of having fun on your own terms, an exercise in so-called “retail therapy” where there are no strings attached or deals with the devil. It’s refreshing to see something so beautiful and glossy being used for pure cinematic fun.
Christopher & The Bug
Sometimes you just want a nice, Disney-esque family fable, and Christopher & The Bug fits the bill perfectly. A lovely 2D film in traditional hand-drawn style, the short evokes memories of the animated Winnie-the-Pooh films while teaching a valuable lesson in empathy and friendship.
Christopher is a reclusive, introverted owl, who has little interest in socializing with his anthropomorphized neighbors. As Christmas approaches, he decides to get into the spirit just a little bit, and decorates his house a touch. In doing so, he inadvertently brings a small insect into his home, so small in fact, that the titular bug is never actually seen. Instead, all we see are the ways he affects Christopher’s house and his life, initially annoying and evading him, but eventually becoming a beloved companion that Christopher only realizes was so crucial after he’s no longer around. This is the type of story that audiences of all ages will adore.
The Death of James
This Canadian minimalist 2D tale won the Spirit Prize at the festival, and was my favorite of the entire program, full stop. Directed by veteran animator Sam Chou ( Osmosis Jones and Eight Crazy Nights among others), this “based on a true story” look at the realities of mortality is sweet, funny, heartbreaking, and essential.
The plot revolves around two college-aged friends, Kevin and Ellery. Neither of them have experienced death as adults, but circumstances force their hands, as Kevin’s beloved pet ferret, James, is terminally ill. Initially reluctant (and too broke) to go to a veterinarian’s office to put James down, Kevin wrestles with the responsibility of attempting to do the deed himself, aided by Ellery for emotional support. As they bungle through the process of putting the poor animal out of its misery, the two reflect on how they’d prefer to die, what they think might happen after the fact, and how strong they think they are when it comes to dealing with this impending loss.
The finale is an emotional gut punch, but a completely necessary one. It reminded me of when we had to let go of my old dog, when I was about the same age as the characters. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to miss this last, crushing moment, one of the few true regrets of my life. No matter how much I know it would have hurt, I can categorically say that I’d have rather been there than not. Chou winds up depicting this last gesture of mercy in the exact manner I imagine it would have gone down had I been able to go, and for that I’m grateful.
Humantis
The overall winner of the Animation competition, Humantis is a curious and highly creative piece. Directed by Paris Baillie, this stop-motion work is a tremendous look at how body image and expectations of assimilation can poison individuality and self-worth.
The titular beings are based on Orchid Praying Mantises and other creatures that can deceive through camouflage. I also got a strong vibe of the fairies and plants featured in the “Nutcracker Suite” section of Disney’s Fantasia in their design. One of the “Humantises” begins shedding its petals and its stems become discolored. Unsure of what to do or how to prevent itself from standing out, it kills other, younger Humantises and grafts their petals onto itself. It’s only a matter of time before they’re discovered and cast out, but when the inevitable happens, there’s grace in the new sense of community the wayward figure is able to discover, embracing itself as its own entity. It’s beyond surreal, but it’s lovely.
Sea Angels
One of my favorite animated shorts of all time is Nick Park’s Creature Comforts from 1989, which eventually won an Academy Award. The film synched up claymation animals with interviews from various people across Great Britain, giving audiences a silly look into the “mundane” lives of zoo animals. That classic was constantly popping up in my head as I watched Sea Angels, a similarly-styled stop-motion mockumentary about a tourist trap resort with real-live mermaids.
The mythos of the film explains that the oceans became so polluted that mermaids had to reveal themselves to humans and ask for assistance. Their reward was being put on display at a cheap theme park. The Office-esque interviews with the various maids on display is an utter delight, with each character having a very distinct personality, from a young Ariel analog looking to become a social media influencer while fending off horny guys who don’t understand how fish anatomy works, to a middle-aged “over it” sasser who chain smokes and lies around without her seashell bra on, because she’s well past the age of giving a damn.
This is a wildly funny 10 minutes, and it has the added bonus of being cleverly nuanced in its environmentalist messaging while still being deliriously over-the-top. It just goes to show how unique and wonderful this program really is.
Originally published at http://behindtherabbitproductions.wordpress.com on June 14, 2025.
