Australian Showcase

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night* will stop MIAF bringing you the best new Australian animated films from 2021 – nor COVID-19 for that matter.

Nobody screens more Australian animation than MIAF and we had a great line-up all set to open MIAF 2021 – the projectors were just about warming up when the whole show was cancelled. But it takes more than that to keep a good program down – and here it is. And as usual, lots of the filmmakers will turn up to introduce their films. Better late than never – no better way to kick off the festival.

* with apologies to the US Postal Service (we’ll come up with our own pledge in time for the next MIAF)

Films

Paper Boys
Will Savage, Wendy Lu
Australia, 1’43, 2020
A poignant tribute to the friendships which shape our youth and the often fleeting nature of them.

Desert Racers
Aleksandar Vuksanovic
Australia, 7’00, 2020
A hodgepodge group of characters compete in an annual race across the desert that is both more and less than it seems.

For Your Dreams
Chris Axiaq
Australia, 3’29, 2020
A surreal, animated journey through a life of diminishing returns, leading to an ultimate demise and self-realisation.

Urbanality
Evan McInnes
Australia, 3’28, 2019
The city folk are about to get a wake-up call. But, will they stop and listen?

Knock Out
Jackson Cook
Australia, 3’33, 2020
Eli is forced to relive the most dramatic memories of his life through the prism of a twisted nightmare.

Witches In Space
Nicky Price
Australia, 3’51, 2019
Abigail wants to connect with her friends, but to do that first she must connect with herself.

The Grave Of St Oran
Jim Batt
Australia, 9’00, 2019
A twisted philosophical tale of two saints, a murder and the dark history behind the chapel on the island of Iona, narrated by master storyteller Neil Gaiman.

The Sunshine Movement
Ty Ryan, Anthea Greco
Australia, 2’30, 2021
Kris tries to drive to work in peace and serenity while a sing-songy sun tries to “brighten” the day.

The Life Of A Mosquito
Perran Ross
Australia, 2’59, 2020
A sweetly unusual look at the complex life cycle of the mosquito: a beautiful but deadly insect.

Bogan Moths
Tony Radevski
Australia, 6’20, 2020
Roger and Benny, two old friends who are struggling in their own inimitable way with the existential questions of life.

The Shut-In
Eric Lieu, Maxine Curva, Jira Udomsri
Australia, 5’51, 2020
A single mother struggles to connect with her reclusive son but soon finds help from a suspiciously mysterious nanny.

Mr Snap
Laila Schmidlinger
Australia, 5’18, 2020
Walter, a single father mouse nervously awaits a meeting with the feline head of Snap.co to deliver his latest blueprint designs.

Alien Brain Therapy
Paul Fletcher
Australia, 3’49, 2021
Prepare for Alien Brain Therapy Session no.1 – suspend disbelief and expectations of memory and meaning.

In The Stars
Samantha Zaleski
Australia, 4’30, 2019
A close-knit family’s life is snatched away when a tragedy strikes. A heartfelt story inspired by true events of a real family.

Record Stores
Annie Murray
Australia, 3’43, 2020
A complex and visually evolving music video for a wonderfully evocative, slow-burn original song by Leanne Tennant.