The annual release of the GOBELINS grad films is something that we here at Short of the Week (along with the rest of the online animation community) look forward to a great deal every year. With each new batch bringing forth a cornucopia of animated treats, 2015 sees the highly-regarded school bring jelly-like breasts, lobster dates and much more to the small screen.

QUE DALLE

Dir: Caroline Cherrier, Hugo De Faucompret,
Eva Lusbaronian, Arthus Pilorget & Johan Ravit

Feeling like it’s always on the verge of descending to some dark places but never quite crossing that line, Que Dalle (which beautifully translates to “Bugger All”) is an atmospheric short that feels both incendiary and restrained with its loose conclusion.

MADE IN CHINA

Dir: Vincent Tsui

My pick of the bunch, this unusual vision of faceless figurines trying to live-out a human existance is a rhythmically funny short, that drags you into its bizarre universe through a serious of comedic vignettes that walk a thin line between ridiculous and profound.

LE DERNIER JOUR D’UN CONDAMNE

Dir: Perrine Bayssat, Sarah Dhorne, Etienne Molinier, Emilie Phuong, Isabelle Piolat

Frustrated by her studies, Camille decides to give a Lobster the best hours of its life (before she eats it) in this charming take on the Rom-Com montage that’s bound to make the shellfish the must have pet of summer 2016.

WILDFIRE

Dir: Hugues Opter, Pierre Pinon, Nicole Stafford,
Valentin Stoll, Arnaud Tribout, Shang Zhang

The story of a female firefighter and how her commitment to work affects her family-life, this 4-minute animation blends a smoldering aesthetic with an enigmatic narrative to make one of the most “adult” feeling films from this year’s batch.

UNE NOCE EN ENFER

Dir: Yannick Boireau, Pierre Butet, Magali Garnier, Clémence Maret

Brimming with energy and black humour, this twisted tale of a young girl’s plan to marry two of her pets may look like fun, but with its narrative revolving around a young girl influenced by modern media it feels like there is a dark heart beating under that “cute” aesthetic.

TEASER

Dir: Pierre Bassil

Beginning with the unforgettable image of jelly-like animated breast wobbling in-time to the film’s soundtrack, Pierre Bassil’s short eskews more traditional-storytelling to create a hypnotic, abstract animation packed with strong colours and reverberating sound.

AMA

Dir: Liang Huang, Mansoureh Kamari, Julie Robert, Tony Unser

Initially impressed with the watercolour-styled backgrounds, Ama quickly captivates you with its contemplative universe that sees a young woman immersing herself in local culture, in a place very different to her home.

SHUDO

Dir: To-Anh Bach, Charles Badiller, Hugo Weiss

A tender and touching tale, punctuated with violent moments, Shudo sees two Samurais embark on an emotion-filled duel with some clever transitions revealing the passion behind their battle.