There are a million animation schools out there, but we always take special time out to watch those that come out of the French school Gobelins. To know why, just take a look at our archive. The 2017 graduation films dropped on Vimeo and YouTube yesterday, here is a brief rundown of the 4 that are available. (Editor: 4 additional films were made available the following week. We covered them here)

PARFUM FRAISE

Dir: Samuel KLUGHERTZ, Alix ARRAULT, Jules RIGOLLE, Martin HURMANE

What a perfect little short. An ex-yakuza tries to leave his old life behind upon the birth of his son. As his son grows older, hiding his past from him is a challenge, especially as his past returns to haunt them both.

NIGHT WITCHES

Dir: Arina KORCZYNSKI

Cool style and a fascinating premise are marred a bit by fairly choppy animation. Yulia is a “Night Witch” aviator, and in between the moments of glory, and tragic events, we’ll see that Yulia’s fascination and passion for aviation is deadly linked to the horrors of war.

BURN OUT

Dir: Cécile CARRE

Stella, a space mechanic, is stranded on a desert planet. While she is in despair, a little girl appears out of nowhere. Following the child into a tunnel, in the depths of the planet, she discovers a big cave full of objects that belonged to her, reminding her the dreams she has left behind. A bit sentimental for my tastes, but we have cold hearts here, I’m sure it’ll inspire many. 

MEHUA

Dir: Camille AIGLOZ, Lucy VALLIN, Michiru BAUDET, Simon ANDING MALANDIN, Diane TRAN DUC, Margo ROQUELAURE

Stunning design is the highlight in this film that imagines two young women who are about to receive the greatest honor : to be sacrified to their gods. But who really wants that?