2009 OIAF Shorts Competition 5 Review
2009 Ottawa International Animation Festival Short Cartoons
Oct 28, 2009
"This is your reward for sitting through the last 4 nights," said OIAF co-founder Chris Robinson, when introducing the Shorts Competition 5.
Although this set featured more populist favourites than previous nights (including some new cartoons from old friends), there was still plenty of weirdness on display, courtesy of those wacky Estonians.
(Those Wacky Estonians: that could be a sit-com . . . or a sit-coma)
The Good
'Runaway' (Cordell Barker, Canada): There's ample reason to applaud the return of the guy who brought us the classic 'The Cat Came Back' and 'Strange Invaders.' A wickedly funny metaphor for this out-of-control world, this short still gets laughs and gasps. And yes, that's a baby getting tossed into the fire. Look for an exclusive interview with Barker, coming to Animated Films.
'Postalolio' (Marv Newland, Canada & USA): The mad genius behind 'Bambi Meets Godzilla' returns with this abstract/experimental animation, featuring stop-motion post cards that were actually sent through the international post. Very cool, indeed.
'Vive la Rose' (Bruce Alcock, Canada): While it didn't blow minds initially, this short improves on repeated viewings. The best part, though, is still the haunting song interpreted by legendary Newfoundland fiddler/singer Émile Benoit.
'Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death' (Nick Park, UK): Although many audience members felt this short ranked several levels below Wallace and Gromit classics like 'A Close Shave' and 'The Wrong Trousers,' 'A Matter of Loaf and Death' still featured some great visual gags and inventive sequences. Okay, so you know who the villain is right from the start, but it's still a thrilling journey.
The Bad
- 'Köögi Dimensioonid (Kitchen Dimensions)' (Priit Tender, Estonia): "Oh God, not again!" groaned an audience member when this 18-minute short failed to end for the 3rd time. Yes, when it came to heinous wankery most vile, the Estonian animators did not disappoint, although Tender bringing his main character back out for a curtain call was a nice touch. "These guys need an editor," observed another audience member. His friend concurred with: "This short is brought to you by the letters W, T, and F!"
- 'A Recipe for Disaster' (Eric Hayes, Canada): No one's expecting absolute genius from a high school animation project, but everyone saw the twist in this story coming a mile away. That said, the claymation work was nicely done.
The Ugly (Who Won?)
Although there were some great shorts, the audience (and this reviewer's) favourite was clearly Cordell Barker's 'Runaway.' Another wickedly funny short from the guy behind 'The Cat Came Back,' this extends Barker's win record to 3 for 3. Okay, since everyone's loved all your cartoons, Cordell, can we see a more active release schedule from you in future years?
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