Festival Scope’s eight curated animated short films (not for kids) from the Annecy Festival, one of the largest animation film festivals in the world, are some of my best cinematic experiences of the year. 

Most of the shorts run below 10 minutes— shorter than a full TikTok content. I highly recommend you indulge in this online festival— it’s free until mid-July and way better than what you pay for in the cinemas these days.

Here’s my rank of the eight shorts.

1. ‘Dede is Dead’ (9min)

From Czech Republic, this mostly black-and-white animation that premiered at the 2023 Berlinale is based on a true story. Philippe Kastner recounts his experience of losing their family dog through a strikingly dynamic hand-drawn style—minimalistic with no dialogue.

Kastner masterfully conveys emotions. The genius behind this short is the simplicity and clarity in which he animated the universal feelings of loss and grief— and how pain and suffering breed creativity.

2. ‘Love Me True’ (8min)

From France, Inés Sedan’s French-language animated documentary doesn’t have any English subtitles. Yet this short is so effective that you comprehend everything through its visual storytelling.

In bold, vibrant, eye-popping painterly style, “Love Me True” documents the toxic and intoxicating world of modern dating. The focus is a lonely woman, Laurence, who becomes addicted to dating sites and to a man he met online, Pierre.

The phases of her intense and brutal experiences are depicted in powerful visuals— which could resonate with any social media user. How that one rectangular gadget, our smartphone, which Sedan creatively animates, could suck us into a rabbit hole of distress, unhealthy relationships, abuse and self-destruction, taking a toll on our mental health.

3. ‘Regular Rabbit’ (8min)

"So what is real anymore? What is the truth?” 

The dark comedy in 3D animation  from Ireland and Canada focuses on disinformation. It puts the spotlight on a banished—but super cute and plain white, regular rabbit—in a forest symbolically falling apart from lies, rumors, fake news, and propaganda.

The narrator’s tone hilariously increases with rage, distress, and panic. The animated short balances pathos and humor and mirrors our reality, especially the age of social media. The truth can be easily manipulated and hidden. Lies ruin lives, destroy reputations and relationships. Brilliant.

4. ‘Dog Apartment’ (14min)

From Estonia, Priit Tender’s stop motion animation is a surreal delight. This absurdist animation highlights the daily drudgery of a retired ballet dancer, who lives in a literal dog apartment.

It’s a horrific life of routine without fulfillment. An existence trapped in misery. And every day is just all about survival, with a few hours of half-rest.

5. ‘Our Uniform’ (7min)

From Iran, in Farsi with English subtitles, Yegane Moghaddam’s beautiful animation is rendered in the fabric of a school uniform.

It starts off proasic and dull, as a young girl casually talks about her mundane school experiences. But then the tale gradually shifts into a social commentary on the effects of a rigid and highly controlling religion and restrictive  traditions—particularly  on a young female.

6. ‘Carp Xmass’ (7min)

From Czech Republic, Anna Heribanová’s surreal animation dives into a “little bloody Christmas tale.” The dark humor in this short is the perspective of a carp—which Czechs eat as a traditional “Christmas meal.”

The short takes us into the world of carp, as they prepare for the holidays— and where a human being is prepped to be eaten. It’s weird, funny, and a true visual feast.

7. ‘Marie. Eduardo. Sophie.’ (3min)

From Canada, Thomas Corriveau’s 3-minute short is all about movement. The animator used acrylic paint, drawing, and silkscreen to capture the balletic, mesmerizing motions of real-life contemporary dancers whose first names are Marie, Eduardo, and Sophie. 

Awe-inspiring animation. No story. Just an appreciation for dance and visual arts.

8. ‘Fur’ (7min)

From the U.S., this is the only short in the selection that I disliked. It’s all sepia-colored chaos.

After streaming the seven-minute short, I read the synopsis: “A crush gone moldy.” Really? I didn’t get that. Sure, there’s a sequence where the central character stares at a boy in her class, and there are many scenes of listless daydreaming merged with images of microscopic insects in a Science class. Highly pretentious. You can skip this, but definitely watch the rest.

Stream the Annecy Festival shorts here: www.festivalscope.com/page/annecy-international-animation-film-festival-2024/.