CAFF, the Cultural Animation Film Festival is designed to showcase unique animated films based on the cultures of who we are. Our hopes is that these films will shed a better light on who we are as a people. We also hope that CAFF will inspire animators both new and seasoned from around the world to create films and share their stories.

Schedule:

November 15, 2024

CAFF 2024 Opening-Night Animation Celebration - 7:00PM - 9:00PM

The Mayfly

The Mayfly is a lyrical tale of young Megalyn Mayfly who was born in New York City’s Central Park.   The story was inspired by an actual event witnessed by the film’s Creator, legendary Actress/Singer Betty Lynn Buckley.  Megalyn goes against all Mayfly cultural norms  to dedicate her short life to Music and Dance. Her quest takes her from Central Park West to the Upper East Side’s Café Carlyle where she performs her final opus, creating beautiful patterns in the light as she dances over the head of singer Judy Collins.  Animated traditionally in 2D, The Mayfly is a love letter to Music and New York City.

Animation Director: Sue Perrotto

​Country of Origin: United States

​Length: 7:05 Minutes

Fashion Victims 2.0

An inconvenient truth: the Western fashion industry stands on forced child labor in the Third World. Will you still consent to it?

FASHION VICTIMS 2.0 is the animated recreation of the mural painted by ESCIF in January 2022 in front of a well-known fashion store in Valencia. The painting exposes our passivity towards child labor and its harsh conditions in developing countries. The animation short film brings to life the people painted on the wall to show their alienation and the nonsense of our unsustainable consumption habits. FASHION VICTIMS 2.0 is also a tribute to Valencia street art and to ESCIF: an artist concerned about a most uncomfortable reality.

Director: María Lorenzo

Country of Origin: Spain

​Length: 2:00 Minutes

Mercedes'kitchen

Mercedes is a traditional Mexican cook, she learned cooking by watching her mother and grandmother. When she arrived to France, she wantedt to claim Mexican gastronomy and show this ancestral cuisine.

​Directed by: Inés Argueta, Melissa Troublé

Country of Origin: France

​Length: 8:34 Minutes

bé hồng (little persimmon)

A young girl memorializes her late grandfather by attempting to obtain his favorite fruit. Curiously, she receives the aid of a couple of unexpected visitors.

​​Directed by: Thy Vo, Ivan Gozali, Yusra Shahid, Florence Young, Noël Wiggins, Tracy Liu

​Country of Origin: United States

Length: 2:27 Minutes

Irish Goodbye

This project is set to an original song by Irish artist Sammy Copley. The song's message is something many Irish people have felt: the desire to leave their home juxtaposed with a want to stay if things could be different. The song spoke to me, personally, as a young person in Ireland facing challenges, particularly with the housing crisis, and longing to emigrate yet missing parts of Ireland that are comforting.

​​Directed by: AmberAmelia Kelly

​Country of Origin: Ireland

​Length: 1:49 Minutes

James

"James" is a heartfelt autobiographical short film narrated by Anne Di Martino, who takes the audience on an emotional journey into her family's life. Anne recounts a moment from her 

childhood when her mother shared the story of discovering that Anne's younger brother, James, had Down's Syndrome. The film captures Anne's personal experience of growing up with a

special needs sibling. She reflects on the challenges and joys that come with this journey, all while emphasizing the resilience and happiness that James brings to their lives.

​​Directed by: Anne Marie Di Martino 

​Country of Origin: United States

​Length: 4:38 Minutes

Student Film

Oh! Man

Fly, walk, run, jump,

Climb, fall, run away, try...

What else can you imagine

​Directed by: student collective (10_12) 6C

​Country of Origin: Portugal

​Length: 2:00 Minutes

​Student Film

Black power is green power

Haïku: “Raised fist, an isolated willow tree makes spring explode”

​​Directed by: Etienne HUSSON

​Country of Origin: France

​Length: 1:00 Minutes

Moonlit Night of Spring River

This short animated film is a time-traveling and character-swapping animation of a girl sleepwalking through a Chinese garden. Accompanied by the classic melody of the traditional Chinese folk music "Moonlit Night of Spring River", the movie provides an interesting perspective on the unique beauty of Chinese gardens and architecture of the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912).

​Directed by: Joe Chang

Country of Origin: Canada

​Length: 7:32 Minutes

Phool Dei

What began as a classroom assignment on the forgotten festival of flowers in Uttarakhand soon evolved into a passion project deeply rooted in the region’s rich heritage. The story Phool Dei gained depth and nuance from firsthand observations of the changing landscapes of Uttarakhand’s villages and cities.

Located in the fictional realm of Dev Bhoomi and nestled among majestic mountains, the narrative of the story is about the festival of flowers that celebrates the culture and togetherness of Uttarakhand, seen from the perspective of a small girl Medha as she goes on a Magical and an Adventurous journey to collect flowers for her village before it turns into a ghost village. The film focuses on the impact of migration in Uttarakhand, India in the last 5 years and shows the helplessness of the change through the journey of the main character.

​Directed by: Kartik Mahajan

​Country of Origin: India

​Length: 7:22 Minutes

​Student Film

The Tale of Mari

Mari, an elderly Japanese woman, recounts her experiences growing up in Okinawa, moving to America, and attempting to become a newspaper cartoonist.

​Directed by: Anya Vaughn

​Country of Origin: United States

​Length: 6:39 Minutes

Student film

Clara

As Marielle and Ben talk and joke around over a bowl of cereal, Marielle grows anxious about their upcoming visit to see her family. While lost in her own thoughts busy contemplating how the visit will go, Marielle is unaware that she’s been teleported into a world created by her fears until Ben’s voice snaps her out of her daze and she finds herself no longer in their dining room. She is then dropped, dragged, drowned, engulfed, and teleported around strange yet familiar environments. The one thing these environments have in common is a mysterious, glowing, purple cat with a familiar voice, who seems to be leading her somewhere. Desperate for an escape and a sense of familiarity, she chases after the cat. Once united with the mysterious cat, she is able to return to her own reality, where she finds peace and comfort in Ben’s presence.

​​Directed by: Turma 4ºB EB1Pe Ladeira/CENA 

​Country of Origin: Portugal

​Length: 3:26 Minutes

​Student Film

Have I Swallowed Your Dreams

A poetic conversation between an immigrant daughter and her mother about sacrifices and dreams.

​Directed by: Clara Chan

Country of Origin: Canada

​Length: 6:04 Minutes

Tell me a story

The film was produced by a workshop with girls about their personal lives or their friends’ stories and an attempt to heal from them

​Directed by: Marwa ali

​Country of Origin: Egypt

​Length: 4:04 Minutes

Student film

CHAIN

"Chain," directed by Ling Han, is a 3D animated short film featuring charming characters and a sophisticated environment. It uniquely tells the story of the mantis catching the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

"Chain" is visually stunning and emotionally rich, expressing nature's survival instincts and prompting viewers to ponder life's deeper questions. We sincerely recommend this film to fans of animation and proverbs

​Directed by: Ling Han

​Country of Origin: United States

​Length: 4:49Minutes

Student film

On the last day of Navarathri

On the final day of Navarathri, a divine doll must face the fearsome fate that awaits her.

​Directed by: Aarya Kalyansunder

​Country of Origin: India

​Length: 6:25 Minutes

Student film

The Red Scarf-A Story of Armenian Hope

“The Red Scarf- A Story of Armenian Hope” Fate and a hand-woven scarf bring together the lives of Krikor, an Armenian orphan refugee, and Jackie Coogan, Hollywood's biggest child star, in a triumphant story of hope, courage and humanity amidst the tragedy of the 1915 Armenian Genocide. This heartwarming animated story is brought to life by Twiddle Productions Inc. in association with The USC Shoah Foundation.

Directed by: Michael Q.Ceballos

​Country of Origin: United Dtates

​Length: 16:50 Minutes

Buy Tickets

Date: November 15 - 17, 2024