Anchorage International Film Festival
ANIMATION
The 2008 AIFF offers a big wild ride
through animation, with submissions
from around the world. With this year’s animation
selections ranging from the sublime to the erotic and from
super short to feature length, animation isn’t just for kids. Come
jump on board and hold on tight for some of the best animation
you’ll see anywhere.
Teresa Scott & Fran Kelly,
Co-Directors AIFF Animation
Parents are strongly cautioned that with the exception of our "Kid Friendly" program and "The Magistical" that most animated films are not suitable for pre-teenagers.
SEX DRUGS & ROCK 'N' ROLL
Sunday, December 7 at 8:30 PM - Bear Tooth Theatre
Mature adult audiences, 13-17 w/adult / no children under 12
Teat Beat of Sex: Episodes 8-11
Italy & USA • 7 min.
By Signe Baumane
A young girl, Cynthia, experiences her first kiss,
first make out session, first jealousy and first
sex. It takes years to get to sex. She isn’t sure
what she is supposed to feel, but is intrigued to
continue exploring.
USA• 4 min.
By Steve Hofstetter
Join standup comedian Steve Hofstetter as he
explores America’s hypocrisy about drugs and terrorism. With music by Palmer’s Medic and
animation by Dillon McCarthy, High Hopes is a
hilariously dark journey into what we fear the
most: truth.
USA • 10 min.
By Rory Magnus
Robot experiments on man to find out what
makes a human a human. This film probes ideas
of consciousness, artificial intelligence and the
post-human age.
The film maker is scheduled to attend the screening.
USA • 2 min.• In Competition
By Mike Stern
An office worker’s job is made extremely difficult
because of his boss’s taste in music.
Teat Beat of Sex: Episodes 1-3
Italy & USA • 4 min.
By Signe Baumane
Entertaining and informative short lectures by a
knowing woman. “Kirby” addresses size; “Juice”
is the contradiction of man’s dream world and
woman’s reality; “Trouble” happens deep inside
a woman if she hasn’t had sex for weeks.
USA • 72 min.
By Mike Reiss
From Emmy-winning “Simpsons” writer Mike
Reiss comes this feature-length animated musical
about the gay animals Queer Duck, Openly
Gator and Bi Polar Bear.
Wednesday, December 10 at 5:30 PM - Anchorage Museum
Saturday, December 13 at 12:30 PM - Anchorage Museum
USA • 5 min. • In Competition
By Erick Oh
The topic of this abstractedly crafted animation
applies to anything that struggles to be free. It
can be a phenomenon occurring deep within
the mind, or an individual confronting the standardized
masses.
USA • 2 min.• In Competition
By Mike Stern
An office worker’s job is made extremely difficult because of his boss’s taste in music.
The film maker is scheduled to attend the screenings.
Canada • 4 min. In Competition
By Chris Dainty & Rita Street
Boyd was living the good life until Mock came
along. Boyd’s new cage-mate is out to shake his
tail feathers like they’ve never been shaken before.
A Flat in B Minor 
Canada • 3 min.
By Scott Fiander
The rhythm of an orchestrated tango lays the foundation
for this animated short about the changing
of a flat on the other side of the universe.
USA • 11 min.
By Jackie Smessaert Brennan
A struggling beatnik goes to robotic extremes to
break into the art scene in this retro-style, jazzdriven
animated short.
Canada • 6 min. In Competition
By Jeff Chiba Stearns
Twenty three hundred drawings on 4x6 inch
yellow sticky notes with a black ink pen, Yellow
Sticky Notes is a small internal reflection on
one’s role as an artist manifests into a discussion
about major political and environmental crises.
The film maker is scheduled to attend the screening on Saturday, December 13
USA • 3 min.
By Jason Doll
A classically animated user guide for the “Cramer
Collection” set in a 1930’s cartoon office as
the staff struggle to plan a meeting.
Latvia• 8 min.
By Vladimir Leschiov
In winter some people go ice fishing and as the
excitement is intensified by freezing temperatures
and strong drinks, unpredictable consequences
follow.
UK • 5 min.
By Martin Pickles
A laconic comedy about Neuroses, Catholicism
and Prozac.
USA • 19 min.
By Brad Pattullo
A stop-motion animated black comedy mockumentary,
about the making of a stop-motion
animated film at an art college in the Southern
United States.
USA • 4 min. In Competition
By Joaquin Baldwin
A voodoo doll must find the courage to save his friends from being pinned to death.
The film maker is scheduled to attend the screening.
7 min. USA
by Sean Pecknold
Theodore, the lonely fisherman, becomes a hero when the sounds of distant screaming in the cold North Sea urge him out to unknown dangers in this fairy tale based on Norwegian stories.
Canada• 18 min. Special Selection
Filmmakers Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski
The National Film Board of Canada presents a stunning, stop-motion animated film that takes the viewer on an exhilarating existential journey. The film introduces groundbreaking visual techniques and is supported by a haunting and original score. Painstaking care and craftsmanship in form and detail bring to life a fully imagined, tactile world unlike any you have seen. Jungian thriller? Hitchcockian suspense? Artistic tour de force? The night train awaits you.
Sunday, December 7 at 5:30 PM - Anchorage Museum
UK • 25 min.
By Grant Orchard with Studio aka
A series of very short films filled with color, action,
rivalry, excitement and all that encompasses the
wonderful world of sports using moving geometric
shapes, sound and amazing movement.
Headwinds
Canada • 2 min. • In Competition
By Brian Sinasac
Ready for his base jump, Dan, perched high
above the desert floor, leaps into the open sky. Malfunctioning equipment means doom for our
daredevil, who can only be saved by the use of
his head.
Australia • 9 min.
By Andrew Goode
Feeling lonely and bored, a young tetra fish just
wants some attention. Attracted by the manic antics
of a gang of older fish who spend hours inventing
new extreme sports, she begins a quest
to gain their acceptance.
Alaska • 4 min. - Snowdance selection
By Peter Dunlap-Shohl
Accompanied by narration that is reminiscent of
Robert Service meets The Charlie Daniels Band,
a plucky musher must defend Alaska pride and
her soul when she is challenged to a sled dog
race by Satan.
The film maker is scheduled to attend the screening
USA• 5 min.
By Kristian Perry
A true story, this is the harrowing and hilarious
account of an encounter between a family on
safari and elephants on the plains of Tanzania.
The Misadventures of Moon Kitty
USA • 12 min.
By DeWayne Austin
Follow the antics of the musical cat that lives on
the moon as she frolics through space, nurtures
her baby, entertains her fellow lunar loonies
and escapes a meteor shower induced by a
stampede of dangerous dinosaurs!
The film maker is scheduled to attend the screening.
UK• 5 min.
By Reza Dolatabadi
Khoda is a psychological thriller of a man
trapped in his aging body created from more
than 6000 paintings that were painstakingly
produced during a two year period to create a
five minute film that would meet the filmmaker’s
high personal standards.
USA • 7 min.
By Stephen Neary
Shelly the Chicken Cowboy wasn’t looking for
a fight, but he found one. Can he face his fears
and stand up for himself?
USA • 8 min.
By Alex Ferrari
We meet the “princess” as a 12 year old girl
who finds herself in a strange country looking
for her father. After she is taken in by Nino,
who claims to be her father’s friend. There, she
discovers the “Book of Violence” and begins her
journey that one day will lead to vengeance.
Operation: Fish
USA • 11 min. In Competition
By Jeff Riley
After a series of mysterious goldfish abductions,
a secret agent is dispatched with a time
displacement gun to bring the criminals behind
the “fishnappings” to justice, and possibly save
the world!
Saturday, December 6 at 4:00 PM - Bear Tooth Theatre ($5)
Timothy and the Great Robotic
Invaders from Outer Space
USA • 13 min.
By Tamarind King
When Timothy discovers hostile alien signals on
a homemade radio, it’s up to him to stop the
impending doom. The film is a loving tribute to
50’s sci-fi.
Germany • 13 min.
By Leszek Plichta
Once, long ago, the Dreammaker made the
most beautiful dreams for people. Now he lives
a solitary existence for only one purpose, the
creation of a special dream, his dream.
USA • 30 min.
By Merrin Marra
This is a story about a plain penguin who is
threatened with removal from a zoo run by
money-grubbing capitalists because he does not
generate enough interest to guarantee profits.
UK• 24 min.
By Marc Craste with Studio aka
In the face of overwhelming urbanization,
indifference and recklessness, a small creature
struggles to preserve a remnant of the peace
he once knew and with his selfless acts of love
plant the seeds of change that will prove the
salvation of his world.
FEATURE ANIMATIONS
USA • 90 min
Produced by Out of Our Mind Studios
A beautifully produced animated adventure
film for the entire family. In order to
protect and preserve all precious life, The
Magistical creates a spell which grants
immortality to the last remaining of every
type of creature. A powerful and evil Draken
sees an opportunity to use the spell to
further her ambitions to rule the world. In
darkness and shadow, she begins killing all
of the other Drakens in hopes of becoming
the last, so she can rule as she pleases,
without fear of death. Soon there is only
one last obstacle to her evil ambitions, a
helpness baby draken cub named Knot. An excellent select
ion for the entire family.
Sunday, December 14 at 1:00 PM - Bear Tooth Theatre
Camille Ezzell, the texture artist on "The Magistical" will be attending the screening.
USA • 72 min.
By Mike Reiss
From Emmy-winning “Simpsons” writer Mike Reiss comes this feature-length animated musical
about the gay animals Queer Duck, Openly Gator and Bi Polar Bear.
Sunday, December 7 at 8:30 PM - Bear Tooth Theatre