Press Release

Slate features a selection of critically acclaimed films, including the 2014 Oscar-nominated short, “Feral” directed by Daniel Sousa, Fabio Friedli’s “Bon Voyage,” the timely and compelling animated story about refugees, and more.

Vimeo announces November’s slate of Staff Pick Premieres, with a different film making its global online premiere each Wednesday exclusively on Vimeo.  To check out the Staff Pick Premieres channel, visit https://vimeo.com/channels/premieres.

This month’s slate includes titles such as “Nothing Ever Really Ends,” Jakob Rorvik’s story about a couple’s love and dysfunction told over three different New Years Eve celebrations; “Bon Voyage,” a poignant and timely animated film about refugees seeking a better place (directed by Fabio Friedli); “Feral,” the Oscar-nominated short by Daniel Sousa that tells the story of a child raised by wolves; “It is My Fault,” Liu Sha’s animated story about the emotions following a compression of the spiritual world by the force of regulation; and “My Father’s Tools,” a refined documentary by Heather Condo about a man honoring his father by crafting traditional baskets, which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

November 1st: “Nothing Ever Really Ends” – Comedy (Dir. Jakob Rorvik)
Synopsis: Marius and Ebba are a couple in their late 20's who are in constant conflict even though they love each other deeply. Every New Years Eve they try to break up. This is a story about love and dysfunction told over the course of three years.

“Nothing Ever Really Ends” has been selected for Oscar-qualifying festivals including Aspen Film Shortsfest (Jury Special Recognition), Seattle International Film Festival (Jury Special Recognition), Uppsala and Grimstad (Honorable Mention Screenplay), with more festivals to be announced. It was also selected by The Norwegian Federation of Film Societies as one of the year's top five shorts.

About the Filmmaker: Currently based in Oslo, Norway.

November 8th: “Bon Voyage” – Animation (Dir. Fabio Friedli)
Synopsis: There isn’t a single spot left on a truck bringing emigrants to a better place. They travel through the desert to the beach and then to Europe on a little boat; the journey is everything but safe. After all of this, what will follow?

About the Filmmaker: Born 1986 in Bern, Friedli has been an independent filmmaker and musician (Pablo Nouvelle) since 2009. In 2011, he received a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication - Animation from HSLU Lucerne - Design & Kunst. His latest short film is “In A Nutshell,” which is touring the festival circuit now.

November 15th: “Feral” – Animation (Dir. Daniel Sousa)
Synopsis:  A child raised by wolves is returned to civilization by a hunter, whose attempts to integrate the boy into society are met with unfortunate consequences. With a haunting, hand-painted visual style, the film’s gentle storytelling style, done without dialogue, contrasts beautifully with the rather harsh concepts of the story: what really makes us “human” and separates us from animals?

About the Filmmaker: Daniel was born in Cape Verde in 1974 and grew up in Portugal. He moved to the States with his family in the mid-eighties, and he received a BA from RISD in 1994. Since then, he has worked as a director and animator with Cartoon Network, Olive Jar Studios, Global Mechanic, and Duck. Daniel has taught at several colleges in the New England area, including RISD, Harvard University, The Museum School, and The Art Institute of Boston, as well as at the Animation Workshop in Denmark. In his work, Daniel uses animation and themes commonly found in mythology and fairy tales to examine archetypes of human nature, and the inner struggles between our intellects and our unconscious drives. Rather than following conventional narratives, he approaches film-making from a painter’s perspective. He focuses on states of mind, evoking the fragility of fleeting moments, memories and perceptions.  

November 22nd: “It is My Fault” – Animation (Dir. Liu Sha)
Synopsis: After the compression of the spiritual world by the force of regulation, a series of emotions will follow such as introspection, violence, self-destruction, and untangling. This work utilizes the own approach of the digital media itself to deconstruct, to form the subliminal synesthesia visually, and to create a fictional experience for the mind.

About the Filmmaker: Liu Sha was born in May of 1988 in Hebei. She got her Bachelor Degree in Animation at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in 2013 and is currently taking her postgraduate studies on Inter-media Art at CAFA. Her works were selected in Annecy International Animation Festival, Stuttgart International Animation Festival, Slamdance Film Festival, Florida Film Festival, and over 40 festivals and exhibitions both in China and abroad.

November 29th: “My Father’s Tools” – Documentary (Dir. Heather Condo)
Synopsis: Stephen continues producing traditional baskets to honor his father and thus finds peace in his studio as he connects with the man who taught him the craft.

About the Filmmaker: Heather Condo was born in Maria, Quebec on October 14, 1971. She was adopted and grew up in Massachusetts. Heather moved back to Gesgapegiag where a lot of her family reside in 2005. Heather has talked about making this film for quite some time about her partner’s gift. She likes hunting, fishing, painting and traveling. Her son encouraged her to make this film with Wapikoni, a non-profit organization that promotes and works with First Nation and indigenous people.

Advance links to all of the films are available; please reach out to JordanS@vimeo.com to request.

Filmmakers interested in having their work considered for a Staff Pick Premiere can submit here: https://vimeo.com/submit.
 

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