Short Animation Film: ARK

Yes, all roads lead to animation for me at the moment. ARK is one of the best examples of what a great short animated film looks like.

This one is biggie! Multiple award-winning, short animated film by Grzegorz Jonkajtys and Marcin Kobylecki, this is a futuristic film, set against the gruesome backdrop of a world where a virus has destroyed almost all of human population.

ARK begins with the following message to the viewer:

“An unknown virus has destroyed almost the entire human population.

Oblivious to the true nature of the disease, the only remaining survivors escape to the sea. In great ships, they set of in search of uninhabited land.

So begins the exodus, led by one man…”

Of late, i have been watching a lot of animated films (it’s obvious, isn’t it?), but few films have the overall brilliance that this one does. The makers sure know their craft, and what is most striking about this film, is right from the beginning you know that the filmmaker is not a student, making a short animation film for his final year thesis at school. You know that this is an experienced filmmaker (in the field of animation at least). That amateur-ish feel is absent from this film.

ARK won:

ANIMANIMA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (2007, Serbia): Award for the Best Directing

AUSTRALIAN EFFECTS AND ANIMATION FESTIVAL (2007, Australia): Winner – Short Film

BUDAPEST SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (2007, Hungary): Best Animation

CRACOW FILM FESTIVAL (2007, Poland): Silver Hobby-Horse, Best Animated Film

KYIV INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL MOLODIST (2007, Ukraine): Best Short Film

PRIX ARS ELECTRONICA (2007, Austria): Award of Distinction

SIGGRAPH (2007, USA): Best of Show Award

TEHRAN INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (2007, Iran): Best Experimental Award

TIRANA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (2007, Albania): Best Animation

TOKYO INTERNATIONAL ANIME FAIR (2008, Japan): Notable Entry Prize

VIEW CONFERENCE (2007, Italy): Best 3D Short

So without anymore fuss, let us watch the film.

You can read more about the film on their website.