School of Life_Pessimism | STASH MAGAZINE

The Wisdom of Pessimism

UK-based Swiss philosopher/writer/television presenter Alain de Botton reads his own script in this counter-intuitive mini-masterpiece on the benefits of a glass half empty – conjured by London director/animator/designer Claudio Salas and a crew of over 30 collaborators. [Watch]

Baldvin Pride of Strathmoor | STASH MAGAZINE

Einar Baldvin Faces Madness in “The Pride of Strathmoor”

Raw technique, nightmare imagery and themes of race and madness made Icelandic director/animator Einar Baldvin‘s intense USC thesis film “The Pride of Strathmoor” a favorite on the fest circuit: recognized at Annecy and Ottawa and awarded the Jury Prize for Best Animated Short at Slamdance 2015. [Watch]

NSPCC Lovers Daniel Bruson | STASH MAGAZINE

Haunting and Powerful: “Pete’s Story”

A heart-wrenching narrative becomes exponentially more emotional when the hero is a child. Witness “Pete’s Story,” a new chapter in the powerful body of ad work commissioned by UK children’s charity NSPCC. [Watch]

Buck_Blend | STASH MAGAZINE

Anagram Anarchy Opens Blend Fest in Vancouver

The spankin’ new Blend festival launched late last week in Vancouver with this hyper-active happy meal of clever wordplay and characters created by Gareth O’Brien and crew at Buck‘s new Sydney studio with nicely-caffeinated music and sound design from Antfood. [Watch]

Royal College of Art "My Dad" | STASH MAGAZINE

Finding Friction in London with “My Dad”

Rendered in visceral, expressionistic oil pastels and backed by layered audio fragments, Marcus Armitage‘s BAFTA nominated graduation film “My Dad,” looks, feels and sounds like an edgy and experimental NFB short from the 70’s. That’s a good thing. [Watch]

Nate Theis_Driving | STASH MAGAZINE

Nate Theis’ Crazed Commuter Character Crescendo

Madison, Wisconsin doesn’t leap to mind as a hotbed of animation or road rage but local director/animator Nate Theis transcends such petty limitations for his first indie film “Driving,” channeling the style of mid-20th century studios like UPA and the intense fury of big city commuters. [Watch]