A Descent into the Maelström

The Natural Order of Things(en)

A stupid insect, at the lowest level of the food chain, endures its position as prey in the forest. But suddenly, the established order is overthrown. The insect provokes a sequence of accidents of increasing importance.

The Limited Bird(en)

John's first independent work from 1989. Won Best of Fest Shorts at the Cinequest Film Festival, CA. The film is comprised of highly rendered drawings with very little moving parts to tell a complex story of relationships "gone to the birds".

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad(en)

The Wind in the Willows: Concise version of Kenneth Grahame's story of the same name. J. Thaddeus Toad, owner of Toad Hall, is prone to fads, such as the newfangled motor car. This desire for the very latest lands him in much trouble with the wrong crowd, and it is up to his friends, Mole, Rat and Badger to save him from himself. - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Retelling of Washington Irving's story set in a tiny New England town. Ichabod Crane, the new schoolmaster, falls for the town beauty, Katrina Van Tassel, and the town Bully Brom Bones decides that he is a little too successful and needs "convincing" that Katrina is not for him.

The Cat Who Walked by Herself(ru)

Two parents put their child in his crib for the night and leave the room. The child starts crying, and the Cat comes into the room to keep him company. The child grabs her tail, and the Cat angrily reminds him that they agreed a thousand years ago that he would not do that. Upon seeing that the child doesn't remember, the Cat sighs and decides to tell him the story from the beginning. The story starts when the planet was young and life on Earth is starting with dinosaurs.

The Disheveled Sparrow(uk)

According to the fairy tale of the same name, how the little sparrow Pashka, as a token of gratitude to his mistress, the girl Masha, fearlessly enters the crow's dwelling in order to return the girl's father's gift stolen by the crow.

Lafertovskaya Makovnitsa(ru)

The cartoon tells about a girl who was sent by an evil stepmother to get tortillas and the secret of making them to her grandmother, who lives in the Lafertovo part of Moscow.

The Fall of the House of Usher(cs)

In this animated version of Edgar Allan Poe's story, a traveller arrives at the Usher mansion to find that the sibling inhabitants are living under a mysterious family curse. The brother's senses have become painfully acute, while his sister has become nearly catatonic.

Josee, the Tiger and the Fish(ja)

With dreams of diving abroad, Tsuneo gets a job assisting Josee, an artist whose imagination takes her far beyond her wheelchair. But when the tide turns against them, they push each other to places they never thought possible, and inspire a love fit for a storybook.

Columbus Docks To The Shore(uk)

Self-confident and eccentric Columbus lands on the American shore in the 20th century.

The Enchanted Bell(cs)

After a magic bell from Tibet is stolen, a little girl and an elephant undertake a dangerous journey to bring the bell home.

The Tomten and the Fox(no)

It's Christmas time. The fox is starving and tries to kill the chickens in the henhouse. Animated short based on a book by Astrid Lindgren.

Billy the Tough and the Cheeky Hares(cs)

Ironbark Bill has to fight against some insolent jackrabbits.

Bobby's Girl(ja)

Bobby is an underachieving high school kid with a deep love for motorcycles. His most recent achievement seems to have been getting photos of himself on a road trip printed in a motorcyclist hobby magazine. When he gets a letter from a girl his age, he decides to write her back.

Dřevorubec(cs)

The animated fairy tale tells the story of a woodcutter who cuts down a forest, carves a forest maiden out of one of the trunks and suddenly realises that he has served an evil master all his life. At the last moment, he defies fate and saves the revived tree. The artwork is based on the traditions of Czech puppet film. The plot is underscored by the haunting music of an acoustic guitar.

The Crocodile(uk)

This story is full of images and context, even though it is a simple story about a crocodile that ate a disagreeable man, it turns out that also addresses the problem of property and economic principles. Of course, all this is done to give a humorous effect, denouncing the social order, which may be contrary to the common sense.

The Little Matchgirl(en)

An animated short based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale about a poor young girl with a burning desire to find comfort and happiness in her life. Desperate to keep warm, the girl lights the matches she sells, and envisions a very different life for herself in the fiery flames filled with images of loving relatives, bountiful food, and a place to call home.

Pete's Dragon(en)

Pete, a young orphan, runs away to a Maine fishing town with his best friend a lovable, sometimes invisible dragon named Elliott! When they are taken in by a kind lighthouse keeper, Nora, and her father, Elliott's prank playing lands them in big trouble. Then, when crooked salesmen try to capture Elliott for their own gain, Pete must attempt a daring rescue.

The Mumps(cs)

In the diary of a six-year-old girl, Marie, we learn what important things happened during one holiday month before she started first grade and how she perceived the changes in her family.

The Timekeepers of Eternity(en)

In this mesmerizing experimental film, a Stephen King television movie is compressed and transformed through hypnotic black and white collage animation that meticulously reconstructs and reshapes its supernatural drama to an eerie and profound effect.

Two Elephants(cs)