Colorful Worlds for Little Dreamers

Colorful Worlds for Little Dreamers 4+ 

Lithuania, 30′, no dialogue 

Patrikas / The Perfect Fit, Meinardas Valkevičius, 2022, 10’26”, Kanoposir pačiūžos / Hoofs on Skates, Ignas Meilūnas, 2024, 12’24”, Katu katu, Giedrė Narušytė Boots, 2021, 5’30”, Močiutėsblynai / Grandma’s Pancakes, Vykintas Labanauskas, Dominyka Adomaitytė, 2019, 2′

A programme of stylistically diverse animated films, in which courage overcomes the most seemingly daunting obstacles.  In cooperation with the Vilnius Short Film Festival.

The Perfect Fit – Meeting a colourful parrot at the zoo, a shy orphaned boy is encouraged to freely express himself.

Hoofs on Skates – Skating on a frozen lake, two friends discover an unusual and seemingly terrifying world under the ice.

Katu katu – A caterpillar is awoken from its cosy nap among some kitties by a playful ball of wool, which arouses in it the desire to fly.

Grandma’s Pancakes – Grandma is patiently waiting for a visit.

The animated films by Lithuanian filmmakers were made using different animation techniques. In Katu Katu, we can see the effect of animation when several techniques are used together. To the shots of real-life kittens hand-drawn digital animation was added frame by frame. Grandma’s Pancakes was made in the technique of puppet animation. Every movement of the puppets was photographed separately and then composed into a sequence of photos that, when played continuously, appear as smooth movement. Hoofs on Skates, based on a story from Sivužas, a book by the Lithuanian writer Marius Marcinkevičius, was made in the stop motion technique, which required six months of shooting. The Perfect Fit was made in the 2D computer technique, by drawing individual frames on a computer. The story was inspired by the creator’s personal experience of searching for himself. He remembers what it was like for him as a red-haired boy to grow up in post-Soviet Lithuania:

“For me, it was important to look to the inner world of the character as it is a sensitive topic that requires a responsible approach. I like to show experiences and emotions through visual content. In this way, the film becomes a universal and could be understood globally. I chose to use childish illustrations with lots of colors and textures to create realism and give a nostalgic feel that reminds the book – like traditional style of animation. We also used live orchestra, to enable an emotional immersion to the story, that gave it a classical feel of animation, that in the end gives a higher quality to the film.” Meinardas Valkevičius

Followed by  an optical toys workshop. A playful way to learn the ABCs of animated cinema and its history.  Admission is free to both the screening and the workshop.