IWFF Shorts Block 3: Reframing the Wild

A meditation on the horseshoe crab, one of Earth's oldest living species, told through the old lecture slides of physiologist Dr. Abner Lall (“Moon Crab”). A young couple in a long-distance relationship imagines themselves as three different endangered species (“Would You Still Love Me if I was a Sticky Frog?”). A cry from the species, startled into survival against the elements, visualized through interpretive dance (“Somber Tides”). The “Reframing the Wild” shorts block presents 9 new visions in wildlife storytelling.


On the 8th Day

Directors: Agathe Senechal, Alicia Massez, Elise Debruyne, Flavie Carin, Theo Duhautois
Producer: Carlos De Carvalho

It took 7 days to create the world, but only one to disrupt its balance.


Damji

Director: Nazanin Chitsaz
Producer: Hasan Habibzadeh

Unbeknownst to their friends, a child collects drops of wastewater and carries them to a distant location…


Would You Still Love Me If I Was a Sticky Frog?

Director: Myles Storey
Producers: Alex Bowmer, Georgia Torres

A young couple in a long-distance relationship imagine themselves as three different endangered species - the Cameron Highland Sticky Frog, the Proboscis Monkey, and the Great Hornbill.


Nozawa Story

Director: Zack McCune

What can wildlife teach humanity about the natural world? In this Japanese folk tale, a hunter learns a secret about the mountains from the bear that he attacks. Filmed on Super 8 in Nagano, Japan and Donner, California this short film features hand-drawn animations and an original synth score to bring the story to life.


Coywolf

Director: Lucy Adams

In the bustling chaos of the nation's most populous metropolis, coyotes lurk in the shadows, hidden in plain sight and largely unknown to their human neighbors. As coyote populations have spread across the country, New York City has become home to these urban scavengers.


Somber Tides (Maree Noire)

Director and Producer: Chantal Caron

Somber Tides is  a cry from the species, startled into survival against the elements. One last breath before being trampled by the Earth or maybe a battle to wage against winds and tides.


The Mayan Forest: When a Tapir Gazes Upon You

Director: Tania Alvarez Guerrero
Producers: Angel Linares, Georgia Torres, Alex Bowmer  

A group of children go on an adventure through the Maya Forest in search of the tapir. Their journey traverses myth, jungle and memory.


Moon Crab

Director and Producer: Leah Clare Michaels

Moon Crab is a meditation on the horseshoe crab, one of Earth's oldest living species now struggling with extreme population decline. Blending reflections on nature's cycles with experimental visuals, the film employs an array of techniques, including eco-processed film developed with seaweed, to immerse the viewer in the crab's subaquatic world. 


Wander Alone

Directors: Joey Bania, Justin Mott

Producers: Quynh Anh Mott, Justin Mott 

A novel examination of loneliness and extinction, Wander Alone weaves intimate portraits of the last surviving Northern White Rhinos with meditations on the profound consequences of humanity’s actions on a planet increasingly bereft of our more-than-human kin.


Includes a live Q&A with the filmmakers!