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TAAFI 2021 Announces Online Festival Program Line-Up

Virtual program running March 24-27 will showcase over 100 animated features and shorts; online screenings of animated features include ‘Wolfwalkers,’ ‘Nahuel and the Magic Book,’ ‘Violence Voyager,’ and Sony Pictures’ classic hit ‘Heavy Metal.’

The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) has announced the full lineup for the 2021 program. It will feature the Apple TV+ animated original Wolfwalkers, Germán Acuña’s Nahuel and the Magic Book, Ujicha’s Violence Voyager, and a special screening of Sony Pictures’ classic Heavy Metal, followed by a Q&A with director Gerald Potterton. 

The 2021 Toronto Animation Film Festival will run online from March 24-27, 2021, showcasing more than 100 animated shorts and five feature films. 

“While the 2021 Toronto Animation Film Festival will be taking place in a different environment, we planned this year’s festival with work from all over the world, in addition to classic hits that will unite our community filled with animation enthusiasts, moviegoers, and TV fans,” commented TAAFI co-founder and chair Barnabas Wornoff. “This year, we’re so excited to share that multiple filmmakers and artists will join us in sharing this virtual film festival journey with you.” 

SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS | FEATURE FILMS

Wolfwalkers (90 minutes)

The final instalment in directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart’s “Irish folklore trilogy” is a stunning testament to their singular animation style and storytelling skills. With visual references to pre-Celtic imagery and Studio Ghibli alike — and some catchy songs — Wolfwalkers is an instant classic for all ages.

Nahuel And The Magic Book (99 minutes)

Live Q&A with director Germán Acuña

Nahuel lives with his father in a fishing town, yet he has a deep fear of the sea. One day, he finds a magical book that seems to be the solution to this problem, but a dark wizard is after it and captures Nahuel’s father. This is where his fantastic adventure begins: to rescue his father while overcoming his deepest fears.

Violence Voyager (84 minutes)

For his three years in the making follow-up to The Burning Buddha Man (2013) director Ujicha again employs a blend of animation and manga called “geki-mation,” creating grotesque body horror nightmare imagery from painstakingly detailed, hand-painted paper cut-outs. Chock-full of B-horror, sci-fi and kaiju film references, this blood-soaked late-night flick is not for the kiddies.

Heavy Metal (86 minutes) 

Based on the sexy science fiction cult comic, Heavy Metal combines stunning visuals, new wave music and a series of mind-bending stories in a unique motion picture experience. The anchor of the film is an eerie green ball that magically transports us into a series of adventures in the past, future, and into the world beyond. This groundbreaking animation extravaganza also use the voices of John Candy, Harold Ramis, Eugene Levy and Joe Flaherty, as well as writers, directors, and artists from around the world.

The Croods: The New Age (95 minutes)

The Croods have survived their fair share of dangers and disasters, from fanged prehistoric beasts to surviving the end of the world, but now they will face their biggest challenge of all: another family.

MYSTERIES OF LIFE | SHORTS

  • My Tagalong | Canada
  • Roberto | Spain
  • A Little Too Much | United States
  • Her Voiceless Song | Japan
  • Routes | Argentina
  • The Wheat Keeper | China
  • Umbrellas | France
  • Dark Clouds & Red Roses | China
  • Outgrow | United States
  • Hospland | China

Hullaboo (rough cut)

Including a Q&A with director James Lopez

In this behind-the-scenes look, Hullabaloo director James Lopez and Jake Akuna, VFX Supervisor, will show some select rough sequences from the animated project followed by a Q&A discussing their process and the challenges with producing crowdfunded films.

DARKEST OF DAWNS | SHORTS

  • Mantis Love | France
  • Too Late | Canada
  • Memories for Sale | Costa Rica
  • Neurosi5: Momento | Brazil
  • Weight of Consciousness | United Kingdom
  • En Continu | France
  • My Pet Cat, Depression | United States
  • Mum's Sweater | France
  • Winter Memorie | Iran
  • Polka-Dot Boy | France
  • In Red | China

UNIVERSALLY REMOTE | SHORTS

  • Coronus | Turkey
  • The Rope | Japan
  • Days Like These | Canada
  • Pebbles | United States
  • Coffin | France
  • Thanks, Goodbye | Netherlands
  • A Step Into My Wallpaper Real Human Being | United States
  • Coxswain's Chicken Kitchen | United States
  • A Couple On The Rooftop, The Cellular Antenna And The Metal Birds | Israel
  • Light Collector | China
  • Signs | Switzerland
  • Framed Memories | Malaysia
  • Quarantine Chorus | United Kingdom

KIDS CARTOONS | SHORTS

  • Dinner Is Saved | United States
  • Wild | France
  • The Little Hedgehog | United States
  • Ollie | Belgium
  • Rhino | United Kingdom
  • Hedera | United Kingdom
  • Prepawsterous | United States
  • Reach | United Kingdom
  • Test Flight | Canada
  • Spellbound | United Kingdom
  • The Starkeeper | United Kingdom

STUDENT SHORTS | SHORTS

  • Everything Pizza | United States
  • The Box Assassin | United States
  • The Hotline | Canada
  • Behind the Scenes | United Kingdom
  • We're All Gonna Die | Canada
  • Sunshower | Hungary
  • 7 Ways to Upgrade Your Brain | Belgium
  • Breaker Point | Canada
  • Shi Yang | France
  • The Alien Nightmare | France
  • La Bestia | France
  • Scattershot | Canada
  • Mime Your Manners | United States
  • The Portrait of a Boring Man | Russian Federation
  • The Train Ride Home | United States
  • My Lil' Bud (Flower) | Poland

THE ODDBALL COLLECTION | SHORTS

  • #happy | Taiwan
  • Speed | United Kingdom
  • 7b | United Kingdom
  • The Mystery of Leonardo | Belgium
  • Incognito | Hungary
  • Waste Away | United States
  • Cmbr | Martina Testen
  • Sexy Sushi | Singapore
  • Rise Up | Netherlands
  • Walks Alone | Israel
  • The Organized Life | United States
  • Mad in Xpain | Spain
  • Blanket | Germany

CARTOON PARTY | SHORTS

  • The Snow Ball | Canada
  • Dried Ol' Bones | USA
  • Mercury Corp | Spain
  • Boring | France
  • Leave Me Be! | United States
  • Space Apero | France
  • Mr Ruru's Adventure | China
  • Shellshocked | Canada
  • Swoon | Canada
  • Reel Life | France
  • Haunted | Italy
  • Deadly Catwalk | France
  • Wire | USA
  • What the Heck Should I Write About? | Romania
  • Mountain Move | Canada

Full program information and tickets are available here.

Source: Toronto Animation Film Festival