School Program Grades 1-3

Nov 19 9:30 am to 11:00 am |
Nov 21 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

We can often feel alone in our journeys of self-discovery. This program focuses on the complex yet universal experiences we all face such as making new friends, figuring out where our home is, and how to make our dreams come true.

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Year: 2015
Genre: Short, Animation
Country: Spain
Length: 8 min

In a busy life, Copi is a father who tries to teach the right way to his son, Paste. But… What is the correct path?

Directed by

Daniel Martínez Lara and Rafael Cano Méndez

Daniel Martínez Lara (Madrid,1972) has worked on films, shortfilms, and publicity, with several companies. With 20 years as an animation teacher, he founded Pepe School Land in 2006, a school focused in modeling, character animation and the creation of 3D shorts.

Rafael Cano Méndez (Madrid, 1982) came into the world of animation 10 years ago. He recieved his Art degree at the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, and later joined the team of Nikodemo Animation, working as concept artist and animator in severals projects. Along with learning 2D animation, he developed his expertise as a 3D animator at Pepe School Land, where he now works as an animation workshop teacher.

What’s My Superpower?

Year: 2019
Genre: Short, Animation
Country: Canada
Language: English
Length: 10 min

Nalvana feels like all of her friends have some type of superpower. As she tries out each of her friends’ superpowers with no success, she wonders if she might be the only kid in town without a special talent.

Directed by

Justin Heymans

Justin Heymans is a multimedia designer living and working out of Ottawa, Ontario. He has a passion for storytelling and animation which flourished during his time living in Iqaluit while working for Taqqut Productions. He currently designs digital and print material for the Government of Canada but often freelances various design and animation projects.

Where Does Elv Belong?

Year: 2017
Genre: Short, Animation
Country: USA
Language: English
Length: 4 min

Elv and his family are from a different planet. When their ship crashes on Earth, he learns the true meaning of ‘home’ and what it means to belong.

Directed by

Ruth Baraz

Ruth Baraz is a short, curly, bossy and funny storyboard artist in Los Angeles. She was born in Israel and moved to Seattle in the USA when she was 12, it was challenging and she didn’t feel like she belonged. She later moved to California to study animation in CalArts, and now she lives in Los Angeles with her friends, her grey cat Toot, and works on Bob’s Burgers in the Storyboard department.

Dam! The Story of Kit the Beaver

Year: 2017
Genre: Short, Animation
Country: Canada
Length: 12 min

Kit, a very independent (and easily distracted) young beaver who loves to explore the sounds of the forest she lives in. While Kit is busy discovering the world, her clan is busy building a dam. During her adventures, Kit teaches her clan about the value of working with others and she learns that progress can come in many forms.

Directed by

Kjell Boersma

Kjell Boersma is a director from South River, Ontario. As a graduate of Ryerson University’s Film Studies program, he has since worked on broadcast animation and feature documentaries, as well as music videos and animated shorts. In 2010, he left Toronto for New Mexico, where he collaborated with National Geographic photographer Adriel Heisey to shoot for the United States National Park Service, and co-founded the arts council gallupARTS.

Big Mouth

Year: 2012
Genre: Short, Animation
Country: Canada
Language: English
Length: 8 min

Trudy has an unfiltered and deeply curious way of looking at the world. Here, events force her to question what it means to speak the truth, and comes to understand how our differences make us unique.

Directed by

Andrea Dorfman

Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Andrea Dorfman uses her filmmaking and art as a means of exploring the world and her own experiences and identity. Big Mouth is Dorfman’s second animated short produced by the National Film Board of Canada.

One Small Step

Year: 2018
Genre: Short, Animation
Country: USA
Length: 7 min

Luna is a young Chinese American girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut. From the day she witnesses a rocket launching into space on TV, she is inspired to reach for the stars. Luna lives with her loving father Chu in the big city and while growing up, she faces all kinds of challenges in pursuit of her dreams.

Directed by

Andrew Chesworth and Bobby Pontillas

Andrew Chesworth grew up passionate about drawing, reading, music, and movies. His diverse experiences directing short films and commercials in CG, 2D, and stop-motion, as well as many years animating for Disney, define his broad artistic taste. Chesworth believes that stories worth telling can inspire people of any culture or background.

Bobby Pontillas went to see Disney’s animated film Tarzan in 1999 and was blown away by the groundbreaking visuals. Since then, Bobby has been determined to make an impact in the animation industry. Bobby brings a wealth of artistic experience, having worked on a slew of productions at Blue Sky and Disney.