Ballroom Marfa presents Shadows in Motion, a spooky fall animation program curated by filmmaker Lucas Ansel, on October 31 & November 1 from 6:30 to 9:30 PM. Featuring visionary artists from around the globe, this collection of haunting and imaginative works selected from Ansel’s encounters at leading international film festivals offers a glimpse into the cutting edge of contemporary animation.
Bring your own picnic to enjoy as you watch! Lady Chanticleer will spin tunes leading into Friday’s screening, and Saturday’s screening will be followed by a Q+A session.
This program is free and open to all.
Shadows in Motion is organized by Lucas Ansel and Felix Benton.
Night 1
The Shot Doctor
By Keith Pakiz | United States | 4:46 minutes
Minor regional basketball player Pete Denny explains how to shoot the perfect jump shot while struggling with the demons that haunt him.
Whose Woods Are These
By Kate Nartker | United States | 6:31 minutes
Created frame by frame from over 500 feet of woven fabric, this animated short reimagines the mysterious disappearance of the filmmaker’s great-great-great-great-grandmother, Julianna Hofrichter. Through textured imagery and poetic visuals, the film invites viewers to explore themes of memory, transformation, and the threads that connect family and place.
Poppy Flowers
By Evridiki Papaiakovou | Estonia | 4:24 minutes
A daughter tries to reconcile with her mother through memories of their shared rituals.
Shyness of Trees
By Sofia Chuikovska | France | 8:56 minutes
Hélène, 40 years old, comes to visit her aging mother in the french countryside. But her mother isn’t being her usual self. She seems to have formed a strange bond with the plants, insects, and the old oak tree at the end of her garden.
Turbulence
By Christopher Rutlidge | United States | 3:32 minutes
Turbulence is a stylized, chaotic animated short—like a fever dream of fluid simulations, caricatured humans, and airborne mayhem.
I Beg Your Pardon
By John W. Lustig | United States | 4:45 minutes
A man commits a terrible crime and the consequences are not what you’d expect.
99¢ Pizza
By Lucas Ansel | United States | 2:24 minutes
Is 99¢ Pizza just too good to be true?
Hurikán
By Jan Saska | Czech | 13:07 minutes
Hurikán rushes to save his favorite beer stand from closure by fetching a new keg to impress the bartender he has a crush on. In a wild Prague district, he faces robbers, cops, and his own thirst.
Vogelleben
By Lukas Wind | Estonia | 4:46 minutes
Lost in her daydreams and oblivious to the cuckoo egg in her nest, a bird mother is breeding her own catastrophe.
O’ Bingo
By lan Kelewae | United States | 5:06 minutes
Magical plant finds a canine comradery during chaos of human ownership.
The 12 Inch Pianist
By Lucas Ansel | United States | 7:28 minutes
A bar joke goes awry.
Night 2
A Sparrow’s Song
By Tobias Eckerlin | Germany | 9:11 minutes
A widowed air raid warden in the midst of World War II struggles to overcome grief and rediscover joy in her life – until she finds a dying sparrow she hopes to save.
States of Matter
By Marvin Jauck | Germany | 6:59 minutes
A meditative exploration of materiality, textures, move-ments, and tactile sound.in Vienna in 1833.
99¢ Pizza
By Lucas Ansel | United States | 2:24 minutes
Is 99¢ Pizza just too good to be true?
Shyness of Trees
By Sofia Chuikovska | France | 8:56 minutes
Hélène, 40 years old, comes to visit her aging mother in the french countryside. But her mother isn’t being her usual self. She seems to have formed a strange bond with the plants, insects, and the old oak tree at the end of her garden.
Kyiv Cake
By Mykyta Lyskov | Estonia | 22:10 minutes
A family in Ukraine and the difficulties they face.
S The Wolf
By Sameh Alaa | Egypt | 10:30 minutes
The story of a man and his hair.
Retirement Plan
By John Kelly | Ireland | 7:17 minutes
A short animated film commissioned by Screen Ireland and RTÉ, RETIREMENT PLAN tells the story of Ray (Domhnall Gleeson) as he fantasises about everything he’d love to do in retirement, once he finally has the “time.”
Off-time
By Nata Metlukh | Japan | Ukraine | 10:45 minutes
A data engineer rushes through life, believing multitasking saves time—but it creates chaos.
Dollhouse Elephant
By Jenny Jokela | Finland | 11:14 minutes
A group of neighbours must coexist—whether they like it or not (they don’t).
Life With a Flower
By Eli Turner | United States | 3:10 minutes
A man connects with nature through a simple act.
The 12 Inch Pianist
By Lucas Ansel | United States | 7:28 minutes
A bar joke goes awry.