The Blue Umbrella

Fritz the Cat

April 1972 •English

A swinging, hypocritical college student cat raises hell in a satirical vision of the 1960s.

Penelope's Condition

January 1976 •English

A reinterpretation of the Greek legend of Penelope, ”the most faithful of wives”, who waited 20 years for her husband Odysseus to return from The Trojan War. In this animation, the two of them are presented in a more modern setting. While Odysseus is busy exploring the universe in his space rocket, Penelope is stuck at home, taking care of the children, showing how traditional gender roles say men should work, while women stay at home.

Celebrating Mickey

October 2018 •English

When Mickey burst onto the scene in the classic Steamboat Willie, he not only stole our hearts, but went on to bring joy to generations. This collection from Walt Disney Animation Studios celebrates Mickey’s cartoon legacy with favorites spanning nearly a century including Brave Little Tailor, Pluto’s Party, Get A Horse! and more. 13 Short Films: Steamboat Willie, The Brave Little Tailor, Pluto’s Party, Get a Horse, The Band Concert, Mickey’s Rival, Thru the Mirror, Boat Builders ,Mickey’s Trailer, Tugboat Mickey, The Little Whirlwind, Mickey’s Birthday Party, The Simple Things

The Library

January 2023 •English

It's closing time at Nina's library. Goodnight, patrons!

Zing

May 2011 •

Day in, day out, Mr. Grimm is busy with his job as the Reaper, harvesting people's lives. One day, his monotonous existence is interrupted by the door bell. It's a little girl. She wants her cat back. Little does she know that she's the next life on Mr. Grimm's list.

Almost

January 2011 •German

Oscar jumps on his subway as every day. But at that morning a side-glance wipes every ritual away...Catherine! Two unknown whose glimpses are coming across in the following weeks. Oscar knows that he would not show the courage to come in contact with her all the more after an embarrassing mishap so he is casting for another way to give her a sign whose uniqueness he is hoping she will understand.

The Blood in the Vein

May 2021 •French

Simon and Zoé meet on Tinder. They live in the same suburban town and Zoé, wasting no time, invites him right over to her house. Simon can’t believe his luck! But once he arrives, he quickly understands that his date may prove more complicated than expected.

Abel's Island

June 1988 •English

One summer afternoon in 1907, Abel and his wife (both mice) are picnicking, when they become separated during a violent rainstorm. After flying some distance, Abel discovers himself alone on a river island, unable to swim due to the powerful current. Abel periodically attempts to leave the island by various means: flying on a leaf, rowing a crudely fashioned boat, etc. Meanwhile, he tries to create a normal life of sorts, even learning to enjoy a new hobby: sculpture. Still, Abel's goal is to escape the island and rejoin his wife in the city.

The Runt

September 2006 •German

Hykade's third and final part of The Country Trilogy. The once dead father of "We Lived in Grass" returns. "I give you the runt," he says. "But you take care of it and you kill it next year."

Osamu and Musashi

April 1994 •Japanese

The animation was produced for the Tezuka Osamu Manga Museum, thus it features scenes from the "life and nature" of Tezuka Osamu's childhood, themes that are central to the museum as a whole, through exchanges between the boy Osamu and the carabid beetle (Osamushi) who provided the origin for the artist's name.

Monkey Symphony

April 2013 •English

In this short animation film we see a world, where the monkeys are music-lovers. As two young chimpanzees are separated by a musical dispute.

The Artificial Humors

September 2016 •Portuguese

Using a mix of Hollywood aesthetics with documentary strategies, the film follows a young indigenous girl from the Xingu National Park to São Paulo, where she falls in love with a robot that also happens to be a stand-up comedian. This strange story mixes the anthropology of humor, indigenous communities, and artificial intelligence.

Song of the Shell

December 1912 •English

Suffering with ennui, bored by society, Annie Bradley, a wealthy girl, is anxious to make her time more profitable by doing something worthwhile.

Keny-atta

March 2002 •Swedish

Cedric

January 2006 •German

Death as a global service provider? Unthinkable! So far Death has thought that too. But then his nephew Cedric had the crazy idea of founding the company AFTER LIFE while his uncle was away. This company takes over the craft of death with the latest technology and markets it worldwide.

Plans & Elevations

January 1980 •English

Abstract geometric diagrams come to life.

Camp Lazlo: Where's Lazlo?

February 2007 •English

A prequel about how the Jelly Cabin trio met. When Lazlo disappears after meeting a bear, the camp assumes he has been mauled, while Clam and Raj refuse to accept that explanation. The story is told by Raj and Clam after the events of the movie's plot.

My Little Pony: Friends Are Never Far Away

August 2005 •English

Nothing's as much fun as making new friends! So Sky Wishes and Star Catcher want everyone in Ponyville and Butterfly Island to meet and get to know each other. But there's a problem. Pegasus ponies are very, very shy! Sky Wishes and Star Catcher decide the only way to bring their friends together is to have a high-flying party with fun games, music and even a mile high sundae!

Kachi Kachi Yama

October 1965 •Japanese

Tadanori Yooko superb animation.

The Ogre's Garden

February 2019 •English

This short piece is somewhat romantic, despite its title. We do see the ogre however. He inverts himself into the action throughout the film. As usual, the action is partly symbolic, partly surreal.