The Simpletons

The Falling Star

March 2019 •French

The last conscious moments of Stalin, the solitary tyrant who believes himself immortal. An evocation of the mental chaos of the Little Father of the People who was suffering from delusions of persecution and untold power during the three days of his death throes. And, in fact, is he really dead? In the limbo of the Soviet past, the ghosts from the gulag dream of settling some old scores.

Other Half

May 2021 •English

As an Individual Being in a world comprised of Merged Couples, Ren longs to find his other half and become complete.

Crossroads

January 1931 •Russian

One Small Step

June 2018 •

​Luna is a vibrant young Chinese-American girl who dreams of becoming an astronaut. From the day she witnesses a rocket launching into space on TV, Luna is driven to reach for the stars. In the big city, Luna lives with her loving father Chu, who supports her with a humble shoe repair business he runs out of his garage. As Luna grows up, she enters college, facing adversity of all kinds in pursuit of her dreams.

Barflies

October 1996 •English

Two drunk flies drink beer, smoke from a giant cigarette and become attracted to a bright light in this adult claymation comedy.

Speeding, of Course

March 2025 •Finnish

70-year-old Timo makes the most of his short ride to work. Speeding up on a bicycle ends up in a ditch, but the adrenaline rush leaves a feeling of pleasure.

Unicorn Blood

March 2013 •Spanish

Two teddy-bears go hunting unicorns, their favorite prey.

St. Mickeyland

April 2023 •English

Welcome to St. Mickeyland! In painting-like tableaus, a reservation inhabited by cartoon and media icons is displayed. The assembled characters are in search of meaning in life, reflecting on their creation in the honeypot of capital. While Snow White learns stand-up paddling, Winnie-the-Poo gives birth to a descendant, adding a dash of humanity to the ficitonal shell.

nakedyouth

July 2007 •Japanese

In nakedyouth, Shishido takes us on a journey through the uncertainty and excitement of young love and homoerotic love. These gentle films quiver with sexual tension, which is linked to the natural world: trees reflecting on the surface of a pond, butterflies fluttering in the breeze.

Automania 2000

June 1964 •English

An animated, dark satire of America's automobile-obsessed, consumerist culture. An anonymous, brilliant scientist toils tirelessly in his ivory tower satisfying the public's ever-increasing demands for novelty and status consciousness, with predictable environmental consequences.

The Present

March 2013 •Chinese

A married man on a business trip checks into a hotel. The hotel manager’s daughter falls for him at first sight. Rejected by the man, she embarks on a journey of revenge...

Untravel

February 2018 •Serbian

A film about (local) patriotism, tourism and emigration. A girl lives in a gray, isolated country, enclosed by a huge wall. She has never travelled anywhere, but all her life she has dreamt of leaving forever for a perfect world called “Abroad”.

The Rooster Who Would Not Be Quiet!

January 2019 •English

La Paz is a happy, but noisy village. A little peace and quiet would make it just right. But there is one noisy rooster who doesn't give two mangos about this mayor's silly rules. Instead, he does what roosters were born to do - he sings.

I Was a Child of Holocaust Survivors

October 2010 •English

This short probes the taboos around a very particular second-hand trauma, leading us to a more universal understanding of human experience.

The Pot of Promise - First Love in Arita

March 2016 •Japanese

"Yakusoku no Utsuwa - Arita no Hatsukoi" will be set in the town of Arita, and will be a youth story highlighting the scenery of Arita. It will star Hiro Shimono in the role of Jun Uchiyama, and Saori Hayami in the role of Nao Akiyama.

The Oath of Winter, The Festival of Summer - The Great Camphor Tree of Takeoshi

March 2016 •Japanese

"Fuyu no Chikai, Natsu no Matsuri - Takeoshi no Dai-Kusunoki" is set in the city of Takeoshi, and will center on two characters, a boy and a girl, who grow up watched over by a large camphor tree that endures the time and seasons. It will star Nao Tōyama as Rinko Yamaguchi, and Nobunaga Shimazaki as Sōta.

The Present

April 2014 •English

The short tells the story of a boy who rather spends his time indoors playing videogames instead of discovering whats waiting in front of the door. One day his Mum decides to get a little surprise for her son, which makes it hard for him to concentrate on his video game.

The Hole Idea

April 1955 •English

A scientist invents the portable hole, only to have a thief steal his samples to go on a crime spree.

Cats and Bruises

January 1965 •English

Sylvester Cat intrudes on Speedy Gonzales' Cinco De Mayo celebration, starting a chase that ends in disaster.

Neon Lights

November 2024 •Italian

In 2053, amidst a devastating pandemic, an old gravedigger from Elementar Corporation insists on burying his wife with just a shovel, rejecting the corporation's new burial technology, the "Cube Of Miracles." Conflict arises when a young gravedigger armed with the "Cube of Miracles" challenges the old gravedigger's traditional methods at the cemetery. The film explores the clash between tradition and innovation, delving into broader themes of man versus machine in a society grappling with AI and automation.