Pluto's Christmas Tree

The Sorcerer's Apprentice

March 1978 •Czech

Krabat, a beggar boy, is lured to become an apprentice to an evil, one-eyed sorcerer. With a number of other boys, he works at the sorcerer's mill while learning black magic. Every Christmas one of the boys has to face the master in a magical duel, where the boy never stands a chance because the master is the only person who is allowed to use a secret spell: The Koraktor.

Minion Scouts

August 2019 •English

When Margo, Agnes and Edith return from Badger Scout camp, three of the Minions are entranced by the girls' merit badges. Their own attempt at scout camp results in attracting a bear, eating poison berries and eventually blowing up a dam, creating a massive flood. But, when they arrive back home, the girls share their badges, encouraging the rest of the Minions to try their hand at scouting.

The Terrible Thing of Alpha 9!

September 2010 •English

A space bounty-hunter travels to a lonely planet to kill a terrible monster.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas

November 2000 •English

The Grinch decides to rob Whoville of Christmas - but a dash of kindness from little Cindy Lou Who and her family may be enough to melt his heart...

A Christmas Tale

May 2008 •French

When their regal matriarch falls ill, the troubled Vuillard family come together for a hesitant Christmastime reunion. Among them is rebellious ne'er-do-well Henri and the uptight Elizabeth. Together under the same roof for the first time in many years, their intricate, long denied resentments and yearnings emerge again.

Thanks, Smokey!

July 2011 •English

Condoning bestiallity by using comparable visual stimuli for the desired effect of empathy. So it would seem.

Automatic

October 2019 •Greek

Two young women convince each other they are under threat after accidentally photographing what they believe to be a concealed automatic rifle. Shot in drawn-out, static takes, Emma Doxiadi’s comical mystery comments on Greece’s ongoing refugee crisis in real time, pointing squarely at foolish knee-jerk reactions.

Fish Out of Water

July 2008 •

Fish Out of Water manages to unfurl its light-hearted tale of young man and the sea, without a word of dialogue. Avoiding the morning traffic jams, our man (Nick Dunbar) finds peace by rowing each day to work in the city. But when a seductive blonde unexpectedly enters the picture, he finds his morning boat ride heading in unexpected directions. Directed by Lala Rolls (Land of My Ancestors), Fish Out of Water was invited to play in the 2005 NZ Film Festival, plus another 10 overseas fests. Victoria Kelly composes the brass and banjo-inflected soundtrack.

SNIP

September 2016 •English

Party girl Annie and Gordon, a homeless man, travel through a remote subway tunnel to a different time; to a world where two children are held captive and tormented by bizarre figures. A multilayered animated film which brings to life the dark history of the Canadian residential school system, in which – as recently as the 1990s – First Nations children were being indoctrinated and estranged from their parents and culture.

Feats of Herkules

February 2000 •Russian

Animated actors and vases tell stories from Greek mythology. Part of a 100-film international project on the theme of world culture. (Robert Donn)

Haunted Mansion: Swinging Wake

July 2023 •English

Join the ghosts of the Haunted Mansion for a swinging wake.

Haunted Mansion: Enter If You Dare

July 2023 •English

Enter if you dare.

Hello Neighbor!

October 1973 •Georgian

Bikini

March 2014 •Spanish

Spain, 1953. Pedro Zaragoza, mayor of the city of Benidorm, in the province of Alicante, by the Mediterranean Sea, visits the Palacio del Pardo, General Franco's residence in Madrid, to ask him for help, in the hope of solving a very delicate problem.

Cla'am

March 2017 •English

A dark, surreal comedy about a local man who becomes convinced that a vast conspiracy is behind the impossibly rapid gentrification in his London area. But is it all in his head, or is the truth even darker than he imagines? Cla'am is the debut short from Nathaniel Martello-White, one of the UK's leading young playwrights.

Bsss

February 2000 •German

A fly lands on a table to drink some spilled liquid; spotting an open children's book, it flies over and tries to emulate the picture of an elephant balancing on its trunk.

Vízió

February 2000 •English

A massive army of workers sweat and strain to build a tower not unlike that of Babel. In spite of the ominous danger of the tower collapsing at any moment, they press on gloomily, incessantly forming column after column of labourers, like some enormous procession of lemmings.

Home for the Holidays

November 1995 •English

After losing her job, making out with her soon-to-be former boss, and finding out that her daughter plans to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend, Claudia Larson faces spending the holiday with her unhinged family.

Midnight Snack

October 2024 •English

Hunger always strikes in the dead of night.

Jingle All the Way

November 1996 •English

Howard Langston, a salesman for a mattress company, is constantly kept busy at his job, disappointing his son. After he misses his son's karate exposition, Howard vows to make it up to him by buying an action figure of his son's favorite television hero for Christmas. Unfortunately for Howard, it is Christmas Eve, and every store is sold out of Turbo Man. Now, Howard must travel all over town and compete with everybody else to find a Turbo Man action figure.