The Auteur

Clay Town

May 1924 •French

ARGILEUX

September 2024 •French

Clayface

September 2026 •English

A Hollywood horror tale centering on a B-movie actor who injects himself with a substance to keep himself relevant, only to find out that he can reshape his face and form, becoming a walking piece of clay.

Venus

June 2010 •Danish

An erotic comedy in claymation.

Tengers

October 2007 •English

Whilst working on "the great South African novel," an unemployed writer gets caught up in the harsh realities of life in the city of Johannesburg.

Little One

June 2024 •English

A worn out mother, Sara, seeks out the source of her child’s favorite lullaby.

Mind of Clay

March 1985 •Hindi

In a poetic hour and a half, director Mani Kaul looks at the ancient art of making pottery from a wide variety of perspectives.

Ramparts of Clay

November 1970 •French

In an Algerian village, the workers of a salt mine go on strike because of low wages. The owner calls the army to control the men, but a young woman cuts off the water to force the troops to retreat.

Rivers and Tides

February 2001 •English

Portrait of Andy Goldsworthy, an artist whose specialty is ephemeral sculptures made from elements of nature.

Drowning

January 2020 •Japanese

Animation by Ginko Abe. Music by Abhi Tambe.

The Polizzi Project

September 2020 •Italian

When Australian artist Eolo Bottaro revives the lost Triform Goddess Isis, Polizzi's forgotten history revives. This gripping documentary captures the statue's creation, the town's awe, and the artist's unexpected bond with the Sicilian town.

Galician Caress (of Clay)

January 1995 •Spanish

This film was reconstructed and completed in 1995 by Javier Codesal for the Filmoteca de Andalucia, from the montage and the sound that Val del Omar had outlined before his death, after having returned to a project abandoned twenty years before with the incorporation of significant additions (above all in the soundtrack). Val del Omar's notes show that, as he typically did, he had other alternative titles in mind, such as "Acariño de la Terra Meiga" (Caress of the Magic Land), "Acariño a nosa terra" (Caress of Our Land), or "Barro de ánimas" (Clay of Souls), and that in the final phase of the unfinished project he wanted to add a second sound channel – following the diaphonic principle, and using electro-acoustic techniques – consisting of ambient material that he intended to record at the first screenings of the film in the very places and to the very people that were its origin: its "clay".

The Missing Picture

November 2013 •French

Rithy Panh uses clay figures, archival footage, and his narration to recreate the atrocities Cambodia's Khmer Rouge committed between 1975 and 1979.

Roxanne

August 2019 •English

an overly dramatic romance between a pet rock named Roxanne and a handsome action figure named Dwayne. But things get complicated when Roxanne's husband gets in the way of their relationship.

Look Closer: The Rise and Fall of Robert Benfer

December 2018 •English

In 2013, online clay animator Robert Benfer scammed hundreds of fans out of thousands of dollars and has continued to become less of the independent film icon he used to be, though his unique influence on video creators remains to this day. This film not only sheds light on how Benfer's films impacted young filmmakers, but also how a talented independent artist can fall from grace no matter how obscure they are.

Ident

November 1990 •English

Explores the nature of man, not only with feet of clay, but with a face of clay as well. Within a colourless city of walls, corridors, and small rooms, a man makes his way from home to work, then to a bar, and then, by a stroke of luck, into an outdoors of space, fresh air, and colour. Along the way, he changes his face to fit his surroundings, interacts with his dog, argues with co-workers, and gossips at a bar. His altering of his visage suggests a two-faced nature, and his stepping into the outdoors provides the ultimate test of his real identity.

Clay

June 1965 •English

A killer on the run is found lying flat on his face in a wet clay bank. He is rescued by potters who shelter him within their community. There he falls in love with a woman. Unfortunately, another man who has been calling upon the woman gets jealous and turns the fugitive in to the cops. The woman gets revenge.

Mestre Vitalino E Nós No Barro

February 2008 •Portuguese

The Great Cognito

January 1982 •English

The film tells of a music hall impressionist who caricatures personalities from the second world war. Animated by Barry Bruce at Will Vinton Productions. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.

Claymation: Three Dimensional Clay Animation

May 1978 •English

A look inside the Will Vinton Studio, with specializes in stop-motion animations with clay. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2013.