WdKA Graduation Film Festival 2024

WdKA Graduation Film Festival 2024

Hoezo in KINO

Willem de Kooning Academy proudly present the graduation films of the 2024 graduates at the Graduation Film Festival in KINO. From 4-6 July, we have a wonderful programme full of fiction films, animation films, documentaries and Q&A’s with the makers! Check out the programme below. We hope to see you in KINO soon.
 
Supported by Gemeente Rotterdam.

WdKA Animation Graduates 1

Overzicht films:

  • MUSH by Maya Zhelyazkova: A short animation about the decomposition of a crow by fungi and other organisms involved in it.
  • Pieces of Me / InkDweller Cinematic (Teaser) by Samantha Heymans & Alex Raven: A young girl struggles with her sense of self and racial identity. Confronting the fears created bystereotypes to form her own world view. / A mother reflects on her final conversation with her daughter. Coming to grips with her loss and anger.
  • Fathoming Dinner by Oleksandra Davydenko, LejaKancerevyciute, Nilsu Mengi: Lost in trivial topics, a dysfunctional family’s lavish dinner reflects a world where real issues are merely side dishes.
  • Fuck You, I Want to Animate by Jennifer Kimberly de Ruiter: Upon opening a book on how to animate we follow the antics of a raccoon desperately trying to find its way out of the chaos that is the world of animation.
  • Charon Project (Trailer) by Dana Zomer, Tamara Starken, Michelle Jansen Rivas, Bente Flohr: An astronaut captain finds herself outside her ship in a fish filled space world. When she realizes that her crew and her have died she must let go of the grief and failure that she feels to join them in the afterlife.

WdKA Animation Graduates 2

Overzicht films:

  • Otro Banda by Nicole Naranjo Silva: After a stressful week of exams, a Dutch Caribbean student goes to Zuiderpark to unwind, but gets spontaneously hit by a wave of nostalgia from the surrounding events.
  • Noted by Aden Mete: A visual metaphor about being labeled in public as a nonbinary person
  • Manly Feelings by Chris Blom: Manly Feelings is a short film about the difficulty that many men face experiencing, expressing, and sharing the difficult emotion of sadness. The film seeks to linger in this place of difficulty through interviews with men, supported by metaphorical imagery.

WdKA Animation Graduates 3

Overzicht films:

  • FRYD by Iris Bos, Adelen Holt & Malin Brady: A struggling girl ruins her friendship with Fryd with a kiss underneath the surface.
  • Higher Calling (Trailer) by Carlotta Steckner, Adèle Fisch: Recent joinee, Ruth, follows a wacky trio of nuns on their annual pilgrimage up the perilous mountains.
  • Don’t Burn (Trailer) by Antonina Zhuk, Alekos Recchia, Priyesh Sadhoe, Kotryna Urbanaviciute: In the heart of a bustling theater, a rookie rabbit magician’s performance becomes a magical odyssey through the depths of performance anxiety. Unraveling before the audience’s eyes, the rabbit’s anxious journey becomes a spectacle of both awe and concern.
  • Een Olifant In De Porseleinkast by Bonne Steinz & Anna Liebermann: A tower filled with delicate treasures learns to open its doors to an unexpected visitor. As they explore the wonders inside, both the tower and the guest embark on a journey of self-discovery and the power of connection.

WdKA AV Graduates 1

Overzicht films:

  • Whose Choice? (VR experience trailer) by Agata Grochowska: Young woman navigates various street harassment situations on her solitary walk home from the party. After missing her bus, the interactor is presented with anxiety-inducing situations and following reactionary options. Can you ensure her safety?
  • The Elephant & The Room by Anas Qadamani: In the midst of Europe’s migration crisis, a strange and unexpected migration wave brings Western European values and policies into question. This film dives into the historical context and present policies, uncovering the fragile stance of Western European systems in the global humanitarian discourse.
  • Genereer Generatie by Jorrit Spaapen: A mockumentary exploring the relationship between AI optimization and videoproduction companies through a story full of humor and different perspectives.
  • Gladjanus by Kick Hoogewerf: Donovan word onder de vleugel wordt genomen door de lokale “Gladjanus”. Sydney opent zijn wereld over hoe je snel geld moet verdienen en al gauw loopt dit de soep in.
  • Vergane Glorie by Lara Boon: “Vergane Glorie” is a short film about granny Mieke, a widow living in Crooswijk, who has lost her will to live since her husband’s passing. She eventually finds solace in the company of her curious granddaughter Lotte. Through their evolving relationship, they confront their struggles with grief, trauma, and acceptance.
  • Chum by Lukas Balskus: A story about two kids from different social classes and their friendship which wasn’t meant to last.
  • Echoes Within by Mia Tseboeva: A young idealist faces the harsh reality of his friend’s pessimistic outlook on life, and as he struggles to defend his position, their fears and hopes slowly become one.
  • Beyond the River by Olga Malinowska: In the enigmatic realm of Slavic Mythology, the eternal interweaving of life and death mirrors the cycles of nature. Marzanna, embodying the connection between demise, the afterlife, rebirth, life, and joy, takes center stage in a dreamlike narrative that unfolds through three acts.

WdKA AV Graduates 2

Overzicht films:

  • Homecoming by Anna Messechkova Jones: A young girl, 18, feels purposeless and embarks on a trip to meet her grandmother for the first time, however, tensions linked to her absent father arise.
  • Het Huis van Lulu by Lulu Maria Linders: Dit is een film over thuis en ergens kunnen wonen, het gaat over kiezen wie je gaat worden en wat je toekomst kan zijn. Het ideale huis is naast een praktisch probleem ook een kapstok om al je dromen en ideeën over later aan te verbinden.
  • Tot Ooit by Renée Mantel: Renée investigates what influence her father’s illness and death have had on her own view of death. How do her mother and brother deal with this? And how aware do you become of your own mortality when you lose a loved one?
  • The World Is by Rolandas Banaitis: A young guy tries to bring an order in his life anyway possible until he realizes that there are better options at hand.
  • Mas Ku Palabra by Jordan Daniel: A personal journey from a young man born in the Netherlands with roots from Curaçao trying to understand the core of Papiamentu by listening to stories of people from Curaçao.
  • Running Out  by Nandi Rieks: Two sisters are forced to face their differences when their car breaks down on their way to an important family dinner.

WdKA AV Graduates 3

Overzicht films:

  • This Time by Arturo Navarro Villacampa, Peter John Cutajar: An AI trainer confronts the past when he’s commissioned to train an AI based on an old friend that committed suicide.
  • Bedoeld om te Delen by Sibrich Wijnia: How to share a story you do not own. Discover fanfiction, the online community that takes an existing story and creates more of it, and learn how they reflect on authorship, anonymity, and the right to tell a story.
  • Prinses op de Erwt by Sophie Elizabeth Dixon: How do you save someone who doesn’t want to be rescued? What would you try? A family dynamic becomes turbulent when teenager Lotta isolates herself in her bedroom. In a house full of misunderstanding and hopelessness, Lotta and her parents Marthe and Paul search for recognition and connection.
  • Unwatered Flowers by Elfie van de Mosselaer: When 22-year-old water polo player Jaimy is kicked out of the house by her alcoholic father, she withdraws from all social contact and falls into self-destructive behavior as a way to cope with her sorrow.

WdKA AV Graduates 4

Overzicht films:

  • MEGALOMAN: Man walks among us by Simon Coops, Harry Pot, Zoë Krahmer: Wanneer de hyper masculine cowboy-android Moe wordt geconfronteerd met de fragiliteit van zijn infantiele cowboy-fantasieën, gebeurt het onvermijdelijke. Door eigen toedoen verliest hij de liefde van zijn leven. Hoe gaat hij om met een probleem dat hij niet met zijn revolver kan oplossen?
  • tara by Vanya Tretyakov: On her birthday Tara isn’t feeling too festive, though she is the reason for her birthday not going too well.
  • We are waiting for snow by Medea Zingerle: An essay film in which I step into my grandfather’s footsteps and visit the same places he did in 1931 at the age of 23—the same age I am now. Through this journey, I seek to connect with the grandfather I never met, explore the evolving landscape, and reflect on how our relationship with nature and the media we use to capture memories has changed over time.

WdKA Graduation Shorts 1

Overzicht films:

  • Noted by Aden Mete: A visual metaphor about being labelled in public as a nonbinary person.
  • Homecoming by Anna Messechkova Jones: A young girl, 18, feels purposeless and embarks on a trip to meet her grandmother for the first time, however tensions linked to her absent father arise.
  • This Time by Arturo Navarro Villacampa, Peter John Cutajar: An AI trainer confronts the past when he’s commissioned to train an AI based on an old friend that committed suicide.
  • Manly Feelings by Chris Blom: Manly Feelings is a short animation film about the difficulty that many men face experiencing, expressing, and sharing the difficult emotion of sadness. The film seeks to linger in this place of difficulty through interviews with men, supported by metaphorical imagery.
  • Hand in poot by Fleur Annemijn Kamphuis: This mini-documentary explores why pets nowadays deserve a dignified farewell, comparable to that of humans. The film delves into the growing and unique bond between humans and their pets. Through conversations at a pet cemetery, the deep connections and the pain of saying goodbye are revealed.
  • Bedoeld om te Delen by Sibrich Wijnia: How to share a story you do not own. Discover fanfiction, the online community that takes an existing story and creates more of it, and learn how they reflect on authorship, anonymity, and the right to tell a story.

WdKA Graduation Shorts 2

Overzicht films:

  • Whose Choice? by Agata Grochowska: A young woman navigates various street harassment situations on her solitary walk home from the party. After missing her bus, the interactor is presented with anxiety-inducing situations and following reactionary options. Can you ensure her safety?
  • The Elephant & The Room by Anas Qadamani: In the midst of Europe’s migration crisis, a strange and unexpected migration wave brings Western European values and policies into question. This short documentary dives into the historical context and present policies, uncovering the fragile stance of Western European systems in the global humanitarian discourse.
  • Doofpot Hachée by Carensa Snijders: After a traumatic family event, various family secrets come to light. With her film about a generations-old recipe, Carensa wants to open the conversation about trauma, grief, and mental health. These are topics that have remained unspoken for a long time.
  • Unwatered Flowers by Elfie van de Mosselaer: When 22-year-old water polo player Jaimy is kicked out of the house by her alcoholic father, she withdraws from all social contact and falls into self-destructive behavior as a way to cope with her sorrow.
  • Dépaysement by Isabel Waller: Through material experimentation this film plays with the concept of creating a new representation of a being. This ‘creaturization’ process, is captured and accentuated through film and photography.
  • Pieces of the Biesbosch by Ilja Bertrand: The Wind in the Willows: an illustrated musical narrative based on the story of Kenneth Grahame’s children’s novel, accompanied by the music of composer Johan de Meij.
  • We are waiting for snow by Medea Zingerle: An essay film in which Medea steps into her grandfather’s footsteps and visit the same places he did in 1931 at the age of 23—the same age Medea is now. Through this journey, Medea seeks to connect with the grandfather she never met, explore the evolving landscape, and reflect on how our relationship with nature and the media we use to capture memories has changed over time.

WdKA Graduation Shorts 3

Overzicht films:

  • The Moral (De)Liberation Front by Anne Ruijter: Welcome to the Moral (De)Liberation Front: Session Zero. Four masked animals discuss online how to fight back against the violent climate crisis. Should their animal activism be violent, peaceful or maybe something in between? The Zebra, the Panda, the Badger and the Orca hereby invite you to their heated discussion.
  • Schaduwdansers by Mitzi van der Meer: Through conversations with her parents, archival footage and ballet lessons, Mitzi explores how a late diagnosis of ADHD has caused a distorted development of her self-image.
  • Fathoming Dinner by Oleksandra Davydenko, Leja Kancerevyciute, Nilsu Mengi: Lost in trivial topics, a dysfunctional family’s lavish dinner reflects a world where real issues are merely side dishes.
  • Otro Banda by Nicole Naranjo Silva: After a stressful week of exams, a Dutch Caribbean student goes to Zuiderpark to unwind, but gets spontaneously hit by a wave of nostalgia from the surrounding events.
  • MUSH by Maya Zhelyazkova: A short animation about the decomposition of a crow by fungi and other organisms involved in it.
  • Vergane Glorie by Lara Boon: “Vergane Glorie” is a short film about granny Mieke, a widow living in Crooswijk, who has lost her will to live since her husband’s passing. She eventually finds solace in the company of her curious granddaughter Lotte. Through their evolving relationship, they confront their struggles with grief, trauma, and acceptance.

WdKA Graduation Shorts 4

Overzicht films:

  • Higher Calling (Trailer) by Carlotta Steckner, Adèle Fisch: Recent joinee, Ruth, follows a wacky trio of nuns on their annual pilgrimage up the perilous mountains.
  • FRYD by Iris Bos, Adelen Holt, Malin Brady: A struggling girl ruins her friendship with Fryd with a kiss underneath the surface.
  • Fuck You, I Want to Animate by Jennifer Kimberly de Ruiter: Upon opening a book on how to animate, we follow the antics of a raccoon desperately trying to find its way out of the chaos that is the world of animation.
  • Mas Ku Palabra by Jordan Daniel: A short documentary film about the journey from a young man born in the Netherlands with roots from Curaçao trying to understand the core of Papiamentu by listening to stories of people from Curaçao.
  • Chum by Lukas Balskus: A short animation film about two kids from different social classes and their friendship which wasn’t meant to last.
  • Het Huis van Lulu by Lulu Maria Linders: This is a film about home and being able to live somewhere, it’s about choosing who you’re going to become and what your future might be. The ideal house is not just a practical problem but a place to connect all your dreams and ideas about the future.
  • Genereer Generatie by Jorrit Spaapen: De Genereer Generatie explores the relationship between AI optimization and video production companies through a story full of humor and different perspectives on the startup of a revolutionary company.
  • Don’t Burn (Trailer) by Antonina Zhuk, Alekos Recchia, Priyesh Sadhoe, Kotryna Urbanaviciute: In the heart of a bustling theatre, a rookie rabbit magician’s performance becomes a magical odyssey through the depths of performance anxiety. Unraveling before the audience’s eyes, the rabbit’s anxious journey becomes a spectacle of both awe and concern.

WdKA Graduation Shorts 5

Overzicht films:

  • Een Olifant In De Porseleinkast by Bonne Steinz & Anna Liebermann: A tower filled with delicate treasures learns to open its doors to an unexpected visitor. As they explore the wonders inside, both the tower and the guest embark on a journey of self-discovery and the power of connection.
  • Pieces of Me Teaser / InkDweller Cinematic by Samantha Heymans & Alex Raven: A young girl struggles with her sense of self and racial identity. Confronting the fears created by stereotypes to form her own world view. / A mother reflects on her final conversation with her daughter. Coming to grips with her loss and anger.
  • Echoes Within by Mia Tseboeva: A young idealist faces the harsh reality of his friend’s pessimistic outlook on life, and as he struggles to defend his position, their fears and hopes slowly become one. 
  • Tafel Voor Één door Mijke Peeters: A short documentary about the social pressure that single women experience.
  • Running out door Nandi Rieks: Two sisters are forced to face their differences when their car breaks down on their way to an important family dinner.
  • Gladjanus door Kick Hoogewerf: Donovan is taken under the wing by the local “Gladjanus.” Sydney opens up his world on how to make quick money and soon this runs into the soup.
  • Het water staat tot aan de lippen door Rachel Breijer: A documentary that exposes young people’s concerns about climate change and sea level rise. Through interviews and powerful visual images, this film shows how climate stress affects our daily lives and calls for open dialogue and awareness.

WdKA Graduation Shorts 6

Overzicht films:

  • Charon Project by Dana Zomer, Tamara Starken, Michelle Jansen Rivas, Bente Flohr: An astronaut captain finds herself outside her ship in a fish-filled space world. When she realizes that her crew and she have died, she must let go of the grief and failure that she feels to join them in the afterlife.
  • De Hoofdzaak: Psychedelics by Zoë Thielsch: Seven people aged 20-25 share their experiences with psychedelic substances to encourage dialogue and combat common stigmas.
  • The Eyes of AI by Pip van Gelderen: A frame-by-frame animation exploring how capable artificial intelligence is in analyzing and detecting a person wearing red in camera surveillance footage.
  •  Beyond the River by Olga Malinowska: In the enigmatic realm of Slavic Mythology, the eternal interweaving of life and death mirrors the cycles of nature. Marzanna, embodying the connection between demise, the afterlife, rebirth, life, and joy, takes center stage in a dreamlike narrative that unfolds through three acts.
  •  Tot Ooit by Renée Mantel: Renée investigates what influence her father’s illness and death have had on her own view of death. How do her mother and brother deal with this? And how aware do you become of your own mortality when you lose a loved one?

WdKA Graduation Shorts 7

Overzicht films:

  • Birthday door Joon Youn: This short 3D animation shows childhood loneliness through a young girl who invited her friends to her birthday party.
  • tara door Vanya Tretyakov: On her birthday, Tara isn’t feeling too festive, though she is the reason for her birthday not going too well.
  • Arena der Mimes door Vera Pluer: When the mime enters the arena, he becomes the matador. A videowork on seeing bullfighting as an absurd act using mime as a method of performance.
  • <Han 한(恨) : To Look Back on Korean Maiden Ghosts> door Yejin Lee: This is a research-based animated graphic essay about the social context of Korean Maiden Ghosts, exploring horror feminism discourse and Korean history.
  • Prinses op de Erwt door Sophie Elizabeth Dixon: How do you save someone who doesn’t want to be rescued? What would you try? A family dynamic becomes turbulent when teenager Lotta isolates herself in her bedroom. In a house full of misunderstanding and hopelessness, Lotta and her parents Marthe and Paul search for recognition and connection.
  • emptying closets, keeping memories door Zena-Rae Borst: Dad is selling the home they grew up in and mom’s closet, which has been untouched for 4 years since her passing, needs to be emptied. As they decide what to keep and what to toss, parallels are drawn and connections are revealed between here and there, then and now.

WdKA Graduation Shorts 8

Overzicht films:

  • My Muse, the North Sea by Pippa Heijkants: An evocative animated short that delves into a woman’s poignant love letter to the North Sea, exploring the complex and tumultuous relationship that intertwines beauty, darkness, and profound connection.
  • The World Is by Rolandas Banaitis: A young guy tries to bring an order in his life anyway possible until he realizes that there are better options at hand.
  • MEGALOMAN: Man walks among us door Simon Coops, Harry Pot, Zoë Krahmer: When the hyper masculine cowboy-android Moe is confronted with the fragility of his infantile cowboy fantasies, the inevitable happens. By his own admission, he loses the love of his life. How does he deal with a problem he cannot solve with his revolver?