Feinaki Beijing Animation Week

Drawing its name from Phenakistoscope, the first animation device that created a fluent illusion of motion, Feinaki Beijing Animation Week is curated to promote a vibrant domestic ecosystem for animation creatives. Encompassing multiple media and techniques, this 9-film selection showcases a wide range of themes and styles – from pure fun, experimental, to exhilarating visual spectacle – which exemplifies the passion and creativity of independent Chinese animation artists.

Patient’s Mind

Dir: Wang Zhiheng

Mainland China, 2021, 6min

A patient’s mind determines cure? The metaphor of doctor-patient relationship shows the battle between the inner self and superego, and the endless cycle between the present and the ‘preset future’ in the doomed failure of self salvation.

Before Dawn

Dir: Xu Wei

Mainland China/Japan, 2022, 7min

One cold and damp morning, two weasels are wandering the quiet streets. They get separated at one point but are reunited. Just then, bells and alarms begin to ring through the city, as the sun rises again.

Blumentanz

Dir: Raito Low

Taiwan/Malaysia, 2022, German, 6min

Serving as the incarnations of females, over 60 plants are laid out to create a blossoming vocabulary that combines feminism and nature. Through visualising the psychological changes of women in love, it lets women explore and find the love of a lifetime.

Silver Cave

Dir: Cai Caibei

Mainland China, 2022, Putonghua, 15min

Stepping into a cave, the sight fluctuates by the firelight. Left to right, top to bottom. The same goes for the screen in front of you. It is a borderless tunnel, presenting domestication and desire. Winner of Feinaki Award.

A Dog Under a Bridge

Dir: Rehoo Tang

Mainland China, 2022, Putonghua, 13min

Like a solitary social observer, a dog takes a sardonic look at the city, examining people living in absurdity, frustration and loneliness. It turns out things which seem normal to humans could look ridiculous in the eyes of a dog.

Before Her Body Left

Dir: Yang Yuxin

Mainland China, 2022, 8min

A woman scrutinises her reflection in the mirror. In a surreal dream, her id and her alter ego secretly enter into a tangling battle. Meanwhile, her desires become an alien, luring her to the outside world.

A Nap in Fluoroscopy Buses

Dir: Lei Lei

Mainland China, 2022, 7min

A fluoroscopy bus carries the crowd from the center to the edge of the city, some colliding with each other while others taking a nap. The crowded carriage depicts a society in alienation and surveillance from a microscopic perspective.

Meal on the Plate

Dir: Xie Chenglin

Mainland China/USA, 2021, 7min

You are what you eat. Take it literally, people start to acquire the look of their favourite food. When a vegetarian newcomer enters the scene, he triggers a battle between desire and rationality.

The Lost

Dir: Li Guixian, Fu Lingshuang, Zhuang Yumin, Jiao Xuechen

Mainland China, 2022, Putonghua, 7min

People’s experiences are combined with memories to tell the story behind the lost property. The little pencil, the shared hair cord – those we cherished become vanished in time and space. Do these things we lost want to come back to us?