Dreams make up the boundless universe inside of each person. Hana, a seemingly timid child, meets her inner dream world. While she is depicted as an elementary school student, she is a metaphor for the artist's inner child. Through this enchanting tale, we are reminded of the vast potential within each of us. The film conveys the compelling message that every dream deserves unwavering support.

BizKidz was a riotous joy to create. I had an incredibly creative team that was game for filming a ridiculous mockumentary on a limited budget in one week with a cast of young actors. As a director, I brought the tenants of improvisation into the production in order to foster a playful environment on set. This was especially important since I was asking my crew and cast (some of whom had never worked on a film before) to do incredibly complicated things like walk backwards while delivering a speech to camera in a single moving shot while interacting with multiple characters. We brought a yes and... attitude and I made sure everyone believed there were no mistakes, only gifts. As a result, we have a delightful and silly film that is both nostalgic and current which I hope will bring you as much joy watching as we had making. As we said throughout the movie: this film is Biscuits!

I was drawn to “Operation: Stuplloyd” because of how the story uses play to deal with the often-complicated ways in which we navigate change, without losing its charm or heart. I grew up between Botswana and South Africa watching worldview influencing pictures like ET, Home Alone, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Ghost Busters and Mrs Doubtfire. These are the films that exposed me to the excitement and infinite possibilities of all the internal and external facets you can explore to through story. “Operation: Stuplloyd” is an ode to family fun escapism that I regularly found myself lost in during the trials and tribulations of growing up. This picture is dedicated to my daughters - who seem to keep growing faster than I can catch them. May they never lose their sense of play. Jasmine’s story is one we are all familiar with: outsiders threatening that which we care about the most. In a time of great personal challenge, her creativity and vivid imagination anchors the telling of her story. In a post social-distance world, building human connections, for peoples of all ages, continues to be a real and living challenge. May we be as fierce as Jaz in how we love and grow the connections in our own lives.

This was a very challenging yet extremely rewarding film to create during the filming restrictions of COVID -19. Eventually, the stars aligned and I managed the daunting task of filming in 6 days during the first weekends of the next school year and sports seasons. I had the incredible support from my family and friends to help achieve my vision. I really hope you enjoy and perhaps figure out the murderer!

The Idea For This Documentary Wouldn't Let Me Go... Years ago I was struck by contrast between the worlds of children and adults. Just take what is going on in our minds. Many of us adults think about things like our plans, responsibilities, worries about the future, our finances, health matters, our productivity or our achievements, leaving little space for much else. When we engage in fun, it can quickly turn into something we continue to do for our health or a competitive achievement based activity. Room for "fun for funs sake" is minimal. While we as adults have all of that going on, a young child may be thinking something like this right now: "I’m beautiful and free and I have imaginary castles and a million imaginary friends to have parties with and I can do ANYTHING!" When we stopped playing and imagining as we did when we were children — did we lose a BIG PIECE OF OUR POWER? Did we disconnect from our creative magic? I began this documentary on a quest to explore the power and imagination that children experience day to day — and to reflect on how we adults can start to pull some of this joy and wonder back into our own lives. Producing MY SECRET COUNTRY has changed my life in a variety of ways. Spending weekends animating blinks or arm movements (yes did you know I did the majority of the animation for the movie with my imaginary animator friend Youwarkee, (who I invented just so I wouldn't be lonely!) allowed me to read a ton of audio books. LIBRARIES in fact! Yes, there is A LOT of animation in this movie. Begging friends for more pictures of dessert gave me a wonderful excuse to chat to more people than I normally might in my introverted life. The greatest reward has been meeting all of the people connected to the movie. They have impacted me deeply and launched me into a process of self-discovery. I grew into the person I am now, the person who has reconnected to my seven-year-old self. About that seven- year-old me, she was incredibly resilient and creative and went on magical adventures in her imagination that made life fascinating. Regularly, at night, when I couldn't sleep I met with an imaginary unicorn and we flew together to an imaginary planet. On special occasions, Cindy, the most outgoing Barbie in my Barbie crew, would jump in her pink corvette with her besties and fly out to join me. We'd have a grand ole party! Reconnecting with this side of myself has meant a greater feeling of wholeness and a swift connection to the rivers of creativity that floweth for us all, should we choose to dip our toes in or, what the heck, fling our entire bodies in! (Though as many of you know, do this at your own risk! Creative overload ensues.) My intention for you when you watch this movie is that you will feel empowered, inspired and connect in an even deeper way to your playfulness and the delight that is born there.

I made Family Ties as a love letter to my son Jeremiah. Since becoming a father, I've realized that parenting is full of surprises. Every day, my son challenges and inspires me in new ways. However, as a working parent, I worry about the influence of digital technology on my son. With everyone having access to a camera and calling themselves influencers on YouTube, we need to be mindful of who and what our children are learning from. I know that technology can be a powerful tool for learning and entertainment, but I also worry about how it can be used to isolate and distract children. This became even more prevalent during the lockdowns of the pandemic, when so many of us had to rely on technology to work. But at the same time, it has helped us teach our children things that we couldn't have possibly imagined. Hopefully, the film will highlight the need for us to develop a healthy relationship with technology so that we can all benefit from it. As a black father, it's important to me to show positive examples on film. There is a narrative that black men are more likely to not be in their children's lives. I want to disprove that by showing a simple hike, which I couldn't even find reference pictures for when I was developing the film. By showing a positive and present black father, I hope to help dispel that exaggerated narrative.

As a little girl, I would sow flowers into thick ropes of fragrant color that my family would then gift or sell. It was was a tradition that, as a Native Hawaiian, I knew intimately, having spent many cool mornings picking blossoms of jasmine or crown flowers amongst the butterflies and bees. So, when producer Concepcion Saucedo-Trejo shared a real story from 1915 about a girl named Emma Pollock who loved to gift the last Queen of Hawai`i with flower garlands, it immediately felt like destiny. I felt like I knew Emma. As we began the process of collaborating with Director of Animation Daniel Sousa, I knew I wanted the film to be filled with visual kaona or Hawaiian layers of meaning. Every scene was not only painstakingly built off of historical reference images, it was also carefully encoded with symbols and gestures rich with meaning in Hawaiian culture. The intention was to present a nuanced introduction to traditions from my home mixed with staple elements of fantasy to make the work broadly accessible. In turn, my hope is that the first viewing of the film offers a feast for the eyes and on subsequent viewings there will be new details to discover and marvel over. The silent film quality of the movie was designed to force viewers to focus on the visuals on screen, rather than lean on dialogue to carry the storytelling. The world has seen high quality animation about Hawai`i made by the likes of Disney or Pixar, however THE QUEEN’S FLOWERS was made independently from within the Native Hawaiian community. It is exciting to think of reclaiming authorship of our Native stories for our children, especially for young Indigenous girls. So often when we think of history, we don’t think of children, let alone little girls. More often than not, the stories that come to mind are those of politicians or scientists or larger-than-life personas, particularly when it comes to film. Now, complicate this narrative by considering the dearth of depictions of Native Hawaiian children on screen. By engaging Emma’s viewpoint, we acknowledge children of our past while also igniting the imaginations of the kids of today. And, for myself, a former headstrong little Native girl, I get to share my love note to a woman long gone but still cherished, Queen Lili`uokalani.

Made both by and for our inner child Paying it forward 🏆💗💥

Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy identifies loneliness and youth mental health as two urgent public health crises in our country. What would happen if our schools addressed this by shifting from competitive testing to science-backed, culturally responsive teaching that utilized the wisdom and expertise of the elders in the community? InterGeneration documents the power of social and emotional learning —not just in our schools, but in the wider community. The film gives agency to teens and elders as they wrestle with issues of identity and belonging. It shows that strong intergenerational relationships are essential to our individual and communal health. InterGeneration models how we can create multicultural, multi-age social connection in our shifting and uncertain world.

I am a third-generation to Holocaust survivors on all sides. My parents tried to protect us and make sure we had a normal childhood, but despite all the efforts, the Holocaust was present in our lives, all the time, everywhere. Grandma did not talk much, but she did write, to herself. In 1946, after her liberation from Auschwitz, she sat in a DP camp in Italy and wrote what she went through during the war in a small notebook. Grandma wrote these things to unload the difficult experiences she went through. Perhaps she was afraid she would forget. She hid the notebook, and we were not allowed to read it. In the first version of the script, I thought it would be a documentary about my family and the notebook. But during the writing, it became clear that the real story here is actually the special connection created between the third and first generations. I did not change any details in Grandma's notebook; the Holocaust story in the film is faithful to the original.

Good Morning, Miss Sunshine is my favorite piece of work in my portfolio. I am not only proud of my crew, but of the cast as well who worked so diligently to bring this story to life.

Uncle Joe is a film that champions "silent" no dialogue films for the next generation. As an African-American filmmaker, I wanted to illustrate that kids share similar experiences and that we are more alike than we are different. I casted Eastern European and Russian speaking children to lead in this silent comedy to make this point. The entire production crew and cast were kids aged 6-16 and all contributed to make this a universal experience. I hope children from every upbringing smile and enjoy my first film.

"Ameka and Her Magical Crown" is an enchanting animated series that celebrates diversity, empowerment, and the strength within. As the director, I'm thrilled to bring Ameka's magical journey to life, inspiring audiences of all ages to embrace their uniqueness and face life's challenges with courage. Through stunning animation and a diverse cast of characters, we craft a visually captivating world that reflects the richness of the themes explored. Our series encourages empathy, teamwork, and using one's power to uplift others, fostering seeds of compassion and resilience in young hearts. "Ameka and Her Magical Crown" is not just entertainment; it's a heartfelt adventure inspiring self-discovery and kindness, with a powerful message that will resonate with audiences worldwide.

" Gaomei Fantasy " is an adventure story about a little girl and small crabs at the Gaomei Wetland in Taiwan. After going through a surreal journey in a dream within a dream, the little girl has matured, and in the end, learns to cherish the lives of the small creatures around her. I believe that it’s beneficial for people to learn about life when they were children through engaging and entertaining mediums, perhaps like this animation, especially in today’s world situation. The protagonist is a naive little girl who only knows to have fun at the wetland. When she later runs towards her parents on the wooden plank road with a small grass in her hand, she can completely ignore the shovel and small bucket in her mother’s hand. The shovel and small bucket represent a kind of playful temptation, and the small grass in her hand represents the little girl’s encounter with those small lives a moment ago. The little girl runs past the shovel and small bucket, eager to share everything she just encountered with her parents, symbolizing that her care for those small lives has surpassed a child’s love for play.

I like to call myself a child of the sea, it is my sanctuary and my home. I am solar powered, I breathe the ocean, and I tell stories through film and animation. I’ve followed the water- centered themes of my previous films and returned to the sea to tell this story. The Red Sea earned its colorful name as a result of the abundance of red corals, at least that is one of the theories. When I snorkeled there as a kid, I saw the beautiful, multi-colored corals along with astonishing creatures peacefully enjoying their lives. I still remember my first encounter with a fish that watched me and bumped into me as I swam around. A few years ago, I returned to the Red Sea, but instead of the beautiful views I remembered, I saw bleached white corals. I saw death where there used to be life. I’d read about coral bleaching as one of the negative effects of 8 million tons of plastic dumped into our oceans each year, but I never expected it to come this close to home. I wondered if my fish friend could have survived in this dying environment fifteen years later. Would she cheerfully bump into other humans, or would she be suffocated by our irresponsibility? I decided that something had to be done to prevent the oceans all around the world from drowning in our trash. With this film, I would like to bring awareness to consumers of the damage caused by single-use plastic on the ocean’s ecosystems. This underwater adventure will take you through the day of Zahra, our leading fish, as she encounters a monster endangering her friends. Determined to save her sea creature pals, Zahra charges the monster: an insidious plastic bag. In my film, I aim to humanize the pollution crisis that our planet is facing by telling it through the experiences of relatable ocean creatures. I aim to tell a light story with humorous scenes and characters that experience friendship, fear, and most of all, compassion. Cleaning the oceans is an important global initiative, but cleaning is not enough when we continue to litter it. It is an endless, malicious cycle as plastics do not disintegrate and can be difficult to recycle if they can be recycled at all. The issues surrounding single-use plastic pertain to ordinary people, companies, and governments alike. We may not see it, but below the surface, entire ecosystems struggle with it daily. It is only a matter of time until the effects are irreversible. This story is both local and universal, as bodies of water both big and small, far and near, struggle with plastic pollution. My hope is that this prevalent issue paired with the film’s kind- hearted characters sparks compassion in an audience of all ages. My desire is for this film’s audience to see the consequences of our actions, to empathize with Zahra, and start a dialogue around single-use plastic. Though Zahra was able to beat the monster once, there is plenty more plastic still in the ocean. I believe that with this short film, people could become aware of the damage caused by plastic and begin to take the steps towards healing our oceans.

As the soaring eagle came from an egg, and the majestic redwood came from a seed, be it known that 'Sky Danley' came from a dream...

I created this short film while at a filmmaking camp this summer. I was tasked with creating a dialogue-free, less than five-minute short film in under a week. While the shooting was requirements were hard, and the editing was even harder, I'm very pleased with the final product!

The Adventures of Captain Atom has been a long running project of mine. What started as a one-off homage to pulp science fiction has grown into an annual undertaking for me as I challenge myself to try something new with every chapter. The Captain Atom series is the embodiment of everything I love about adventure stories and I strive to make the films as entertaining to watch as they are for me to imagine.

I truly believe that where you grow up shapes you, and lucky for me, I was born and raised in the heart of Mexico City! It's a place filled with so much contrast, from the beautiful people and art to the rampant social injustice. When I was a little kid, my mom and I used to hit up Acapulco, where we'd spend the days collecting seashells on the beach and walking in the sand. Then, by nightfall, my dad and I would lay on the shore and gaze up at the starry night sky, which was lit up like the seashells we'd gathered during the day. It's a memory I cherish to this day. But, when I hit up the beach recently, it was a real gut punch to see all the trash polluting the shore. And to make matters worse, I found seven dead turtles, some with plastic wrapped around their little limbs. It was heartbreaking. And when I looked up at the sky, it wasn't nearly as bright as I remembered. That experience sparked something inside of me, a drive to do more than just clean up the beach. I want to inspire people to protect our planet, to keep it safe and clean for all of us. It's not just nostalgia for the good old days - it's a new passion for present-day activism and love for nature. Most importantly, I want to spread some love for Latinx culture and encourage young people to be proud of their roots, to embrace their heritage and the natural world. I mean, have you seen the news lately? It seems like racism towards our community is on the rise, with kids in cages and even a former president calling us "rapists." It's time for a change, and it starts with showing the world how beautiful and vibrant our culture really is.

In 2009 my niece, Kate, having moved back to Maine after several years working in NYC theater, expressed interest in animation voice acting. I decided to make a short cartoon with characters that Kate could voice. I had been trying for a few years to write a story around an egg-headed boy with a duck perched on his head, and I decided to use them as the main characters. One moonlit evening before dinner, my spouse Didi remarked, "I'm so hungry I could eat the moon" and it really made me laugh! I pictured a huge creature climbing to a high peak with a fork, drooling at the moon. Classic tv cartoon stars like Tom Terrific and Crusader Rabbit, if that happened in their world, would quickly leap into action with their sidekicks. I imagined that this boy and duck duo doing the same and drew a short storyboard of them dragging the moon out of the creature's reach with a fishing pole and the creature bawling like a toddler. Over the next few years I expanded, rewrote and refined the story, molding it into an homage to not only my favorite early tv cartoon serials but also Pajama Sam, a character I had loved animating for Humongous Entertainment in the late 1990s. Didi is an artist with superb instincts and was my sounding board throughout the decade-long production. She also assisted in the prop photography and the two live action video segments (watch for her "hand cameos"). In addition to the expressive voice acting of my niece Kate Michaud, my friends Byron Wagner, Rhonda Conley and Todd Smith contributed more character voices, background art, and a music soundtrack. By continually re-evaluating my character designs, storyboards, layouts, and animation in hopes of meeting the high quality of everyone else's work, I became a much better artist. I hope you enjoy our short cartoon, "The Adventures of Baxter & Clyde", suitable for all ages.

Our film draws inspiration from a moment we witnessed at a preschool. Here, a young girl's deep disappointment over her ice cream caught our attention. While the boys got their ice cream for work done, she got hers without having to do anything for it. We were struck by how the girl instinctively recognized a troubling pattern that she might encounter throughout her life: boys are rewarded for achievement, girls for conforming to traditional roles.Essentially, “PAYDOS” tells the story of this girl who said 'No.' “PAYDOS,”is the Turkish word for 'Recess', but 'Paydos!' is also what you say when you want something to stop. With her 'No' to an ice cream, Leyla, the young protagonist of our film, challenges traditional gender and societal roles and creates her personal Paydos-moment. A simple 'No,' a small act, but one that could have significant consequences.We brought our film to life in a magical place to which we've had a personal connection for years. It's a village on the Aegean coast, where the community played an integral role in every aspect of the film. Countless villagers contributed to the film, serving as location scouts, caterers, drivers, and even ice cream makers. The children actors, most of whom grew up in the village and attend school there, have been particularly essential. Notably, they improvised their dialogues, and we filmed based solely on a storyboard.While deeply rooting the film in that very village, we also wanted to give it a fairytale-like quality by transplanting the story into an unspecified time. While we leave Leyla's fate unknown, we trust that her Paydos-moment will resonate not only with her but with all those who believe in the power of standing up for what's right, no matter how small the act may seem.”

For international contact: info@michael-georgi.com

Phillip strives to bring to the screen unique films that are visually interesting and above all entertaining.. With Gone Fishing, he strived to capture the silent film era with a partly improvised performance and heightened comedic beats. Phillip continues to be committed to telling stories that provoke an authentic response.

Directing Nonna, my first animated short film, was a huge experience. It was a challenge faced together with animation director Nina Pinho, who brought her ideas and exposed the limitations and potential that we could achieve with the language of animation. I believe we were successful in this process and managed to bring lightness to the original story of screenwriter Anne Salles, which deals with deep and complex issues, such as mourning, the transience of life and the resistance of memories and bonds that unite us to our ancestors. But beyond these universal issues, Nonna also discusses the rampant use of pesticides in agricultural production in Brazil, as well as their impact on the environment and on the lives of small farmers who seek to work in a sustaintable way. An aggravated problem in the current management of the Bolsonaro Government, which set a new brazilian record in the release of pesticides, including in the package products already banned by the European Union, for example. This is a theme that I believe is urgent and necessary to be dealt with and that in Nonna I sought to explore in a subtle and organic way, through the eyes of a child and the imagery power that animation made possible to reach.