Alan Bidard is an award-winning animation film director from the French island of Martinique in the Caribbean. During the two last decades, he has produced and directed animated feature and short films, animated series, documentaries and live-action films which won more than 200 awards and 400 nominations in festivals worldwide. In 2015, Alan Bidard made history in releasing the first animated feature film ever made in Martinique — “Battledream Chronicle”, awarded by 24 awards and 70 nominations worldwide. Then in 2018, he created the first Caribbean animated TV series awarded by 25 awards and 105 nominations worldwide. As for now, Alan Bidard is the only Caribbean animation film director who won that many recognitions. In love with the animation medium, in 2021, Alan Bidard released his second animated feature film, “Opal”, which has won 135 awards and more than 200 nominations so far.
Naomi van Heemst is a 25-year old illustrator and animator based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Being from Dutch and Curaçaoan decent, her work is often inspired by where her roots lie and throughout the years this has manifested in a bold, colorful and vibrant art style. Through poetic storytelling and the fantasy genre, she hopes to shed light upon important real-life societal matters such as diversity and representation - especially in animation.
Henk Coetzee, I'm a graphics artist with over 14 years of experience in the media business. I have developed a wide variety of skills in animation, motion graphics and visual
effects in an assortment of environments: Commercial, TV, graphics for live events, and music videos. To be a driver rather a passenger. Dorothy Artist Statement Henk Coetzee Exploring the deeper emotions that are below the surface of consciousness: Grief and the feelings associated with loss are the two main concepts I wanted to explore in this film. Dorothy lost her father, and she needs to scatter his ashes. This is the surface layer. What I want the viewer to feel is what is underneath this layer. Ultimately I want to challenge them to explore what is beneath the surface of themselves. I have never made a film like this. I feel there is a lot of merit in doing something the first time, with no pre conceived ideas. So you are forced to be in touch with your own heartbeat. Dorothy is a young African girl. She needs to carve her feeling of belonging into this world. She is deeply troubled by the death of her father. He was one of the main pillars that made her feel connected, and now he is gone She needs to figure it out. In the end it will make her stronger. It is a defining moment of her life. With this film I want to zoom into this defining moment. Shine some light on it. I wanted nature to be prevalent in this film. I want to treat it as one of the main characters. It also weeps when Dorothy is sad. It is winter and everything is dead and unpleasant. When she is in the past and her father was still there, it is summer and everything is green and alive and happy. So I am inviting you to sit down and relax, and feel with Dorothy.
Bira GF. graduated in Literature and worked as a volunteer film teacher for the Mesoperiferia movement, in public schools in the north of São Paulo. He made a lot of guerrilla cinema between 2011 and 2016, when he released his first feature film, Mesoperiferia – O Filme, a mix of documentary and fiction that narrated the history of the movement. In this film, he already explored some simple animation techniques, but in 2017, he delved deeply into this language to make the short film Termination for Cause - Kamikaze Motoboys.
Once upon a time a magic kingdom of giant calabash-shaped floating islands where summer lasted forever and where the animals and the inhabitants were immortal. The source of all magic was a young princess called Opal. Legends said that her joy would bring wonders and prosperity to the kingdom. But her sadness would only bring chaos and darkness…WEBSITE
Alan Bidard is an award-winning animation film director from the French island of Martinique in the Caribbean. During the two last decades, he has produced and directed animated feature and short films, animated series, documentaries and live-action films which won more than 200 awards and 400 nominations in festivals worldwide. In 2015, Alan Bidard made history in releasing the first animated feature film ever made in Martinique — “Battledream Chronicle”, awarded by 24 awards and 70 nominations worldwide. Then in 2018, he created the first Caribbean animated TV series awarded by 25 awards and 105 nominations worldwide. As for now, Alan Bidard is the only Caribbean animation film director who won that many recognitions. In love with the animation medium, in 2021, Alan Bidard released his second animated feature film, “Opal”, which has won 135 awards and more than 200 nominations so far.
Naomi van Heemst is a 25-year old illustrator and animator based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Being from Dutch and Curaçaoan decent, her work is often inspired by where her roots lie and throughout the years this has manifested in a bold, colorful and vibrant art style. Through poetic storytelling and the fantasy genre, she hopes to shed light upon important real-life societal matters such as diversity and representation - especially in animation.
Henk Coetzee, I'm a graphics artist with over 14 years of experience in the media business. I have developed a wide variety of skills in animation, motion graphics and visual
effects in an assortment of environments: Commercial, TV, graphics for live events, and music videos. To be a driver rather a passenger. Dorothy Artist Statement Henk Coetzee Exploring the deeper emotions that are below the surface of consciousness: Grief and the feelings associated with loss are the two main concepts I wanted to explore in this film. Dorothy lost her father, and she needs to scatter his ashes. This is the surface layer. What I want the viewer to feel is what is underneath this layer. Ultimately I want to challenge them to explore what is beneath the surface of themselves. I have never made a film like this. I feel there is a lot of merit in doing something the first time, with no pre conceived ideas. So you are forced to be in touch with your own heartbeat. Dorothy is a young African girl. She needs to carve her feeling of belonging into this world. She is deeply troubled by the death of her father. He was one of the main pillars that made her feel connected, and now he is gone She needs to figure it out. In the end it will make her stronger. It is a defining moment of her life. With this film I want to zoom into this defining moment. Shine some light on it. I wanted nature to be prevalent in this film. I want to treat it as one of the main characters. It also weeps when Dorothy is sad. It is winter and everything is dead and unpleasant. When she is in the past and her father was still there, it is summer and everything is green and alive and happy. So I am inviting you to sit down and relax, and feel with Dorothy.
Bira GF. graduated in Literature and worked as a volunteer film teacher for the Mesoperiferia movement, in public schools in the north of São Paulo. He made a lot of guerrilla cinema between 2011 and 2016, when he released his first feature film, Mesoperiferia – O Filme, a mix of documentary and fiction that narrated the history of the movement. In this film, he already explored some simple animation techniques, but in 2017, he delved deeply into this language to make the short film Termination for Cause - Kamikaze Motoboys.
Once upon a time a magic kingdom of giant calabash-shaped floating islands where summer lasted forever and where the animals and the inhabitants were immortal. The source of all magic was a young princess called Opal. Legends said that her joy would bring wonders and prosperity to the kingdom. But her sadness would only bring chaos and darkness…WEBSITE
