Friday, December 30, 2022

The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse: Poetry in Animation

By José Alberto Hermosillo  

“The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse” is an animated short film about love, friendship, and kindness. This thought-provoking adaptation is nothing less than a masterpiece. 

Evocative, environmental, poetic, and artistic animation gives the impression of contemplating a watercolor painting or a Rembrandt.


“The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse,” produced by J.J. Adams and Woody Harrelson, is directed by Peter Baynton and Charlie Mackesy, adapted from Charlie Mackesy’s bestseller by Jon Croker and Charlie Mackesy himself. 

Behind the calm sound of the characters’ voices are the talents of Jude Coward Nicoll, who plays The Boy, and Tom Hollander (“The White Lotus”), as The Mole. Idris Elba is the quiet Fox, and The Horse is played by veteran actor Gabriel Byrne (“Spider,” “End of Days,” “Stigmata”). 

The Boy encounters The Mole in the middle of a beautiful frosty landscape, and to be lost is unsuitable for either. 

The mole, hungry and blind, confused a big tree with a cake. The two new friends approached the tree, climbed the branches, and looked for an unknown river that would guide the Boy back to his home. 

At that particular place and time, the Mole asks the Boy, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The Boy firmly answered, “Kind.” Even though the Boy is already kind, he does not want to change when he grows up because he wants to continue treating everyone with kindness and respect.


Contemplating the horizon - looking for that river, the Mole-inspired expresses, “So much beauty we need to look after.” “Yes, so much,” answers the Boy. At that instant, we felt that there was a friend who would always be there to help.

The heartfelt story teaches us about reinforcing our internal strength with the help of our diverse and close friends with philosophy and poetry. Many existential questions arise, such as “Can you believe in me more than I do,” by the Mole, who ends up with “Life is difficult, but you are loved.”

At one point, the Fox accepts that he is quiet because he has nothing interesting to say.

The Horse’s experience and confidence ensure that others continue the journey safely. As in the “Wizard of Oz,” they must discover if there is a home for the Boy at the river’s end. 

All four characters support each other and have the same mantra, “asking for help isn’t giving up,” said the Horse, “It’s refusing to give up.” “Tears fall for a reason; they are your strength, not your weakness.”

“When things are out of control, you must focus on what you love right under your nose,” says the Mole. That is why we are here, to love and be loved.

This original British BBC/Apple TV Plus production has been shortlisted for the Best Animated Short Film for the 95th Academy Awards. “The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse” is one of the strongest contenders to win the Oscar, joining the pantheon of other amusing animated short film winners such as “Dear Basketball,” “Mr. Hublot,” “The Danish Poet,” and “Peter & the Wolf.”

Watching this short artistic creation, many questions arise, such as how cold it is for a boy to be out in the open without a jacket? What will the friends eat, and how will they defend themselves from environmental hazards and predators?

“The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse” is an endearing, innocent, and beautiful animation that helps us to teach children to become better humans. 

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse — Official Trailer | Apple TV+

The 15 Shortlisted Animation Shorts are:
Black Slide
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse
The Debutante
The Flying Sailor
The Garbage Man
Ice Merchants
It’s Nice Here
More than I Want to Remember
My Year of Dicks
New Moon
An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake, and I Think I Believe It
Passenger
Save Ralph
Sierra
Steakhouse

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Tuesday, December 20, 2022

Last Film Show: The Perfect Combo: Northern Indian Food & Marsala Films

By José Alberto Hermosillo

“Last Film Show” brilliantly Northern Indian food and classical cinema in one unforgettable children’s adventure, displaying India’s untamed spirit to its fullest.

The engaging and nostalgic, coming-of-age award-winning Indian drama is seen through the eyes of a wondrous kid whose fascination for cinema goes further than school or his family’s well-being. Samay is portrayed by newcomer Bhavin Rabari wonderfully and naturally believably.

Bhavin Rabari is Samay in "Last Film Show." Photo: Jose Alberto Hermosillo, CAA (Creative Artists Agency), Century City, Los Angeles, CA. www.FestivalinLA ©2022

The film is set in the mid-1980s and unfolds organically and spontaneously, following the path of this young cinema lover who skips school and sneaks into the local movie theater. He finds a way to get into the projectionist’s heart through his stomach with the delicious school meals his mother makes daily.

Bribing the projectionist with Marsala food is not all the trouble the kid gets into; Samay’s adventures inside the movie theater include stealing the film reels from the post office to create a projector and show those fantastic films to other kids without electricity. 

Short of understanding the transitional changes from film to digital projection, the kid witnesses that transition and sees how the projectionist loses his job to a computer-literate geek that can manage the entire movie theater with a laptop. 

Behind the camera is the artistry of renowned Indian director/writer/producer Pan Nalin (“Samsara,” “Angry Indian Goddess”). According to him, his film opens the viewer’s mind to the cultural complexity of other parts of the world.

Director Pan Nalin & actor Bhavin Rabari "Last Film Show." Photo: Jose Alberto Hermosillo, CAA (Creative Artists Agency), Century City, Los Angeles, CA. www.FestivalinLA ©2022

Set in Northern India, near the border with Afghanistan, the movie emphasizes marginalized communities outside the urban areas, children’s labor, survival, unjust social structure, and economics. For instance, people need to learn English to get equal opportunities in education and employment. Paradoxically, the ones who master English leave their communities as soon as possible.

The film contains well-selected clips from classic Indian cinema. Some Bollywood movies became classics, while others are action-packed thrillers to entertain the masses. People in those movies do not look natural, says the director. In his film, he intends to be as realistic as possible by
 exposing people as they are and how they interact in their communities.

Regarding the question I asked in the Q&A about the combination of food and movies, Mr. Nalin answers cleverly, “The way to the people’s heart is through their stomach.” He remembers his childhood by saying that his mother was a great cook. Additionally, Marsala films love food and movies because those elements make people return to their roots of delicious and authentic food based on local, vegan products.

Inspired by the CinemaScope of the 1950s and 60s, talented cinematographer Swapnil S. Sonawane (“Newton,” and “Dhappa”) captures the perfect lighting to enhance the colors - giving that dazzling look to the film. 

The filmmakers looked for picturesque locations using vibrant colors in their palette, multi-chromatic sets, lavish costumes, and shiny jewelry. Everything had to be filmed in front of the camera, not in post-production, to reflect in the film the authenticity of the country.

Director Pan Nalin centered his film on the life of a person he knew from the region. The more complicated part was to bring the producers to start production. If a studio does not back you, he recommends organizing teamwork to get the money to produce the movie with other close friends, doctors, or family members who may pitch in to finish an acceptable production. “If you’re scared, you’re dead,” he said. Because it is hard to make an independent film in India or anywhere, he was lucky to have investors from France and the United States to complete the movie.

Casting the kid was challenging. While looking for a professional child actor, the famous Indian casting director Dilip Shankar (Ang Lee’s “The Life of Pi” and Wes Anderson’s “The Darjeeling Limited”) went to the
Gujarati community. He found a confident kid named Bhavin Rabari, the son of a bus driver. The kid’s family belongs to a tribe outside the “caste system” of other communities. The people there feel proud of their roots, where they came from, and the opportunities they can get to accomplish their dreams. For Bhavin Rabari, the first movie he had ever seen in a cinema theater was his movie.

Last Film Show
Producer Dheer Momaya, Child actor Bhavin Rabari, director Pan Nalin "Last Film Show." Photo: Jose Alberto Hermosillo, CAA (Creative Artists Agency), Century City, Los Angeles, CA. FestivalinLA ©2022

“Last Film Show” is spoken in Gujarati with some English dialogues. The movie has been selected as the Indian entry for Best International Feature Film for the 95th Academy Awards. It has been shortlisted - beating the Netflix mega-production “RRR,” also the front-runner to win Best Original Song with “Naatu Naatu.”

The director is surprised that his film is getting plenty of international recognition, and he feels happy to have his movie watched by a broader audience on streaming platforms. Still, he recommends the theatrical experience because that is how he fell in love with the film. 

This crowd-pleasing Indian/French co-production premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, winning the audience award. Since then, “Last Film Show” has become an international hit.

LAST FILM SHOW (Chhello Show) Official Trailer

“Last Film Show” Indian Child Actor Talks About his Experience Making the Film

Producer Dheer Momaya, Child actor Bhavin Rabari, director Pan Nalin "Last Film Show," and film critic Jose Alberto Hermosillo, CAA (Creative Artists Agency), Century City, Los Angeles, CA. FestivalinLA ©2022

Child actor Bhavin Rabari is Samay in “Last Film Show” and film critic Jose A. Hermosillo, CAA (Creative Artists Agency), Century City, Los Angeles, CA. FestivalinLA ©2022


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Friday, December 2, 2022

THE WORLD'S BEST FILM FESTIVAL POSTERS 2022

By José Alberto Hermosillo

http://www.festivalinla.com/2022/11/the-worlds-best-film-festival-posters.html

After the pandemic, 2022 has been a meaningful year for humanity, where the idealistic concepts of hope, resilience, acceptance, solidarity, and understanding prevail. To assimilate the transitional moment we live in, the arts play a fundamental role in channeling those emotions and values in the right direction.

Film festivals ignite the public’s awareness and participation in the yearly cinematic experience by creating a commemorative poster with vivid visuals reflecting their culture, themes, diversity, and iconography.

This year, the festivals followed an environmentalist trend with physical elements such as transparent crystals, bright gold, shiny silver, and bright blends. 

The images of open skies, bronze soils, pristine deserts, and evocative beaches converge with the deep blue oceans, blending everything harmoniously with other pastel colors and mild tones, giving most creations a naturalistic pattern.

THE WORLD’S BEST FILM FESTIVAL POSTERS 2022

The quest of searching, curating, selecting, and classifying the pieces – and adding the authors, the meaning, and the techniques used in every stunning poster requires time and persistence. The outstanding selection of artworks maintains the quality and consistency of their graphics to the highest level. Dozens of talented artists and graphic designers shaped thought-provoking, luminous pieces.

The selected posters are from all five continents and entered the list, including the works of prestigious festivals such as Venice, Miami, Guanajuato, Morelia, and Berlin. Other festivals displayed outstanding quality in their projects and deserved to be mentioned. Pleasant surprises from emerging players come to light. Festivals such as Santa Barbara, San Sebastian, Palm Springs, and Turks & Caicos (in the Caribbean Islands) announce their original creations in a formal ceremony. 

The use of numbers in graphics
Film Festivals use numbers in their creations.

Using “numbers” as a centerpiece or focal point is a significant slip-up. Numbers have no beauty, harmony, or inspiration. Those are just numbers. Dates and years are essential but not a fundamental part of the creation. No matter how bold the concept is, numbers are generic, not aesthetic.

If you aspire to perfection, hire a consultant, specialist, another graphic designer, artist, teacher, friend, or client - someone who can give a fresh perspective, redefining and polishing the artwork. Consistency is the key to reaching mastery.

It is time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the incredible selection of The World’s Best Film Festival Posters of 2022.


JOURNÉES 
CINEMATOGRAPHIQUES 
CARTHAGE
TUNIS, TUNISIA
DESIGNED By Neïla Driss
The piece is a Fusion of Arab & African cultures.
Inspired by the Portrait of the Great Tunisian Actress 
from the 1960s & 70s
Mbissine Thérése Diop.
ASWAN
INTERNATIONAL WOMEN
FILM FESTIVAL
EDITION 2022
EGYPT
Designed by Hisham Ali
Women of the South walking in the desert with hopes and dreams,
Carrying the history of cinema on their heads.
ANNECY 2022
FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL 
DU FILM D’ANIMATION
ANNECY, FRANCE
Laurent Durieux, Illustrator
79 MOSTRA INTERNAZIONALE
D'ARTE CINEMATOGRAFICA
LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA 2022
VENICE, ITALY
Designed by Lorenzo Mattotti 
Inspired by a Lioness Gliding Through The Air 
Offering this 90th Anniversary 
with Gold Motives Representing the Early Decades of the 20th Century. 
GUANAJUATO INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
25th EDITION
Guanajuato, Mexico
 Designed by Analí Jaramillo
Inspired by the Alchemist Tradition of The Fifth Essence, 
Spirit & Soul.

TURKS & CAICOS
International
Film Festival
EDITION 2022
CARIBBEAN ISLANDS OF TURKS AND CAICOS
Poster Competition Winner, 10-year-old Janiya Harris, 
Sponges are on the seabed, and a pink flamingo is created from recycled material.
V WALLAY! 
BARCELONA AFRICAN
FILM FESTIVAL 2022
BARCELONA, SPAIN
Photographed by Thandiwe Muriu
In this piece, the essence of Spain is represented by the fans
 in fusion with the African culture. 
QUINZAINE DES RÉALISATEURS 
DIRECTORS’ FORTNIGHT
CANNES 2022

CANNES, FRANCE 
Designed by Cecilia Paredes (Lima, Peru).

37th SANTA BARBARA
INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA
Artist Hank Pitcher
 The concept is the desire to discover, 
As a surfer gazes at the ocean,
as the spectator looks at the screen inside a movie theater.
FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL
DE CINE FANTÁSTICO
FERATUM 11
PÁZCUARO, MEXICO
ARTIST DOSAK MORENO
INSPIRED IN THE FILM “NOSFERATU” by F.W. Murnau
CINÉ LATINO
34th RENCONTRES DE TOULOUSE
TOULOUSE, FRANCE
ARTIST: R0NALD CURCHOD TRAVAUX

31st FESTIVAL
BIARRITZ AMERIQUE LATINE
CINEMAS & CULTURE
BIARRITZ, FRANCE
THE COLORS AND EXUBERANT NATURE OF BRAZIL
12th BEIJING
INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
BEIJING, CHINA
The Great Wall of China with the slogan “United we advanced.”
HELSINKI
INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
HELSINKI, FINLAND
ARTIST TIITU TAKALO
“Love & Anarchy” are represented by Maud & Clémentine
FICUNAM 12
12o FESTIVAL
INTERNACIONAL DE CINE UNAM
CDMX, MEXICO
Designed by Castrejón y Rocha
The four universes of experimental cinema.
46th HONG KONG
INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
Hong Kong
DESIGNED BY FRANK CHAN
Inspired by the Eurasian tree sparrow seen across East Asia
SOCIAL RELEVANT
FILM FESTIVAL
9th EDITION
NYC, NEW YORK
25 FESTIVAL DE
MALAGA
MALAGA, SPAIN
Designed Petra Eriksson 
 “After the Pandemic - Reborn.”
CONCORTO
FILM FESTIVAL
PONTENURE, PIACENZA, ITALY
Illustration: Elisa Talentino
Children riding a donkey looking at each other 
united by blue lace.
SIXTY-THIRD
THESSALONIKI
INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
THESSALONIKI, GREECE
Artist Dimitris Trimintzios "TAXIS."
His original artwork will be
auctioned by the festival & all the profits
 donated to the support of abused women.
7 FicWALLMAPU
FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL
DEL CINE Y LAS ARTES
INDIGENOUS WALLMAPU
TEMUCO, CHILE
Festival dedicated to the cultural interchange 
with the indigenous communities of the world.
70. TRENTO 
FILM FESTIVAL
MONTAGNE E CULTURE
TRENTO, ITALY, 
Artist: Milo Manara
SITGES 2022
 56 FESTIVAL 
INTERNATIONAL DE CINEMA
FANTÁSTIC DE CATALUNYA
CATALUNYA, SPAIN
Made by China Agency
Featuring the Neon Lights of ‘Tron’ Illuminate
15 FESTIVAL
DEL CINE ESPAÑOL 
Y LATINOAMERICANO
ITALIA 2022
Artist: Alfredo Palmero, Barcelona
72. BERLINALE
FILM FESTIVAL
BERLIN, GERMANY
Designer Claudia Schramke
“Curiosity and good spirits.”
75 LOCARNO
FILM FESTIVAL
LOCARNO, SWITZERLAND
Designed By Vito Manolo Roma,
Who presents a classy & more contemporary
image of the festival on its 75th Anniversary.
ANIMA
THE BRUSSELS
ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL
BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
Designed by Pieter De Poortere
Presenting an animated steamship
 CLERMONT-FERRAND
INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL 2022
CLERMONT-FERRAND, FRANCE
Designed by Belgian Illustrator Brecht Evens
“The drawing shows what we missed the most: Discovering new films
in the company of thousands of new people for us to meet.”
SHORT
CA’ FOSCARI
SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
EDITION 2022
VENICE, ITALY
ARTIST LORENZO MATTOTTI
41. FESTIVAL DU CINÉMA
INTERNATIONAL EN 
EBITIBI-TÉMISCAMINGUE
ROUYN-NORANDA
QUÉBEC, CANADA
FAR EAST
FILM FESTIVAL 24
UDINE, ITALY
Creators: Robert Rosolin & Leonardo Ulian,
with the theme of connections to the future.
FILMFEST
MÜNICH 2022
MUNICH, GERMANY
Created by Dutch illustrator Zeloot
The urban concept includes 
the audience, the stars, the films, and the city.
 XPOSED
QUEER FILM FESTIVAL
BERLIN 2022
BERLIN, GERMANY 
Designed by Marion Habringer.
The concept is all about the technical & creative aspects of
moviemaking.
 20o. FESTIVAL
INTERNACIONAL DE CINE DE
MORELIA
MORELIA, MICHOACAN, MEXICO
Designed by Rodrigo Toledo
Presenting the symbols of the city of Morelia and the Festival
FESTIVAL 
INTERNACIONAL DE CINE DE 
HORROR DE 
LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO
MACABRO 2022
CDMX, MEXICO
DIEGO ÁLVAREZ & ROXANA RUIZ
HAMPTONS
INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
30 YEARS
HAMPTONS, NEW YORK
ARTWORK BY STANLEY WHITNEY
SYDNEY SCIENCE FICTION
FILM FESTIVAL
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
Designed by 
Richard de Carvalho, Lunacraft Productions
Introducing “A Ghost in the Shell.”
EDINBURGH
SPANISH FILM 
FESTIVAL 2022
Edinburgh, Scotland
Designed by Guillermo Ortega
10th CINE MAGNIFICO
LATINO
FILM FESTIVAL
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO
AUTHOR XAVI RUBIRAS
SEATTLE 
INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL 2022
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
Created by Mark ‘Monkey’ Watson, Wongdoody Agency.
 The psychedelic creation makes reference to everything
from Illuminati symbolism to crystals, Freemasons, and cinema reels.
BOGOSHORTS
FESTIVAL
DE CORTOS DE BOGOTÁ
SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL
20th EDITION
BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA
Juan Esteban Duque, Motif Estudio
“Let there be light, and there was light.”
CORONADO ISLAND 
FILM FESTIVAL 22
CORONADO ISLAND, CALIFORNIA
Created by Judd Brand Media
17. SHORTS MÉXICO 2022
FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE 
CORTOMETRAJES DE MÉXICO
CDMX, MÉXICO
DESIGNED BY NEKAME MARIN AND ÁNGEL CERVANTES
Representing the God of Shorts as the entire “retro” & nostalgic piece
is inspired by the video games from the 1970s,
with its Mexican roots and environment.
30. EnergaCAMERIMAGE
INTERNATIONAL
FILM FESTIVAL
TORUN, POLAND
Architect Piotr Jablonski
The Golden Frogs are back with sensibility, beauty, and wisdom 
contain in film stories and compassion for other people.
AUROVILLE
FILM FESTIVAL 2022
TAMIL NADU, INDIA
Graphic Designers Dominique & Marco
FARGO
FILM FESTIVAL
FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA
Designed by Punchgut
The return to the movie theaters
18. FESTIVAL
DE CINE DE TODOS LOS SANTOS
TODOS LOS SANTOS, LA PAZ & LOS CABOS;
BAJA CALIFORNIA SUR, MEXICO
AUTHOR: COLLECTIVE 
After the pandemic, a new generation brings
new ideas and visual concepts to enrich the cinematic arts.
48. FESTIVAL DE HUELVA
CINE IBEROAMERICANO 2022
HUELVA, SPAIN
DESIGNED BY José Luis Agreda
An animated version of iconic filmmaker Luis Buñuel 
with elements of some of his most classic films made in Spain and Mexico
such as “As Nazarin,” “Simon of the Desert,” and “Las Hurdes.” 
29th SAN DIEGO LATINO
FILM FESTIVAL 
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA
Contest winner Naandeye Garcia
The joy that comes from making & watching movies
+ + + + +
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