Flutz
2023 · 8m · USA
Directed by Ryan McCown
Genres: animation
Two rival figure skaters — a technician and an artist — compete under a stern coach in an elite training environment where a witch also lurks. All dialogue is spoken in a backwards language, giving the competition a mythic, uncanny quality.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Backwards-language figure skating witch movie made by one guy in monochrome 1:1. Now we're talking — that's a sentence no algorithm wrote.
A reversed-language Lanthimosian world built solo, in monochrome 1:1 — the formal constraints are bold, and McCown's lived experience as a skater suggests authentic strangeness rather than affected weirdness. A curiosity worth honoring.
A 7:59 solo monochrome 2D film in 1:1 square ratio with all dialogue spoken in reversed language — by a former figure skater, which means the choreography vocabulary is real. That's the kind of singular craft constraint that either becomes a whole worldview or collapses; betting on the former.
Reviews
Not only does this strange combination of story and style work, it feels like one of the most original films we've seen in some time.
The razor-sharp storytelling of Flutz is laced with an offbeat, dark magic, illustrating the dangers of the need to win.
The animation is a bit rudimentary, but that's part of the charm of this strange digital creation.
Festivals
- Athens International Film + Video Festival 2024, 1st Prize, Animation Short
- Nitehawk Shorts Festival 2023, Audience Award
- Thomas Edison Film Festival, Jury's Choice Award
- Slamdance Film Festival 2024
- Palm Springs International ShortFest 2024
- London International Animation Festival