Falafel Cart
Falafel Cart is a 2019 animated family short drama film produced by RoyalTales and directed by Abdullah Al-Wazzan with an original score by Dan Phillipson and sound design by Andrew Vernon. The short blends Stop motion Animation with traditional and some computer animation.[1] In 2019, the film was submitted for the 2020 Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film.[2][3][4][5] In 2020 The film earned an official selection at the Hiroshima International Animation Festival in the best of the world program.[6][7][8][5]
Falafel Cart | |
---|---|
Film poster | |
Directed by | Abdullah Al-Wazzan |
Written by | Abdullah Al-Wazzan |
Music by | Dan Phillipson |
Animation by | Abdullah Al-Wazzan |
Color process | Color |
Production company | RoyalTales |
Distributed by | RoyalTales |
Release date |
|
Running time | 14 minutes |
Country | Kuwait |
Language | English |
Plot
During a stormy night, an immigrant falafel vendor who lives in his cart in the middle of nowhere stumbles upon a mysterious flower. The extraordinary encounter sparks something within him and eventually makes him relive scenes from his past life.[9]
Production
The film was inspired by the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, highlighting the impact on people who are merely seeking a better life.[5] The project first came to life after Al-Wazzan started to experiment with a different form of animation that employed a combination of stop-motion, computer generated animation, claymation and traditional animation.[10] The filmmaker single-handedly animated the entire film, built and painted hundreds of models, puppets and backgrounds in a span of three years in order to achieve a distinct world for the film.[1]
Release
Falafel Cart first premiered theatrically in Los Angeles, California on September 13, 2019.[11] The film then began its festival run at the Los Angeles Animation Festival on December 8, 2019 where it won Best International Short Film.[12]
Release date | Country | Event | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
13 September 2019 | United States | Theatrical release[11] | World Premier |
8 December 2019 | United States | Los Angeles Animation Festival[12] | |
14 December 2019 | United States | Palm Springs International Animation Festival[13] | |
March 2020 | Greece | Athens Animfest[14] | |
4 March 2020 | United States | DC Independent Film Festival[15] | |
30 July 2020 | United States | Sonoma International Film Festival[16] | |
2 August 2020 | United Kingdom | The Animator Showcase[8] | |
13 August 2020 | United States | Hollyshorts[17] | |
20 August 2020 | Japan | Hiroshima International Animation Festival[6] | |
15 October 2020 | United Kingdom | Southampton International Film Festival[18] | |
23 October 2020 | Morocco | Rabat International Author Film Festival[19] | |
18 November 2020 | Canada | Montreal International Animation Film Festival[20] | |
18 November 2020 | Qatar | Ajyal Film Festival[21] |
Accolades
The film received the following awards and nominations:
Year | Country | Event | Category | Recipients and nominees | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | United States |
Palm Springs International Animation Festival[13] | In Competition Best Animated Short | Nominated | |
Los Angeles Animation Festival[12] | Best International Short Film | Won | |||
2020 | DC Independent Film Festival[15] | Short Animation Finalist | Nominated | ||
2020 | United Kingdom |
Southampton International Film Festival[18] | Best Animated Short Film | Nominated | |
Best Director of an Animated Film | Nominated | ||||
2020 | Qatar |
Ajyal Film Festival[21] | Hilal Short Film Competition | Nominated |
References
- "Home". Falafel Cart. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
- de Wit, Alex Dudok (October 18, 2019). "2020 Best Animated Short Film Oscar: A List Of Potentially Qualifying Films In The Category (Exclusive)". Cartoon Brew. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
- "عبدالله الوزان: النزاعات والحروب جعلتني أفكّر في مصير الإنسان". جريدة القبس الإلكتروني (in Arabic). 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
- "بالفيديو عبدالله الوزان لـ الأنباء فلافل كارت ينافس على أوسكار 2020". alanba.com.kw (in Arabic). Retrieved 2020-08-27.
- "IN CONVERSATION WITH ABDULLAH AL-WAZZAN". bazaar.town | The ultimate guide to Kuwait. Retrieved 2020-09-01.
- Hiroshima, International Animation Festival. "Best of the World". International Animation Festival Hiroshima. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
- "الوزان لـ "الراي": "فلافل كارت" يواصل إنجازاته... بالمشاركة في "هيروشيما للأنيميشن"". alraimedia.com. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
- "عبد الله الوزان فلافل كارت وصل إلى هيروشيما". alanba.com.kw (in Arabic). Retrieved 2020-08-27.
- Knight, Jason (2020-09-29). "Falafel Cart short animated film review". UK Film Review. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
- "Falafel Cart | Film Threat". 2020-09-24. Retrieved 2020-11-15.
- "2019 Shorts by the Sea". laemmle.com. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- "2019 WINNERS – December 5-6 2020". LAA Fest. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- "'Funan' and 'I Lost My Body' Lead Film Selections at PSIAF 2019". Animation World Network. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- "Athens Animfest 2020 - Falafel Cart". athensanimfest.eu. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- Festival, DC Independent Film (January 7, 2020). "Announcing with Zest: DCIFF 2020 Animation and Web Series Finalists". DCIFF. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- "2020 Sonoma International Film Festival". sonoma2020.eventive.org. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- "Monthly Ticket Screenings —". hollyshorts.com. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
- "AWARDS NOMINATIONS - Southampton International Film Festival". southamptonfilmfest.com. Retrieved 2020-09-19.
- Shorts, Animation. "عربة الفلافل / FALAFEL CART / CHARIOT DE FALAFELS" (in French). Retrieved 2020-11-15.
- "2020 List of Films". Animaze Montreal International Animation Festival. Retrieved 2020-11-17.
- "Ajyal Film Festival | مهرجان أجيال السينمائي". 2020.ajyalfilm.com. Retrieved 2020-11-15.