Ursus
Reinis Pētersons (2011) 10′ 30″
Film Title: Ursus
Director, Art Design, Script: Reinis Pētersons
Orginal Music: Jēkabs Nīmanis
Sound Editor: Ģirts Bišs
Lead Animator: Mārtiņš Dūmiņš
Animation Assistants: Indra Kadaka, Elīna Zunde
Background Photographer: Jānis Nīgals
Editor: Dāvis Sīmanis
Digital Composing: Dāvis Rudzāts
Creative producer: Edmunds Jansons
Producer: Sabīne Andersone
Financial Support: National film Centre of Latvia, State Culture Capital Fondation
Animation Technique: Charcoal drawing
Lenght: 10’ 30’’
Shooting Format: HD
Screening Format: DCP / H.264 / ProRes 422/ DigiBeta
No dialogues and subtitles
Screen Ratio: 16:9
Colors: B&W
Sound: Stereo
Country of Prodaction: Latvia
Year of Production: 2011
Financial Support: National film Centre of Latvia, State Culture Capital Fondation
World premier at: Clermont-Ferrand 34th Intrnational Short Film Festival, France, 2012
Synopsis
A story about an anthropomorphic bear who works as an acrobat-motorcyclist in a traveling circus during the day but yearns for wildlife and forest where his true happiness seems to dwell at night. A little girl admiringly attends his every show but fears to approach him. One day, the bear decides to leave everything and takes off to the forest to pursue his happiness. This is a story of dreams, longing, the search for oneself, friendship and happiness.
Director’s statement
URSUS is completely crafted by hand. The entire work is illustrated with charcoal on paper resulting in the textures and in a delicateness that are characteristic of charcoal drawings. The film is deliberately created with this likely “classical” method as it tries to avoid the temptations of the digital world. There is no spoken word in the film. Everything is told by the universal language of images and music. The main themes of URSUS are the search for one’s place in the world, living with reality, and an outsider’s longing for understanding. The film is both about the nature of things and about natural things, about trying to cope with life and drawing closer to happiness.
Awards and Mentions
The Best Debut Film of the year at National Film Festival “Lielais Kristaps”, Latvia, 2012
FIPRESCI International Film Critics Award at National Film Festival “Lielais Kristaps”, Latvia, 2012
The Best First Film Zlatko Grgić Award at Animafest Zagreb, Croatia, 2012
Audience Award at Melbourne International Animation Festival, Australia, 2012
Special International Jury Prize at the 14th International Animation Festival in Hiroshima, Japan, 2012
The Best Animation Award in 14th Patras International Panorama Film Festival, Patra, Greece, 2012
The Best Short Film Award at Fredrikstad Animation Festival, Norway, 2012
Ozu Animation Maneki Neko Award for the best film at 20th Ozu Film Festival, Italy, 2012
Jury’s Special Mention I at Animation Film Festival Animated Dreams, Estonia, 2012
Jury’s Special Mention at 9th International Animated Film Festival Animateka, Slovenia, 2012
Jury Award Best Animated Short at Durango Film: An Independent Film Festival, USA, 2013
Official Selection
Official selection (90 festivals):
XXI Riga International Film Festival “Arsenals”, Latvija, 2011
Clermont-Ferrand 34th International Short Film Festival, France, 2012
Aspen Shortfest 2012, USA, 2012
Nacional Film Festival „Lielais Kristaps”, Latvija, 2012
9th Interational Independent Film Festival IndieLisboa, Portugal, 2012
Curtocircuito. International Short Film Festival of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 2012
“La Petite Ecole du Film Court”, France, 2012
Animafest Zagreb 2012, Croatia, 2012
52nd International Film Festival for Children and Youth, Czech Republic, 2012
Annecy International Animation Film Festival, France, 2012
CFC Worldwide Short Film Festival, Canada, 2012
KALIBER35 Munich International Short Film Festival, Germany, 2012
Melbourne International Animation Festival, Australia, 2012
20th edition of the International Film Festival ART FILM FEST, Slovakia, 2012
5th Fest Anca, Slovakia, 2012
Santarcangelo ’12 ’13 ’14. Festival Internazionale del Teatro in Piazza, Italia, 2012
5th International Short Film Festival Wiz-Art, Ukraine, 2012
MoliseCinema Film Festival, Italy, 2012
The 14th International Animation Festival in Hiroshima, Japan, 2012
Seoul International Youth Film Festival (SIYFF), South Korea, 2012
The 16th SICAF 2012, South Korea, 2012
10th Brazilian Kids Film Festival, Brazil, 2012
La 11ème édition du Festival ‘Paysages de Cinéastes’, France, 2012
Calgary International Film Festival, Canada, 2012
XXII Message to Man International Film Festival, Russia, 2012
Milwaukee Film Festival, USA, 2012
14th Patras International Panorama Film Festival, Greece, 2012
Arts Bournemouth, United Kingdom, 2012
Wiesbaden International Weekend of Animation, Germany, 2012
6th International Animation Festival Expotoons, Argentina
Primanima World Festival of First Animations, Hungary, 2012
29th Chicago International Children’s Film Festival, USA, 2012
9th Sedicicorto International Film Festival Forlì, Italia, 2012
7th ANIMEST international animation film festival, 2012
Taiwan Kaohsiung Film Festival, Taiwan, 2012
41th The Festival du nouveau cinéma , Canada, 2012
Festival La Normandie et le Monde, France, 2012
London International Animation Festival, United Kingdom, 2012
Rio de Janeiro Internacional Short Film Festival – Curta Cinema, Brazil, 2012
Fredrikstad Animation Festival, Norway, 2012
21st Annual St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF), USA, 2012
20th Ozu Film Festival, Italy, 2012
19th Bradford Animation Festival, United Kingdom, 2012
KUKI the 5th International Short Film Festival for Children and Youth Berlin, Germany, 2012
27e Festival Europeen du Film Court de Brest, France, 2012
14th Animation Film Festival Animated Dreams, Estonia, 2012
38th Badalona Film Festival, Spain, 2012
21e Festival Séquence court-métrage, France, 2012
32th Festival International du Film d’Amiens, France, 2012
International Film Festival ETIUDA&ANIMA, Poland, 2012
Animpact Animation Festival, South Korea, 2012
11th International Short Film Festival Magma – mostra di cinema breve, Italy, 2012
30th International Young Audience Film Festival Ale Kino!, Poland, 2012
9th International Animated Film Festival Animateka 2012, Slovenia, 2012
Black Movie International Film Festival, Switzerland, 2013
8th Annual Children’s Film Festival Seattle, USA, 2013
KloosterKino in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, 2013
Durango Film: An Independent Film Festival, USA, 2013
8th Tehran International Animation festival, Iran, 2013
4th Roanne animation short film festival “Ciné-court animé”, France, 2013
The 16th international Holland Animation Film Festival, The Netherlands, 2013
Short film program “Shorts Attack. March 2013”, Germany
15th Mecal International Short Film Festival, Spain, 2013
Reel 2 Real International Film Festival for Youth, Canada
25. FILMFEST DRESDEN, Germany, 2013
Flensburger Kurzfilmtage, Germany, 2013
Animatricks Animation Festival, Finland, 2013
4th Golden Kuker Sofia IAFF, Bulgaria
Hoogte 80 Festival, the Netherlands, 2013
25th Sukagawa International Short Film Festival, Japan, 2013
2nd MudasFest Non-dialogue Short Film Festival, Madeira Island/Portugal, 2013
Friends Date Festival, Italy, 2013
Northwest Animation Festival, Portland, Eugene, USA, 2013
British Animation Film Festival 2013, United Kingdom
Peace & Love Film Festival, Sweden, 2013
Framed Film Club Event, United Kingdom, 2013
13th International Sopot Film Festival, Poland, 2013
The 2nd InDPolar International Animation Festival, Hong Kong, 2013
Doris Duke Theatre Event, USA, 2013
3rd Supertoon International Animation Festival, Croatia, 2013
Little Big Shots: International Film Festival for Kids, Australia, 2013
Crested Butte International Film Festival, USA, 2013
10th International Fantastic and étrange short film festival Court-Métrange, France, 2013
Le Quattro Giornate del Cinema di Napoli: Obiettivo Lavoro, Italy, 2013
18th The Golden Elephant International Children’s Film Festival India (ICFFI), India, 2013
1st Short Animation Film Festival, Norway, 2013
9. İstanbul Animation Festival, Turkey, 2014
Umeå European Film Festival, Sweden, 2014
Anima 2015, Belgium, 2015