The Clermont-Ferrand Festival is one of the oldest, largest and most prestigious short film festivals in the world, and is the second largest film festival in France (just after Cannes) in terms of audience and professional presence. Films selected from 6,200 short film applications for the festival’s international competition this year, Edmund Janson Guard of honor is one of sixteen animated films included in the competition, which will be judged by the jury together with ten documentary short films and fifty game short films.
Movies Guard of honor the trailer can be viewed here: https://vimeo.com/555323321
Guard of honor is an author, artist and animator Edmund Janson author of the film, which tells the story of a soldier ‘s choice to remain on guard, despite the changing and threatening circumstances.
The director says: “The object of the film – the guard of honor – is, in my opinion, a very capacious image, it represents the ethical ideals that are important to us all – honor, dignity, duty. This is very clear from the Internet’s comments on the rites of honor of different countries – if people comment on the rites of honor of their country, the comments are mostly touched and respectful, while the comments on the rituals of other countries are ridiculous and even cynical. the best but the rest are funny… “
The theme of the film is relevant not only in Latvia, but all over the world, which is in the process of radical change. Now we have to rethink what we think of classical values, such as honor and love of the homeland, and do they still have any meaning? The film speaks a modern and witty visual language.
The film’s creative team includes the film’s author and director Edmunds Jansons, animator Mārtiņš Dūmiņš, sound director Ģirts Bišs and the orchestra Samba de Riga, producer Sabine Anderson. The film was made in a studio Atom Art with the financial support of the National Cinema Center. For the National Film Award Kristaps the Great the film is nominated in four categories – The best animated film, The best animated film director, The best sound director a The best animated film artist.
Edmund Janson’s short films Bark tour (2012), International Father’s Day (2012) one Seal Island (2014) have been screened at several hundred festivals, including all major animation and short film festivals (Annecy, Zagreb, Oberhausen, Hiroshima, Ottawa, Stuttgart, London). Anima Mundi, Puppet, Step, Interfilm etc.), received awards and recognitions, shown in schools, museums, cultural centers around the world, included in the selection of festival films.
Edmunds Jansons is known to Latvian viewers as the director who created the cycle of children’s favorite animated films Cloths (since 2010), a century film Jacob, Mimmi and the talking dogs (2018) and a Christmas movie Us un Neguļa (2017).
A short film market will take place at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival from January 31 to February 4, with the support of the National Film Center and a joint Baltic stand. The Lithuanian Short Film Agency is cooperating in its organization Lithuanian Shorts, Tallinn International Film Festival section PÖFF Shorts, Latvian festivals 2Annas a Short Riga (Riga IFF), Latvian Animation Association.
Within the framework of the short film market, a Baltic short film screening is planned for February 1, in which Latvia will be represented by three films – Resistance Is Futile (short play of the game, directed by Armands Začs), Can’t Help Myself (short film, directed by Anna Ansone) and Mirage formula (animation, director Rasa Pavilona). February 2 short film market In the forum a conversation will be organized Current Waves and Baltic Talents – Co-production Opportunities in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, in which an international audience will be introduced to the latest trends in the Baltic short film landscape.
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