A ring of black text on a transparent background, reading 'Monday Short'.

GIRAF16 Signal Film

Agnew said that she "wanted to create a story that was lighthearted but also very strange," and that definitely comes through in the short story of a long-necked creature (most definitely not a giraffe) slowly starving in a sun-scorched desert.

A long-necked creature lies thirstily on the desert floor, a dead lizard beside it.

Is it maybe sort of cheating in a way to select our own festival's signal film as a Monday Short? No doubt, we're biased, but we still think Sheena Agnew's film is an absolute delight.

Agnew said that she "wanted to create a story that was lighthearted but also very strange," and that definitely comes through in the short story of a long-necked creature (most definitely not a giraffe) slowly starving in a sun-scorched desert. A cube of mysterious liquid appears overhead, promising refreshment and relief — and maybe a hint of danger, too.

There are so many details to love in Agnew's film. The use of the creature's tongue as a scene transition, the floppy run as it fetches a stool, and of course the excellent sound design by Brock Geiger. It is colourful, weird, cute and a little sinister. Pretty much a perfect tone for this year's festival.

GIRAF16 Signal Film

dir: Sheena Agnew

syn: Sheena Agnew is an aspiring animator born in Japan and raised in Calgary.

For the GIRAF16 trailer, Sheena wanted to create a story that was lighthearted but also very strange. The main character represents the audience’s curiosity. The water cube represents the festival— ever shifting, moody waters, containing peculiar but brilliantly coloured creatures.

2020