Little Fiel

stop motion animation / documentary by Irina Patkanian

Guns are not killers. They are pieces of metal that can be reassembled into anything, including a little boy, a bird or a rose. Just as they make them, we can unmake them, one by one.

Synopsis:
“Little Fiel” is a stop motion animation/documentary about unending civil wars. It is loosely based on the life story of Mozambican artist Fiel dos Santos who grew up during the 16-year civil war - another proxy war equipped and sustained by foreign super powers. Fiel created eight figures representing his father, mother, five brothers and sister from dismantled Civil war guns. Three New York artists turned them into puppets and created immersive stop-motion animation, inspired by Fiel’s memories. “Little Fiel” tells a universal story of peaceful people who have been coerced, conscripted and enticed into killing each other. It is our collective act of resistance and hope.

gun sculptures by Fiel dos Santos
animated by Chris Langer, Gus Ford snd Irina Patkanian
director of photography Gus Ford
music by Adam Silverman
Sound design by Ross Adrian Williams
written/directed/produced and edited by Irina Patkanian

Jury Awards

Grand Jury Prize Best Short Film – Boulder International Film Festival

Best Documentary Short – Boulder International Film Festival

Best Short – BlackStar International Film Festival Accra, Ghana

Best Documentary – International Short Film Festival Beveren, Belgium

Best Animated Documentary – DOC LA, CA

Best Short Documentary – Charlotte Film Festival, Charlotte, NC

Best Short Documentary – Santorini Film Festival, Greece

Best International Film Award – DC Independent Film Festival, Washington, DCx

Best Short Documentary – Bucharest ShortCut Cinefest, Romania

DiplomaKIN International Women’s Film Festival, Yerevan, Armenia

Human Rights Award – Amazing Shorts Film Festival, Madrid, Spain

Best Short Documentary – 2ndprize – Ierapetra International Doc. Festival, Crete, Greece

Best Short Documentary – 2ndprize – Woods Hole Film Festival; Cape Cod, MA

Best Screenplay – The African Film Festival, Dallas, TX

Best Original Score –Oregon Documentary Film Festival, Portland, OR

Director’s Choice Award – Black Maria Film Festival, Hoboken, NJ

Jury Special Mention– Smita Patil Doc. and Short Film Festival

Honorable Mention– Asia South East-Short Film Festival

John Michaels Film Awardat 41stBig Muddy Film Festival 

Nominated/Award Finalist

Best Short Documentary – Canada Shorts, Saint John, Canada

Best Animated Short– 21st Arpa International Film Festival, LA, CA

Special Jury Award– Global Impact Film Festival Washington, DC

Best International Film Award – Oregon Documentary Film Festival, Portland, OR

Best Documentary Short– The African Film Festival, Dallas, TX

• UNAFF at Monterey Bay

• Self-Preservation and Civil Wars exhibit

• Realtime International Film Festival

• deadCenter Film Festival 

• Connecticut PBS Online Film Festival 

• Best of Doc Shorts Bend Film

• San Antonio Independent Film Festival 

• Brooklynese Film Series

• Boulder International Film Festival

• 41st Big Muddy Film Festival 

• Winter Film Awards Int. Film Festival 

• Oxford Film Festival

• Roma Cinema DOC

• Cascade Festival of African Films

• FICMARC Caribbean Sea Int. Film Festival

• Canada Shorts 

• Smita Patil Doc. and Short Film Festival

• Festival Brasil De Cinema Internacional

• Int. Short Film Festival of Beveren

• InstiDoc Film Festival

• Black Maria Film Festival (tour)

• Int. Women Film Festival KIN

• SNOB Film Festival 

• Coronado Island Film Festival

• 21st Arpa Int. Film Festival

• 27th Hot Springs Doc Film Festival

• DOC LA Film Festival

• Tampa Animation Festival 

• UN Association Film Festival 

• Cinematic Arts Colloquium

• Portland Film Festival 

• Tallgrass Int. Film Festival

• Santa Fe Independent Film Festival

• Black Maria Film Festival tour

• 31st Dallas VideoFest

• Bend Film Festival

• Amazing Shorts Film Festival 

• Buffalo Niagara Int. Film Festival