Is Gregor Samsa a bug wishing he was a man or a man wishing he was a bug? AFTER METAMORPHOSIS is a high-octane, visceral reworking of Kafka’s classic tale that weaponizes the surrealism of the original text into a wild rumpus; a satire of conformity.
The Yellow Canary is both an epic true story and a leap into the imagination of a young child desperate to escape the horrors of war, exploring love, loss and what it means to flee your home.
Join us for a dinner party with a difference – an anarchic artistic meal hosted by some of your favourite MANIPULATE artists. LARDS PICK ‘N’ MIX, a warm and entertaining dining cabaret with original live music and prime cuts of nonsense. A joyous evening of bite-sized silliness, lightly seasoned with absurdity, and packed full of LARDS. LARDS create the perfect visual cabaret setting for racuous dinner time fun. Drawing on their combined specialisms in clown, bouffon, character work and visual/physical theatre they celebrate liveness, risk and intense joy!
A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to an Arkansas farm in search of their own American Dream. The family home changes completely with the arrival of their sly, foul-mouthed, but incredibly loving grandmother.
In Lady Bird, Greta Gerwig reveals herself to be a bold new cinematic voice with her directorial debut, excavating both the humor and pathos in the turbulent bond between a mother and her teenage daughter. Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson (Saoirse Ronan) fights against but is exactly like her wildly loving, deeply opinionated and strong-willed mom (Laurie Metcalf).
Connect with other artists, enthusiasts and producers to share and exchange ideas, whilst strolling through Edinburgh’s Meadows. Whilst being a great practical way to connect with other professionals no matter the current pandemic restrictions, walking and talking has also been shown to increase creative thinking, as well as to encourage honest and productive conversations.
French illustrator Aurel investigates the life of the Catalan Republican cartoonist and exile Josep Bartolí, who was detained by the Gestapo and sent to various concentration camps after crossing the border into France to flee the Spanish Civil War. Josep won prizes at the Tokyo Anime Awards, Anima, European Film Awards and was named best animated film in the César awards.
Inspired by Italo Calvino’s surrealist story, the Distance of the Moon is a Scottish-Argentinian collaboration, a storytelling piece exploring loneliness, nostalgia, connection and human relationships. This intimate piece will be performed simultaneously in Argentina and Scotland.
A pulse-pounding political thriller, Greek expatriate director Costa-Gavras’ Z was one of the cinematic sensations of the late Sixties. This Academy Award winner—loosely based on the 1963 assassination of Greek left-wing activist Grigoris Lambrakis—stars Yves Montand as a prominent politician and doctor whose public murder amid a violent demonstration is covered up by military and government officials.
As Surge bursary awardees we are delighted to present Daniel Livingstone and Petre Dobre’s work in progress piece Sand in its first presentation to the public. “Sand” is a story telling of a very old mythical being – the Sandman, like many myths, have many different tales about them from across the globe. Some see him as a trickster, others a demon. Some see him as a hero and to a few he is a God, the God of Dreams and of Stories.
“A celebration of transformation, a bid to be unforgotten, a dance of rules, constriction, sugar highs and suffocation. Rules To Live By is a rebellious aspiration to a hero’s punk anarchy. EIDOS is a tribute to Suzi’s grandmother, who was a punk in-her-own-right. She is the hero, the stalwart, Suzi’s personal Vivienne Westwood, the treasure hunter and the curio-with-a-cause. This double-bill veers between anarchy, punk music, heroism and how idolatry and loss can shape a life. “
Get a first look at exciting new visual theatre works from five Scottish artists, presented here in the early stages of their development. Featuring puppetry, object theatre, physical theatre and dance, the lineup promises insight into the process of a diverse group of artists working with a wide range of techniques.
A full day workshop for both experienced and emerging puppeteers with the inimitable Chris Pirie of leading UK puppetry company Green Ginger. Trash-Hack is a masterclass in re-purposing domestic and industrial junk to create and animate instant puppet creatures. Be prepared to stretch your imagination, dare to fail, pull it apart and build another.
A powerful aerial and physical theatre performance using the Japanese art of shibari (rope bondage) exploring mental health, cycles of repetition and the struggle to break out.
A childless couple in rural Iceland make an alarming discovery one day in their sheep barn. They soon face the consequences of defying the will of nature, in this dark and atmospheric folktale, the striking debut feature from director Valdimar Jóhannsson.
After a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Constantine “Connie” Nikas (Robert Pattinson) embarks on a twisted odyssey through the city’s underworld in an increasingly desperate—and dangerous—attempt to get his brother Nick (Benny Safdie) out of jail.
Join us for a dinner party with a difference – an anarchic artistic meal hosted by some of your favourite MANIPULATE artists. Tim Licata & Plutôt La Vie invite you to an evening of illusion where everything may not be what it seems… a mesmerising evening of intimate performance including song, spoken word and, of course, magic.
A timeless story of human connection and self-discovery, Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.
Erik Blake has gathered three generations of his Pennsylvania family to celebrate Thanksgiving at his daughter’s apartment in lower Manhattan. As darkness falls outside and eerie things start to go bump in the night, the group’s deepest fears are laid bare. The piercingly funny and haunting debut film from writer-director Stephen Karam.
Connect with other animators, enthusiasts and producers to share and exchange ideas, whilst strolling through Edinburgh’s Meadows. Whilst being a great practical way to connect with other professionals no matter the current pandemic restrictions, walking and talking has also been shown to increase creative thinking, as well as to encourage honest and productive conversations.
With a dizzying array of animation styles and a packed programme of untold stories and exciting talent, we once again partner with Edinburgh Short Film Festival to bring you award-winning short animated films from around the globe.
Andy Jones, Head Chef at one of the top restaurants in London, is battling debts, addiction and an imploding personal life. The pressure is already on when health and safety services unexpectedly show up for inspection.
A compilation of seven short experimental animated films by legendary American artist and animator Jane Aaron (1948-2015). The works capture an era of 16mm filmmaking that is now frozen in history by obsolescence of the film medium.
Celebrating extraordinary and award-winning female and non-binary animators from around the globe, MANIPULATE is delighted to present Animated Womxn for the second year running. The programme features work employing a wide range of techniques, textures and styles and includes some of the most decorated shorts in this year’s festival season.
