SHORT FILMS

Watch: Oscar-Nominated Stunning 'The Flying Sailor' Animated Short

by Alex Billington
May 8, 2024
Source: Vimeo

And away he goes... This mesmerizing animated short initially premiered in 2022 and is available online to watch thanks to The New Yorker. The Flying Sailor is the creation of a Canadian animation team known as "Tilby/Forbis". The short is directly inspired by the 1917 Halifax Explosion, particularly the account of a sailor who was blown away and found unharmed, but completely naked. It ended up nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the Oscars in 2023. In 1917, two ships collided in the Halifax Harbour, causing the largest accidental explosion in history. Among the tragic stories of the disaster is the remarkable account of a sailor who, blown skyward from the docks, flew 2KM before landing uphill, naked & unharmed. The Flying Sailor is a contemplation of his journey. Drawing on reports of traumatic shock & near-death experiences, animators Wendy Tilby & Amanda Forbis consider the kind of cataclysmic moment that pulls us from our path, strips us bare & utterly shifts our perspective. It is "an exhilarating meditation on a few seconds of a life, and a celebration of the wonder and fragility of being." Impossible to ever forget this film after viewing.

Thanks to Vimeo Staff Picks for the tip on this. Brief intro from Vimeo: "In a short film by Amanda Forbis & Wendy Tilby, two ships collide in a harbor, sending a passing sailor skyward as he contemplates the wonder and fragility of existence." A sailor is sent hurtling into the sky by the Halifax Explosion. The Flying Sailor, aka Le Matelot Volant in French, is written & directed by Canadian artists / filmmakers Amanda Forbis & Wendy Tilby (they go under the moiker "Tilby/Forbis") - you can view more of their work + info about them on their official website. This short is produced by The National Film Board of Canada. "Employing a wealth of techniques (3D, 2D, live action, and photographs), along with a bold mix of comedy, suspense, philosophy and playful abstraction." This initially premiered at the 2022 Annecy Film Festival, and played at TIFF 2022. It went on to be nominated for Best Animated Short at the 2023 Academy Awards. For more info, read The New Yorker's article or visit the filmmakers' site. To watch more shorts, click here. Thoughts?

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