SEMÁFORO (Stoplight)

Here it is. My first film made in the U.S at USC. Enjoy! 

"Under the three lights of a Colombian stoplight a beautiful circus act becomes a terrifying freak show"
"Bajo las tres luces de un semáforo colombiano, un acto circense se convierte en un terrible show de fenómenos"

Idea & Animation by: Simón Wilches-Castro // Music composed by: Anna Drubich

Regional Finalist Student Academy Awards 2013
Official Selection Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2013
Official Selection Adobe First Frame 2013
Official Selection Chilemonos 2013
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Due to the ongoing war in the Colombian jungles, many people is forced to flee their rural territories and find refugee in capital cities. Their only mean of acquiring money is to put on shows under the city stoplights. Some dress like clowns or do acrobatics, others spit fire or juggle; and some show the only thing they have left: deformities and amputations in exchange for some sympathy and change.

This is the life of the people that live under a stoplight and the people who watch them.
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Debido a la continua guerra en las selvas colombianas, mucha gente ha sido forzada a abandonar sus territorios rurales y hallar refugio en las capitales. Su único medio para obtener dinero es montar shows bajo los semáforos de la ciudad. Algunos se visten de payasos o hacen acrobacias, otros escupen fuego o hacen malabares; y otros muestran lo único que les queda: sus deformidades y amputaciones a cambio de simpatía y alguna monedas.

Esta es la vida de la gente que vive bajo el semáforo y la gente que los mira.

Painted frame by frame in Photoshop.

STOPLIGHT: FINALIST FOR A STUDENT OSCAR

A few days ago I got news that SEMÁFORO is a regional finalist for the Student Academy Awards in the animation category. This is an amazing honor for me and the film and I'm so happy this idea is resonating with people around the world. Teenage fantasies one step closer.

Along with me are the works of USC Hench DADA Alumni Maria Sequeira and Ryan Kravetz. Whose thesis films were finalists for Experimental and Animation category

  

STOPLIGHT GOT INTO ANNECY & CHILEMONOS!

Great news for my short film SEMÁFORO (stoplight) which got selected for the student films category in ANNECY ANIMATION FESTIVAL 2013

SEMAFORO (Stoplight) Teaser from Simonwilchesc on Vimeo.

"After slogging through 2,461 submitted films, artistic director Marcel Jean and his team have selected 176 films to compete for the coveted Cristal prize at the 2013 Annecy International Animated Film Festival & Market (taking place in France June 10-15).The festival organizers have divulged that the selected films hail from 43 countries—including less often represented regions like Colombia, Mexico, Moldavia, Lithuania and Slovenia—. For a full run down of the selected films, visit www.annecy.org/annecy-2013/festival/official-selection."

UPDATE: Today, 3/27/2013 I got news from the Chilean festival CHILEMONOS, that Stoplight got into the official selection in the experimental category 

Including ADOBE FIRST FRAME 2013, This is the third festival that has accepted the film. I feel so honored for the appreciation that the film is getting. It was a tough one to lay out and produce, so I'm glad people are going to get to see it.  

ATOMIC FARMER: Rider of the Night Pigs

The same explosion that created the Atomic Farmer gave life to the legendary Night Pigs. Powered by a nuclear core, the dark swines fly through the night at incredible speed.

A NERVOUS MINIPIG

Today I drew a nervous MiniPig (they seem to be in vogue)