Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival is a juried international festival of the world’s most boundary-pushing, mind-blowing animation programmed and organized by animator and educator, Phil Davis.
The Baltimore Showcase features the best work submitted by animators from Baltimore and the region and includes animated incidents of fist fights in space, a computer virus, singing about oneself, swordplay, dreams in a coma, horse lords, regretful affairs, duck dismemberment, choreography of body parts, a circle goes on a journey, isolation burnout, a mischievous cat, bugs bugs bugs, channel surfing, psychedelic flowers, fluid frames, a hungry cyborg, cockatoos, exploding fish heads, dancing lines, oceanside relationship, and eyeballs in a dream.
Works Included
The Lunatics (3 min) directed by Jim Doran
A short, cut-paper animated story about a lunar explorer's misadventure in space.
Do You Want to Save? (5 min 18 sec) directed by Aaron Wescott
A cartoon drawing on a computer accidentally unleashes a virus and must enlist the help of some familiar faces to fight it.
I am, I am (1 min 14 sec) directed by Mo Mayer
A short animation with an original song about appreciating myself for the things that I have done and the things that I will do one day- everything that makes me, me.
A Letter with My sword, Word by Word (3 min 05 sec) directed by Emma Barany
Through swordplay and commands, our main figure, Emma, explores the structures and challenges of her past relationships. Ultimately, this leads her to the ones most important to her.
The Dreamscape (2 min 25 sec) directed by Lucille Klein
A short film exploring the concept of what happens to a person when they experience prolonged states of unconsciousness. The Dreamscape is a brief look into a world where abstract thoughts thrive, both pleasant and frightening.
Mess Mend (4 min 43 sec) directed by Karen Yasinsky
Music video for Horse Lords.
You Should See Other People (3 min 18 sec) directed by Uriel Cruz
A three minute mixed media vignette of the final moments before a misguided 20-something's closest relationships come to a screeching halt.
Duck Experiment (1 min 36 sec) directed by Pridenta Baysic
Many ducks are subjected to experiments, until one experiment goes horribly wrong.
HOSPES (11 min 51 sec) directed by Stephanie Williams
A film about appearing "racially ambiguous". Performing a choreography of resistance, a scaffolded amalgam of body pieces tries to remain whole in an environment programmed to disassemble it.
An Elliptic Expedition (2 min 05 sec) directed Kritian Panashe Chitate
A visual music animation showing a ball on a short rhythmic adventure.
February 12, 2021 (4 min 03 sec) directed by Nianshao Cheung
The narrator, an ordinary student, starts her day by checking text messages on the phone. The majority of her social life had shifted to online. She went to online classes, talked to people through social media, yet in reality, she was physically alone in a small room due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Soon she realized that the online connections could be fragile and quickly fade away. Till the end, with a call from her family, she understood what connects people no matter how far they are apart.
Mary (2 min 42 sec) directed by Wyatt Carson
A cat explores a bedroom at night and commits an unconventional act of kindness for her owner to find in the morning.
Bug Box (2 min 42 sec) directed by Kat Navarro
A box full of bugs, snails, and the fleeting childhood memories of summer.
untitled TV memory (1 min 09 sec) directed by Ciara Cross
You were flipping through channels late at night and now you can't remember if this was something you saw on TV or in a dream.
Lullaby (3 min 50 sec) directed by Gabriel Portillo & Emma Barany
Animated music video for Soles' upcoming song, Lullaby. Inspired by 70's imagery, characters take it easy in response to life's pressures.
Mosaic (4 min 02 sec) directed by Corrie Francis Parks
Don't let yourself be boxed in... A digital-physical music video conglomerate created by 16 animators from UMBC.
Food of the Future (39 sec) directed by Christopher P. McManus
A cyborg from the future tells us about how climate change has altered his diet.
Loop (2 min 22 sec) directed by Zoe Friedman
A recollection of a walk through a jungle at night.
Fish Out of Water (3 min 18 sec) directed by Sua Choi
One summer, a young adult experiences a sudden feeling of anxiety before crossing the street, almost as if they were a fish with the air bladder exploding.
Chromatic (1 min 07 sec) directed by Vanessa Daelemans
An abstract animation expressing the color of sound, set to Lancer by Toby Fox.
Saltwater (7 min 22 sec) directed by Declan McKenna
As a relationship reaches a turning point, one person's fragile understanding of control begins to haunt their dreams.
The Eyeball Dream (Tux & Fanny) (5 min 24 sec) directed by Albert Birney
Tux and Fanny fall asleep in the forest and they have wildly different dreams.
The mission of Sweaty Eyeballs is to showcase unique, experimental and diverse voices in the field of animated filmmaking with a focus on innovation in craft, storytelling and work that questions preconceived notions of what animation can and should be. Sweaty Eyeballs supports independent and emerging animators with dynamic programming + networking and seeks to ignite a hub for professional animation opportunities in the Mid-Atlantic region, and Baltimore City. With over a dozen colleges + universities in the area, a diverse + vibrant arts scene, ample affordable live/work space, and a central location, Baltimore is the perfect place to build community.
Phil Davis began Sweaty Eyeballs as an annual invitational programming series in 2012. He is an animator, avid musician, cartoon watcher and professor of animation and film at Towson University. His animations and music videos have been featured in festivals internationally. He is currently working on an animated documentary short about the town of Millinocket, ME and incidents surrounding a fatal paper mill accident.
COVID-19 POLICIES
- Face masks are required at all times in the SNF Parkway except when consuming concessions in your seat.
- Patrons are strongly encouraged to avoid the theater if they are feeling unwell or have had a recent unmasked exposure to someone who tested positive. Email info@mdfilmfest.com with any questions.