Thanks to two great films and their generous filmmakers, we are pleased to announce we are extending our Windrider Summer Series for two more weeks. First, we will be featuring Joaquin Baldwin’s award-winning 3-minute animation: “Sebastian’s Voodoo”; and next week, Charlene Music’s incredible 3-minute documentary: “Roz and Joshua.” We hope you can join us online for both!

Now Playing: “Sebastian’s Voodoo”: Pinned Through the Heart

“A highly unusual, imaginative animated film that meshes dark, almost-sinister imagery and palpable tension with an ultimately redemptive resolution, “Sebastian’s Voodoo” resonates with the timeless themes of courage and self-sacrifice in the service of one’s fellows.”

“Angelus Festival animation jurors unanimously selected “Sebastian’s Voodoo” as Outstanding Animation — citing its riveting storytelling and superior production values.” – Monika Moreno-Director of the Angelus Student Film Festival

My brother Ed and I were rushed out of the Directors Guild Theatre last September, after we presented the best documentary award at the 2008 Angelus Film Festival. We found ourselves in the lobby, enjoying a moment with winner Laura Waters Hinson, taking a few photos, and giving an interview or two. … By the time we returned to the packed-out theatre, we realized we had missed the screening of Joaquin Baldwin’s “Sebastian’s Voodoo.”

I met Baldwin at the festival “after party,” and I remember people repeatedly congratulating him, literally gushing over his film. I was a bit embarrassed to be standing with him while his fans brought forth their accolades — because I was about the only one in the room who hadn’t seen the film!

In fact, I didn’t screen “Voodoo” until I got back home, but when I did, I quickly grasped what everyone was talking about, and why this animated film has garnered more than 20 top awards at film festivals worldwide including:

Silver Medal for Animation — 36th Annual (2009) Student Academy Awards
CINE Golden Eagle Award
Angelus Award for Outstanding Animation
2009 Festival de Cannes — Short Film Corner Online Competition (juried by the National Film Board of Canada)
Annie Award for Best Animated Short (nominee), competing against Disney and Pixar.

A quick overview:

“Sebastian’s Voodoo” is about a voodoo doll who must find the courage to save his friends from being “pinned” to death. Simple enough perhaps … but, the action is a clever front for a deep and meaningful narrative that feels almost epic, even though it is delivered in several sweet minutes. Baldwin is a master storyteller … big time.

Filmmaker Facts:

Director/animator Joaquin Baldwin is Paraguayan-born and currently lives in Los Angeles, where he is finishing a master’s degree in animation at UCLA. He has received more than 60 international awards for two animated films: “Sebastian’s Voodoo” and “Papiroflexia,” along with grants including the 2006 Jack Kent Cooke full-ride graduate scholarship.

We are proud and honored to show this film, and we invite you to watch it, share it with friends, and join us for yet another hopefully stimulating online discussion: right here, right now. Also, don’t forget to join us next week for the final film in our summer series, “Roz and Joshua.” It’s another one you won’t want to miss!