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Wander to Wonder

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Wander To Wonder
Directed byNina Gantz
Written byNina Gantz
Produced by
Starring
Music byTerence Dunn
Distributed byMiyu Distribution
Release date
  • 2023 (2023)
Running time
14 minutes
Countries
  • Netherlands
  • Belgium
  • France
  • United Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Wander To Wonder is a 2023 animated short film, written and directed by Nina Gantz.[1] The film was nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the Academy Awards[2] and won the BAFTA award for Best British Short Animation.[3]

Plot

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Mary, Billybud, and Fumbleton are tiny humans who starred in the 80s children's television show called Wander to Wonder, where they dressed up as silly creatures and were guided by the creator and host, Uncle Gilly. At the start of the film, however, the creator has passed away unexpectedly in the studio (also Uncle Gilly's home), stranding the stars for an indeterminate amount of time as they struggle to survive and find a sense of normalcy. Mary, deeply mourning Uncle Gilly and in denial that their lives have changed, continues to perform material in front of the camera, watches reruns of their program, and reads old fan letters. Fumbleton entertains himself by performing Shakespeare monologues while half-dressed or looking outside, and the mute, spacey Billybud repeatedly juggles leftover props.

Food grows scarce, and the stars are left eating flies that have been feasting on the creator's corpse. As Fumbleton and Mary argue about their future, Billybud accidentally sets the studio on fire while juggling lit matches. The stars survive the house fire by hiding in the oven, and in the morning, they exit to find the studio completely burned down and the camera broken. A hole in the wall reveals a bird that intends to prey on them, but Fumbleton manages to save them and kill the bird with a makeshift spear. The three stars feel the breeze from outdoors and step hopefully into the sunlight, finally accepting the new chapter of their lives.

Production

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The 14-minute stop motion film about different ways of grieving[4] took eight years to complete and was a co-production between four countries: France, Belgium, United Kingdom and the Netherlands.[5]

Accolades

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Wander to Wonder has been selected in various international film festivals,[6] including Anima Brussels Festival and the Venice Film Festival, where it premiered and won the Best International Short Award.[7][8] The film also received the Best British Short Film Award at the 2024 British Independent Film Awards.[9]

Year Festival Award/Category Status
2023 Venice Film Festival Best International Short[10] Nominated
2024 Brussels Anima Festival Best International Short Film[11] Won
Tampere Film Festival International Competition Grand Prix[12] Won
New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival International Competition[13] Nominated
Hollyshorts Best Short Animation[14] Won
2025 Annie Awards Best Short Subject[15] Won
British Academy Film Awards Best British Short Animation[16] Won
Academy Awards Best Animated Short Film[17] Nominated

References

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  1. ^ Giraud, Kévin (October 25, 2024). "2025 Oscar Contenders: 'Wander To Wonder' Director Nina Gantz". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  2. ^ "The 97th Academy Awards | 2025". www.oscars.org. January 23, 2025. Archived from the original on January 31, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  3. ^ "Film". Bafta. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  4. ^ Zahed, Ramin (April 26, 2024). "'Wander to Wonder' Director Nina Gantz Explores the Existential Angst of Puppets". Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  5. ^ Driessen, KEES (August 27, 2024). "Nina Gantz over Wander to Wonder". Filmkrant (in Dutch). Archived from the original on January 30, 2025. Retrieved January 30, 2025.
  6. ^ Peikert, Mark (October 22, 2024). "'Flow,' 'Memoir of a Snail' Win Big at 7th Annual Animation Is Film Festival". IndieWire. Archived from the original on December 20, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  7. ^ "Biennale Cinema 2023 | Wander to Wonder". La Biennale di Venezia. July 12, 2023. Archived from the original on January 2, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  8. ^ "Wander to Wonder (Teaser)". blinkink.co.uk. Archived from the original on January 12, 2025. Retrieved January 2, 2025.
  9. ^ "Winners & Nominations · BIFA · British Independent Film Awards". BIFA · British Independent Film Awards. October 15, 2024. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  10. ^ Amidi, Amid (October 22, 2024). "'Flow,' 'Wander To Wonder' Win Top Honors At Animation Is Film Festival". Cartoon Brew. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  11. ^ Festival, Anima (February 28, 2024). "Anima Festival - Palmarès 2024". Anima Festival – 28 février - 09 mars 2025 (in French). Archived from the original on September 2, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  12. ^ "Awarded Films 2024". Tampere Film Festival. Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  13. ^ "Wander to Wonder". 第11回 新千歳空港国際アニメーション映画祭 (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  14. ^ Pond, Steve (August 20, 2023). "'We Were Meant To' Wins Top Award From HollyShorts Film Festival (Exclusive)". TheWrap. Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
  15. ^ Pedersen, Erik (February 8, 2025). "Annie Awards: 'The Wild Robot' Wins Best Feature & 7 Others; 'Arcane' Goes 7-For-7; 'Flow' Wins Indie Film Prize: Full List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 9, 2025. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
  16. ^ "Film". Bafta. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
  17. ^ Lewis, Hilary (January 23, 2025). "Oscars: Full List of Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
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