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An adventure in the name of diversity is at the heart of the animated film TONY, SHELLY, AND THE MAGIC LIGHT, in competition in the Elements +6 section.
This afternoon, the young jury members of the Elements +6 section watched the animated film TONY, SHELLY AND THE MAGIC LIGHT, directed by Filip Pošivač. He is a graduate in animation from the Academy of Arts, Architecture and Design in Prague, and, among his various directorial works, there are several short films, one of which was also in competition at the Giffoni Film Festival 2020, titled Overboard! Unlike his previous works, this time, he took on a much more complex project based on stop-motion animation with handcrafted puppets. For him, the world of animation has always been something magical. A universe to be explored and seen through the eyes of a child to make it even more enchanting. The decision to use puppets to tell the story of TONY, SHELLY AND THE MAGIC LIGHT was made due to the strong dramatic impact between these objects and their expressiveness. By watching them move in stop-motion, viewers get the sensation of being able to touch them, almost as if they were real people.
The adventure experienced by the young Tony manages to make one’s eyes shine not only because his main characteristic is to glow, but because the story captivates the audience. Being different in a world that struggles to accept diversity is explained to the young jurors of the Giffoni Film Festival as something perfectly normal. The beauty of this film lies precisely in the lesson that everyone – adults included – should take to heart: being different, not being the same as everyone else, is beautiful and, above all, it should not be condemned under any circumstances. Tony’s fortune lies in having the support of his parents, who try their best to protect him from the cruelty of the world. However, their mistake is keeping him confined at home, without giving him the opportunity to live a normal life like any other child his age.
Coming to his rescue, without him even imagining it, is the sweet Shelly. A character who symbolically represents wings to fly away from that oppressive reality. Having someone who understands what you’re going through, can be the right key to learn how to live. In all of this, Shelly also has a hidden treasure, a magic light. The two protagonists, relying on their uniqueness, decide to join forces in the name of an adventure that leads them to discover what lies in the darkness of the house.