Intimate Animation: Michaela Mihályi & David Štumpf
In the latest episode of the third season of our podcast series Intimate Animation we meet Prague-based directorial duo Michaela Mihályi and David Štumpf, whose recent short film SH_T HAPPENS has been screening to much enthusiasm and acclaim around the world at events including Sundance, Clermont Ferrand, LIAF and Anima Brussels.
Having both previously graduated from VŠMU in Bratislava, the pair have subsequently continued their studies at FAMU in Prague and frequently collaborate on student exercises including A Date, Feelings and the Vimeo Staff Pick recipient FOOD, as well as freelance commissions such as Magnesia Litera for Czech Television, idents for IGTV and Google Pixel for Google Creative Lab and Anyways Creative.
An apartment building full of self centered inhabitants. Utterly exhausted caretaker and his sexually frustrated wife. Widowed deer drowning his sorrows in loads of alcohol… While trying to cope with their problems, they find themselves in a hard to solve triangle asking for absurd and irrational solutions. The consequences can easily become permanent, sometimes maybe too permanent. The film is a loose adaptation of a well-known biblical story while transforming it into an contemporary ironic narrative about how the world sometimes works.
A co-production of BFILM.cz (CZ), FAMU (CZ), Bagan Films (FR) and Arte (FR), the film’s recent accolades include Best Student Short Film at the 39th Anima Brussels International Film Festival as well as Audience Awards at Hungary’s PRIMANIMA World Festival of First Animations and the London International Animation Festival.
Also discussed in this episode: Laura-Beth’s recent experience animating about the taboos of womanhood for Calling The Shots, the unexpected revival of Tuca & Bertie, the recent YouTube virality of previous podcast guest Dario Van Vree’s Tabook, the long-overdue progressiveness of Pixar’s Out plus love’n’sex-themed short film highlights from the recent online edition of ITFS Stuttgart, including Shoko Hara and Simon Thummet’s Just A Guy, Riho Unt’s The Wings and Nadja Andrasev’s Symbiosis.
Direct download here or stream below:
Presented by Ben Mitchell and Laura-Beth Cowley
Interview conducted by Laura-Beth Cowley
Produced and edited by Ben Mitchell