| Wander To Wonder | |
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| Directed by | Nina Gantz |
| Written by | Nina Gantz |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Music by | Terence Dunn |
| Distributed by | Miyu Distribution |
Release date |
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Running time | 14 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Language | English |
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]
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.
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]
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 |