Cartoon Noir

DVD, 83 minutes, FIRST RUN

"Abductees" (Paul Vester) Five true tales of alien abduction are told using a wide range of animated techniques in this award-winning UK production. "Ape" (Julie Zammarchi) A darkly comic animation, Ape features a grouchy, married couple who battle daily over their nightly dinner - a cooked, whole monkey! "Club Of The Discarded" (Jiri Barta) In this Svankmajer-inspired Czech film, a family of discarded mannequins enjoy a quiet life in an abandoned warehouse until a group of hipster mannequins move in - and ruin the neighborhood. "Gentle Spirit" (Piotr Dumala) Derived from a Dostoyevsky story, this Polish award-winner depicts the psychological landscape - fraught with entrapment and violence - between a young woman and an ominous male figure. "Joy Street" (Suzan Pitt) An ambitious, astonishing story of a woman's journey from suicidal despair to personal renewel, with the help of an unlikely spirit guide. "The Story Of The Cat And The Moon" (Pedro Serrazina) Internationally celebrated in over 70 film festivals, this Portuguese mini-epic of unrequited love follows a cat who is beguiled by an always out-of-reach moon.