…and more.

Samuel

Samuel (2023) - 3:08 min

The Poem ‘Samuel’ is part of Mischa Andriessen’s book ‘Winterlaken’ from 2019. The poems in this book form a web of connections to add extra layers of possible interpretation. Now that the poem is on its own in this short film, Andriessen and Brentjes searched for new ways to add those layers. A story about a mother and her son and their bond that is as fluid as the water in which she last saw him.

Poem ‘SAMUEL’ by Mischa Andriessen

English translation by David Colmer

Turkish translation by Efe Duyan

Turkish version narrated by Meral Polat

Adapted and directed by Mischa Andriessen / Arjan Brentjes

Animation and music by Arjan Brentjes

This film was supported by the Dutch Foundation for Literature

Since his poetry book debut in 2008, Mischa Andriessen has had a successful writing career in the Netherlands. In recent years he has been experimenting with combining his writing with other art forms.

Screenings

So It Goes

So It Goes (2019) - 1:00 min

In 1940 Truus lives in Rotterdam with her mother Aartje. In 2019, her grandson Arjan wonders what the first sunny days of May 1940 look like for them. He makes a reconstruction and concludes that there’s little he can add to it.

Director’s statement:

This film is a bit outside of my usual creations. It is made with some material that I had lying around for a while, a small piece of family history.

A few years ago I saw photos of a pre-war part of Rotterdam that reminded me of Amsterdam. I then started making a digital reconstruction of what that must have looked like for my grandmother and great-grandmother. Initially I considered making a video installation with this, but the ideas so far were too big to implement.

In the course of 2019 I remembered the recurring sentence, "So it goes" from Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, a book about the bombing of Dresden. I thought that this phrase could be the starting point for a very short film. I can make a more or less realistic reconstruction and look at it in wonder, but I can't add much else about the course of things, the meaning of it, or how the world came across to grandma Truus and her mother Aartje. And I can't ask them anymore. So it goes.

Director, script, animation, music, editing: Arjan Brentjes

Narrated by Bart van der Schaaf

Also available as Dutch spoken 'Zo gaat dat'

Screenings

Apr 2021 - Myrtle Beach International Film Festival, Myrtle Beach, USA

Feb 2021 - Papaya Rocks Film Festival, London, UK

Oct 2020 - Wallachia International Film Festival, Wallachia, Romania

Sep 2020 - ISFF Short Form, Gornji Milanovac, Serbia

Sep 2020 - Arouca Film Festival, Arouca, Portugal

Apr 2020 - Independent Days International Filmfest, Karlsruhe, Germany

Jan 2020 - International Film Festival Rotterdam, RTM 2020, Rotterdam, Netherlands

Dec 2019 - Oruro Film Festival, Oruro, Bolivia

Nov 2019 - Braunschweig International Film Festival, Braunschweig, Germany

Nov 2019 - Just A Minute, Toronto!, Toronto, Canada

Oct 2019 - SEFF, Szczecin Film Festival, Szczecin, Poland

Sep 2019 - Filmfest Bremen, Bremen, Germany

July 2019 - Galway Film Fleadh - One Minute Film Section, Galway, Ireland

Tempo

Tempo (2016) - 1:00 min

A man tries to relax on a bench in the park, but he’s constantly bothered by the latest innovations. As his life slows down, technology speeds up. And that whole story wrapped in exactly one minute.

Director, script, animation, music, editing: Arjan Brentjes

-Best One Minute Film at Galway Film Fleadh, Galway, Ireland (July 2017)

-Finalist Best Animation at Sci-On! Festival, Reno, USA (June 2017)

-Special Jury Mention at Cineminutos, Córdoba, Argentina (April 2017)

-3rd place Professional Short at RAW Science Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA (December 2016)

-Best One Minute Film at FICME, Medellín, Colombia (November 2016)

Screenings

Jul 2018 - Miami Independent Film Festival, Annual award show, Miami, USA

Dec-2017 -Video Babel, Cusco, Peru

Oct 2017 - Multivision Animation Arts Festival, st. Petersburg, Russia

Oct 2017 - Montecatini International Short Film Festival,Montecatini, Italy

Oct 2017 - Cineminutos at Anima 2017, Córdoba, Argentine

Oct 2017 - FIC ESMI 2017, Allianza Francesa, Buenos Aires, Argentine

Sep 2017 - CyBorg Film Festival, traveling festival, Italy

Sep 2017 - 4th ISFF Short Form, Gornji Milanovac, Serbia

Sep 2017 - One Minute Film at Culture Night, Galway, Ireland

Sep 2017 - Life Screenings - One Minute Film, Orlando, USA

Sep 2017 - World Festival of Animated Film, Varna, Bulgaria

Aug 2017 - Animaze, Montreal, Canada

Aug 2017 - Open-Air Filmfest Weiterstadt, Germany

Jul 2017 - Cerdanya Film Festival, Cerdanya, Spain

Jul 2017 - Siciliambiente, San Vito Lo Capo, Italy

Jul 2017 - Cartoon Club, Rimini, Italy

Jul 2017 - Galway Film Fleadh - One Minute Film Section, Galway, Ireland

Jul 2017 - 300 Seconds, finalists screening, Toronto, Canada

Jul 2017 - Small Wonders, Tiny film exhibition, Detroit, USA

Jun 2017 - ISFF, Detmold, Germany

Jun 2017 - River Film festival, Padua, Italy

Jun 2017 - FICSAN, San Roque, Spain

Jun 2017 - Mersey ComicCon Indie Film Fest, Liverpool, UK

Jun 2017 - Shorts@Fringe, Madalena, Azores-Portugal

Jun 2017 - Sci-On! Festival, Reno, USA

May 2017 - International Motion Festival, Nicosia, Cyprus

May 2017 - Prokuplje Short Film Festival, Prokuplje, Serbia

May 2017 - Golden Kuker, Sofia, Bulgaria

Apr 2017 - Unrestricted View Film Festival, London, UK

Apr 2017 - Liberté je te filme, Paris, France

Apr 2017 - Video Festival Imperia, Imperia, Italy

Apr 2017 - Cineminutos, Córdoba, Argentine

Mar 2017 - Festival de Cine de Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real, Spain

Mar 2017 - Tlanchana Fest, Metepec, Mexico

Mar 2017 - Longwood Animation Film Festival, Farmville, USA

Mar 2017 - CineGlobe, Cern, Genève, Switzerland

Mar 2017 - Athens AnimFest, Athens, Greece

Mar 2017 - Shortcutz, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Feb 2017 - El día se hace corto, Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela

Feb 2017 - FestMedallo, Medellín, Colombia

Feb 2017 - Love Your Shorts Film Festival, Sanford, USA

Feb 2017 - Screen Short Fest, Calcutta, India

Jan 2017 - Miami Independent Film Festival, January selection, Miami, USA

Dec 2016 - RAW Science Film Festival, Los Angeles, USA

Dec 2016 - Eindhovens Filmfestival, Eindhoven, Netherlands

Dec 2016 - Pentedattilo Film Festival, Pentedattilo, Italy

Dec 2016 - I Filmmaker Film Festival, Marbella, Spain

Nov 2016 - Largo Film Awards, November session, Switzerland

Nov 2016 - Bucharest Shortcut Cinefest, November session, Bucharest, Romania

Nov 2016 - Animation Marathon, Athens, Greece

Nov 2016 - Kraken Con Animation Film Festival, Oakland, USA

Nov 2016 - FICME, Medellín, Colombia

Oct 2016 - Ouchy film awards, Summer selection, Lausanne, Switzerland

Oct 2016 - Short to the Point, September selection, Bucharest, Romania

Next Man

(trailer)

Next Man (2016) - 8:55 min

And what if the next phase in our evolution turns out to be a lazy bum?

In the early 1970s, the pollution has become so serious that a group of scientists decides to lock themselves in a research bunker. They are working on the creation of our evolutionary successors, which must help us make the earth habitable again. The first two specimens seem to need some tweaking in the work ethics department...

Cast: Adam Buchanan, Bart van der Schaaf, Joss Wyre, Claire King

Director, script, camera, art direction, editing: Arjan Brentjes

Co-director: Bart van der Schaaf

Costumes, styling: Caroline Schuller tot Peursum

Music: Arjan Brentjes and Ivo Maassen

Set assistent: Inge Schuller tot Peursum

Sound recording / studio management: Paul van Stempvoort

Prop construction assistent: Helma Kor

Rehearsal location and catering: Chef Ernst

Additional studio crew: Barto Nijenhuis, Martijn Veldhoen, Sjors Logister

Technical support: HD-Videoproductions

Screenings

Oct 2016 - Sapporo Short Fest, Sapporo, Japan

Aug 2016 - Open-Air Filmfest Weiterstadt, Germany

May 2016 - Shortcutz, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Apr 2016 - Radio City film festival, Valencia, Spain

Apr 2016 - 8 Cortos Rodinia, Valladolid, Spain

Glass

(trailer)

Glass (2013) - 15:00 min

Glass divides the inside world from the outside world. But, is there always a clear distinction between outside and inside? Glass is almost invisible. And if it is visible, it can work like a mirror. You will see another interior from the inside, or another exterior from the outside. Sometimes everything can become so confused that you no longer know whether you’re inside or out.

Cast: Anne-May de Lijser, Bart van der Schaaf, Miguel Stigter

Director, script, camera, art direction, editing: Arjan Brentjes

Music: Diederik Rijpstra

Production assistance, styling: Caroline Schuller tot Peursum

Location styling, catering: Studio Ernst

Technical support: Martijn Veldhoen

Audio mix: Andras Fictoor

Screenings

Jun 2014 - Cortos de Rodinia, Valladolid, Spain

Nov 2013 - Bideodromo, Bilbao, Spain

Oct 2013 - FIC Hermosillo, Hermosillo, Mexico

Il était une fois un Artiste

Il était une fois un Artiste (2011) - 6:34 min

In a flooded city two existentialist artists climb out of the water. Will they adapt to the situation?

Cast: Arjan Brentjes, Ivo Maassen

Director, script, animation, music, editing: Arjan Brentjes

Camera, light, sound: Andras Fictoor

Screenings

Feb 2015 - Gekleurde herinnering, CODA museum, Apeldoorn, Netherlands

Nov 2013 - Cologne OFF at ALTER-NATIVE 21, Tirgu-Mures, Romania

Nov 2013 - Golden Orchid, Pennsylvania State University, USA

Aug 2013 - FICCHT, Toluca, Mexico

July 2013 - Linoleum, Moscow, Russia

July 2013 - Cologne OFF at Ares, Syracusa, Italy

July 2013 - Cologne OFF at Festival Miden, Kalamata, Greece

May 2013 - Cologne OFF at CCA, Tblisi, Georgia

Apr 2013 - Cologne OFF at Be There, Corfu, Greece

Mar 2013 - Cologne OFF at IMF, Nicosia, Cyprus

Feb 2013 - Ascona Film Festival, Ascona, Switzerland

Feb 2013 - Cologne OFF at Aferro Gallery, Newark, USA

Feb 2013 - Cologne OFF at CEC Bhimtal, India

Feb 2013 - FECICAM, Ciudad Real, Spain

Dec 2012 - Videomedeja, Novi Sad, Serbia

Dec 2012 - TISFF, Thessaloniki, Greece

Dec 2012 - Cologne OFF at Digital Marrakech, Morroco

Dec 2012 - Almeria en corto, Almeria, Spain

Oct 2012 - Cologne OFF at Banjaluka 2012, Bosnia Hercegovina

Oct 2012 - Cologne OFF at Fine Art Film, Szolnok, Hungary

Sep 2012 - Luksuz Film Festival, Krsko, Slovenia

July 2012 - Avanca Film Festival, Avanca, Portugal

June 2012 - Crosstalk, Budapest, Hungary

June 2012 - ISFF, Detmold, Germany

Apr 2012 - Mediawave, Komarom, Hungary

Apr 2012 - Lanterna, Mexico City

The 21st Century

The 21st Century (2010) - 3:30 min

In the style of 1950's propaganda films Dr. De Vries talks to us about present day developments, and the near future of mankind.

Director, script, actor, animation, music, editing: Arjan Brentjes

Camera: Klaas Pek

Screenings

June 2012 - Filmfest Rejected, Innsbruck, Austria

Nov 2011 - Filmets, Badalona, Spain

Oct 2011 - Simultan, Timisoara, Romania

Sep 2011 - ContraVision, Berlin, Germany

Sep 2011 - Luksuz Film Festival,Krsko, Slovenia

July 2011 - Crosstalk, Budapest, Hungary

June 2011 - ISFF, Detmold, Germany

June 2011 - Mediawave, Budapest, Hungary

Feb 2011 - Director's Lounge, Berlin, Germany

Dec 2010 - Pixxelpoint, Nova Gorica, Slovenia

Nov 2010 - ZwergWERK, Oldenburg, Germany

Oct 2010 - Linoleum, Moscow, Russia

Before 2010

Belgrade (2009) - 24 min

Just outside his studio, in 1950's Amsterdam, comic book artist Arjan Brentjes is kidnapped and transported to present day Belgrade. There he's taken for his own cartoon character Agent de Vries and held responsible for the NATO bombings of 1999.

Cast: Arjan Brentjes, Ivo Maassen, Neda Nikolić & others

Director, script, music, art direction, animation, editing: Arjan Brentjes

Camera: Igor Bošnjak & others

Technical support: Andras Fictoor

Production Belgrade shootings: Dana Stojković

Screenings

Sep 2011 - Donumenta, Regensburg, Germany

Mar 2010 - Doc. and Short Film Festival, Belgrade, Serbia

Sep 2009 - NamaTREba festival, Trebinje, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Meanwhile in Kaderstan... (2009)

Multi channel video installation

Exhibitions

Sep-Nov 2009 - sound:frame festival, New York, USA

Mar-Apr 2009 - sound:frame festival, Vienna, Austria

Mission: to Kaderstan (2008) - 4:00 min

Cast, styling: Arjan Brentjes, Caroline Schuller tot Peursum, Nancy Degger

Director, music, animation: Arjan Brentjes

Screenings

Dec 2010 - Pixxelpoint, Nova Gorica, Slovenia

May 2009 - Naoussa International Film festival, Naoussa, Greece

Apr-May 2008 - Een schim van gisteren, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Aliens! in Kaderstan (2008) - 6:02 min

Cast: Ivo Maassen, Arjan Brentjes

Director, music, animation: Arjan Brentjes

Camera: Ruth Verraes

Screenings

Dec 2010 - Pixxelpoint, Nova Gorica, Slovenia

Dec 2008 - Alternative Film/Video festival, Belgrade, Serbia

Apr-May 2008 - Een schim van gisteren, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Feb-Mar 2008 - Een schim van gisteren, Brummen, Netherlands