Join the Animated Conversation

By Jon Dunleavy

While lying in her bed, a little girl spies a tooth fairy. She decides to follow the fairy into the dark and menacing forest in search of riches.

This short film has a big feel. There’s a floating, dream-like quality to the camera, which fits the fairytale quality of the story. We start in the modern day but the little girl wanders through the night from the city to the timeless world of a fog-cloaked forest. It is particularly atmospheric as ghost children emerge from the grey light.

The overall feel of the film is rich and varied. The use of colour is subtle and telling. The screen is flooded by turns with: greens and yellows, greys, vibrant reds and oranges and finally ghostly blues.

At times I am reminded a little of Miyazaki. Shadows & Dust has that mixture of cute and creepy which gives a playfulness and magic to the story, as we make our way to the unexpectedly dark conclusion.

Shadows & Dust won the Best Animation category, sponsored by FDMX at the Creative East Awards.

Jon Dunleavy is currently making a new short called “Crash! Bang! Wallow?”, you can check out his progress on his blog.