The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb
| The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb | |
|---|---|
 The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb | |
| Directed by | Dave Borthwick |
| Produced by | Richard Hutchinson |
| Written by | Dave Borthwick |
| Starring |
Nick Upton Deborah Collard |
| Music by |
Startled Insects John Paul Jones |
Production company | |
| Distributed by |
Manga Entertainment (UK) Zeitgeist Films (US) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 61 minutes |
| Country |
United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb is a 1993 surrealist horror mystery stop-motion animated film directed by Dave Borthwick made by Bolexbrothers studio, and funded by Richard Hutchinson, BBC, La Sept, and Manga Entertainment, which also distributed the film on video. Though it draws its title character from the fairy tale Tom Thumb, the story and setting is substantially different, depicting Tom as a fetus-like child living in a grim and squalid urban environment.
Plot
The story follows the tiny Tom Thumb as he is abducted from his loving parents and taken to an experimental laboratory, and his subsequent escape. He discovers a community of similarly-sized people living in a swamp, who help him on his journey to return to his parents. The film is largely dialogue-free, limited mostly to grunts and other non-verbal vocalizations.
Production
The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb was made using a combination of stop-motion animation and pixilation (live actors posed and shot frame-by-frame), often with live actors and puppets sharing the frame. It was originally commissioned as a 10-minute short for BBC2's Christmas programming, but was rejected for being too dark for the festive season. The short version nevertheless garnered critical acclaim through showings at animation festivals, and a feature-length version was commissioned by the BBC a year later.
Awards
- 1993 - Sitges - Catalonian International Film Festival - Best Director
- 1993 - Cinanima Espinho Portugal - Best Feature
- 1994 - Fantasporto - International Fantasy Film Award - Best Director
- 1994 - Fantasporto - Critics' Award - Special Mention
- 1994 - Houston Worldfest - Gold Special Jury Award - Feature Film
- 1994 - San Francisco International Film Festival - Best Animation
- 1994 - Worldfest Charleston - Gold Special Jury Award - Feature Film
- 1994 - Video Home Entertainment - Award of Excellence
- 1995 - Evening Standard British Film Award - Best Technical/Artistic Achievement
- 1995 - Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival - Special Jury Prize - Feature Film
- 1995 - Atlanta Film and Video Festival - Best Animated Film
- 1995 - Mediawave - Grand Prix
- 1995 - Mediawave - Audience Prize
- 1996 - Európai Animációs Játékfilm Fesztivál - 1st Prize[1]
References
Notes
- ↑ 4. Kecskeméti Animációs Filmfesztivál 1. Nemzetközi Animációs Játékfilm Fesztivál. Kecskeméti Animáció Film Fesztivál. 1996.
Bibliography
- Kowalski, Frankie (1996-06-01). "Instinctive Decisions - Dave Borthwick, Radical Independent". Animation World Magazine. Retrieved 2007-02-24.
- Toonhound - The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb
- Eye Weekly - The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb