WE HONOR 10 OF THE MOST SURPRISING AND SIGNIFICANT SHORTS OF HORRIBLE IMAGININGS 2021, A YEAR NOTABLE FOR ITS IMPRESSIVE SHORT FILM PROGRAM.
2. THE FUZZIES
A man wakes up in a strange bathroom where something is lurking behind the walls!
Directed by Josh Funk, The Fuzzies is a short film that incorporates live-action and practical visual effects with stop-motion animation and hand puppets. And that’s every bit as visually captivating as it sounds. Combining the visual language of horror films with a surreal interpretation of children’s television, Funk deftly delivers one of the most imaginative and engaging shorts of the fest while subtly exploring themes of anxiety and isolation.
Josh Funk — a filmmaker, animator, and Assistant Professor of Digital Media — explains the inspiration for his notable short:
“The Fuzzies started out as an exploration of surveillance but slowly morphed into a twisted journey through horror and puppetry. My experiences living in isolation with my five-year-old son during the pandemic and learning to reinvent the space we lived in bled into this film. The Fuzzies is a collaboration between myself and the year 2020.”
For the past ten years, Funk has worked with stop-motion, 2D, and experimental animated processes for independent films, music videos, stage performances, and feature films. His genre-focused films have been screened all over the world. He is best known for his work in short narrative films including 3 Keys (2018) which premiered at the Museum of Northern California Art before screening internationally at film festivals. It won 7 awards including Best Art Direction and Best Animation.
You can experience Funk’s uniquely captivating visual style for yourself by watching 3 Keys — a fantasy/thriller short film set in the world of one woman’s nightmares — for free online.
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