2026 GASFF Film Lineup
CROAKED! finalist
screening 3rd
Synopsis-Detective Talon Crowford, bereft of his wife, finds solace in the bottoms of bottles. One night, a concerned frog presents him with a case that sets him on a new quest- to hunt down a twisted criminal known only as “Silly Goose.” Crowford quickly finds himself pulled into action in a city where everybirdy’s counting on him.​
Director - Rohan Gnaniah
Rohan Gnaniah is a 3D animator from Pooler, Georgia. He has always been drawn to the vibrant visuals of Saturday morning cartoons and the moody stylings of classic noir films and wanted to tell a story that pulled from both. In addition to writing and directing Croaked, Rohan also worked on concept art, modeling, 3D animation, 2D FX, lighting, compositing, and editing. When he’s not working on the film, you can find him at the movie theater or buried in a good book, drawing inspiration from the vibrant worlds that captivate him.
THE RABBIT BALLET-Finalist
screening 2nd
Synopsis-The Rabbit Ballet is an animated, multimedia student short film that deals with change, control, and choice..​
Directors- Aalia Khan, Kelsey Prudente, Samuel Rodarmel, Layne Sovereign
Aalia Khan is a story driven artist who loves to focus on concept and character design. Kelsey Prudente is a multimedia artist with a passion for bringing unique stories to life. Samuel Rodarmel is an aspiring 3D artist with a focus on environment and prop design. Layne Sovereign is an aspiring artist who gets her inspiration from fairy tales and all things fantastical.
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Bittersweet
screening 8th
Synopsis-Grumpy and set in his ways, Ira Dansby, a small-town ice cream shop owner, is stuck in the past. With a sour attitude and no patience for joyous customers, Ira must learn to adjust as his business melts faster than a sundae on a hot summer day.​
Director -Jared Rosenthal
Jared is Founder of the Madison Film Festival and Floating Assistant at CAA. He produced a coming of age, feature-length film, WASTED, earning an Official Selection at New Filmmakers New York (2024) and Best Feature Film at Oniros Film Awards New York (2024).
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Latte art
screening 10th
Synopsis-Latte Art is an animated short film about an Artist Girl and a Barista Girl. After arriving at a café, the Artist Girl sees her muse /crush currently working and tries to work up the courage to have a conversation with the Barista Girl and impress her. However, things do not always work out the way we plan them to. Can the Artist Girl work through her awkwardness and achieve her goals?​
Directors - Alexandria Van Dority and Bradley Ryan Gustaf Born in south Florida, Alexandria grew up in Port Saint Lucie with her nine siblings. Being homeschooled, Alexandria grew to be very self sufficient and is considered to be self taught for the majority of her art career before attending the local community college. Alexandria aspires to work in film and animation and hopes to break into the entertainment industry someday where she can help bring stories to life.
Bradley Gustaf acted as a co-director, helping keep the film organized and assisted in filming reference shots, direct feedback, and editing assistance.
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PIOVRA-Winner best short
screening 13th
Synopsis-After a teacher's ultimatum strikes worry into his mother, an introverted boy must figure out how to make seven new friends and play the game PIOVRA.​
Director -Bella Marshall
Mirabella Marshall is an animator, character designer, and musician based in San Jose, California. She's a graduate from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a BFA in Animation. Storytelling is her lifelong passion, and creating art gives her a voice. Designing characters, storyboarding, and animating all allow her to explore the exciting ways in which humans truly connect to one another. She works primarily with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, and Storyboard Pro. She also has sufficient experience in Logic Pro and Adobe Premiere Pro.
THE BLOODSWORD
screening 5th
Synopsis-A possum wizard reluctantly mentors a naive kid who is training to be a knight in a fantasy video game world.​
Director-Jerimiah Cortez- GrizzleyJerr Productions
Whether it's through concept art, animated pieces or script, I am a storyteller through and through. Character development is my passion and where my focus is. I love to collaborate and like to work in a very open and honest environment. My goal in production is to make sure that every artist has a voice and can contribute to a level where they feel a sense of ownership and not just another cog. Always looking for like-minded people to work with. I welcome you to reach out and say hi.
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VISCOUS
screening 6th
Synopsis-Small, soft alien creatures live their lives.​
Director -Brad Pattullo
Brad originally hails from Michigan. He was interested in art from a very early age and began doing freelance illustration as early as middle school. In 1995 Brad attained a Bachelor’s degree in communication studies from the University of Michigan, where he continued his freelance artwork, including political cartooning for the student newspaper and writing and illustrating articles for the student humor magazine. While studying for his Master of Fine Arts degree at the Savannah College of Art and Design, Brad was hired by Will Vinton Studios to work on the critically acclaimed but short-lived animated television series “Gary and Mike”. Brad also had the opportunity to work on several other animated television programs, commercials, and music videos, including MTV’s “Celebrity Deathmatch” and WB’s “Phantom Investigators”.
After completing his master’s degree in Savannah, Brad began his teaching career. He taught for two years in the Entertainment Arts department at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan; and he is currently an Associate Professor of Animation in the highly renowned cinema program at the Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Brad now produces independent animated films and commissioned work – he’s directed two segments for Sesame Street, and has worked on a number of other high-profile project.
COFFEE BREAK
screening 7th
Synopsis- An anxious Barista tries to keep order at a coffee shop, but a string of accidents and obnoxious customers turn his dream job into a nightmare.​
Director-Ned Hugar
Ned Hugar, a senior 2D animator and VFX artist with over a decade of experience in the mobile games industry. I’ve worked across a wide range of titles—from quirky indies to big studio productions—bringing characters, worlds, and UI to life through expressive animation and visual polish.
Goodnight Lucy
screening 14th
Synopsis-Goodnight Lucy is a heartwarming story of a daughter trying to find the perfect book to read before going to bed. Her wild imagination though, seems to get the best of her as she delves into each story.​
Director- Alex Batchelor
Alex is a Background Artist and 2D Puppet Rigger/Animator with a BFA and MFA focused in Animation as well as an associates degree in Graphic Design.
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House of Mycelium
screening 12th
Synopsis- A blossoming flower named Annie confronts her captor, a mushroom-like shadow creature called The Gardener, and makes a daring escape from the dilapidated greenhouse imprisoning her in darkness.
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Director- Jordyn Diebolt
Jordyn Diebolt, also known as “Cranberry the Cat” online, is a recent graduate of the Laguna College of Art and Design and a budding Animator and Storyboard Artist with a passion for visualizing fantastical stories and bringing dynamic characters, creatures, and worlds to life. Born in the dustbowl of The Central Valley, formerly neighboring Sequoia and Yosemite National Park, and now living on the ocean’s edge at Laguna Niguel, California, Jordyn has always considered the natural world and its flora and fauna her greatest source of inspiration. When not drawing or animating, she’s usually reading fantasy novels and poetry, writing stories, visiting her favorite animals at the zoo, and finding new places to hike along the California coastline.
Sky of Tides : Atla - "Welcome Party"
screening 11th
Synopsis-In the fractured world of numen9, the oceans float above the sky, and two powerful factions are on the brink of war. But for teenage twins Atla and Kryll, it’s a great time to enjoy the limelight! The siblings lead a secret mission to Citrell under the guise of a celebrity appearance with Atla’s best friend and numen9’s biggest pop star, Yana. Things go sideways when a rebel tries to steal the show, and Atla steps in to stop her.
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Directors- Jason Loftus, Masha Loftus
Jason Loftus: A Peabody Award-winning filmmaker and five-time Canadian Screen Award nominee, Jason Loftus’s work spans documentary, docuseries, virtual reality, narrative games, and animation. He was the director and producer of Eternal Spring, Canada’s Official Submission to the 2023 Oscars® for Best International Feature Film. The film has won 27 international awards, and earned another 27 nominations, including at the 50th Annie Awards and 84th Peabody Awards.
Jason’s extensive producing credits include joining former National Geographic Films president Adam Leipzig to produce #NoJoke (2019), exploring the subject of bullying. He also produced the docuseries on Chinese cuisine, Confucius Was a Foodie, which was named Best Food Series on TV at the 2021 Taste Awards. Jason has also executive-produced acclaimed documentaries, including the Peabody-winning film Human Harvest, the 2024 Oscar®-nominated feature To Kill a Tiger, and the 2023 DOC NYC Grand Jury Prize winner Mediha.
Masha Loftus: An executive producer and co-owner of Lofty Sky Entertainment, Masha's producing credits span animation, documentaries, and interactive media, earning numerous awards. She executive produced Canada's 2023 Oscar® entry, Eternal Spring, as well as the Slamdance grand jury finalist Ask No Questions. She cast and voice directed the animated scenes in Eternal Spring, as well as wrote and voice-directed the Mandarin-language adaptation of the Canadian Screen Award-nominated game, Shuyan Saga. She holds a juris doctor (JD) from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and an Entertainment Law Certificate from Osgoode Hall Law School.
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Law of Motion
screening 4th
Synopsis-A virus has taken root in her brain, distorting reality and fracturing her consciousness. As she drifts between visions and waking life, she explores the other worlds within.
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Director- Anita Yen
Anita is a multidisciplinary artist and animation filmmaker from Taipei City, Taiwan, whose work weaves together the richness of Taiwanese culture, the beauty of nature, and the vibrancy of urban life. Her creations are deeply sentimental and romantic, drawing from personal experiences and profound emotions. Anita’s art explores themes of nature, relationships, self-love, and sensuality, often delving into magical surrealism and fantasy to depict the unseen and the unattainable. Her artistic journey spans a diverse range of mediums, including 3D and VR performance animation, large-scale stage performances, and immersive experiences that merge technology and art. Her ongoing exploration into hybrid forms of expression showcases her passion for curating experiences and films that challenge and inspire.
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Fluff & furious
​screening 1st
Synopsis-A fluffy pup, inspired by its wild relative, sets out to prove it’s more than just a soft fur ball.
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Director-Chieh-Chih Liao
Chieh-Chih Liao was born in Taiwan and developed an early passion for visual storytelling. He pursued his studies in animation at the University of Southern California, where he graduated in 2025.
Duck in Space
screening 9th
Synopsis-Duck In Space! is a 2D animated short film following a goose (named Duck) who reaches for the stars and wreaks havoc along the way! Crash landing on a space station and entangling himself in a plant, he appears to be a space alien to the crew on board! The chase to catch the rogue alien ensues!
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Director-Lexie Mazzeo