Program Note
Ella works as an assistant to her legendary model-animator mother, who is suffering from weakening health, trying to finish the last and most outstanding work of her illustrious career. Upon her passing, Ella decides to carry on and complete her mother’s final work. Ella struggles to overcome the grief of her mother’s passing until a creepy young girl shows up at her studio and gives unsolicited suggestions for extra motivation and unique direction in creating her masterpiece, which now features the nightmarish Ash Man.
Stopmotion is a dark and unique hybrid animation/live-action horror film by renowned UK artist Robert Morgan, who is making his feature film debut. Mr. Morgan’s use of stop-motion animation as both a theme and a medium creates an unsettling body horror film, further aided by outstanding performances by the cast, including an unforgettable James Swanton as the human-sized terrifying Ash Man. (Jongsuk Thomas NAM)