‘I wanna be the very best, like no one ever was.’ It is not only the dream of every Pokémon trainer, it is also the ambition of every film and animator. And guess what? All the work in this selection is the best of the festival!

This show is all about the best of the best and gives you one last chance to see the prize beasts of Kaboom 2025 with your own eyes (again). Whether the winners were chosen by the jury or the public, they will surely go down in history.

Programme:

The Shortest Relationship in the World | dir. Xiaoxuan Han | 2023 | CN | 1' 
Best Student Short 
This animation shows perhaps the shortest relationship in the world. Two people enjoy each other's company so intensely that it would make a one-dayer jealous. A colourful short film by Chinese director Xiaoxuan Han.

Mother's Child | dir. Naomi Noir | 2024 | NL | 9' 
Best Dutch Student 
Never does Mary have a moment of peace. She combines motherhood with full-time care of her disabled child. Then, when she gets caught up in a bureaucratic web, she finds it hard to keep her cool. Director Naomi Noir delivers a strong ode to the heroes who dedicate their lives entirely to caring for others.

On Weary Wings Go By | dir. Anu-Laura Tuttelberg | 2024 | EE & LT | 10' 
Best Experimental 
The sun is low and the days are getting shorter. As birds fly south, other animals and insects take shelter from the icy cold. Only a little porcelain girl wanders the deserted landscape. With no way out. A poetic winter story by director Anu-Laura Tuttelberg about nature in the far north, merging animation and the rhythm of nature.

Group Session | dirs. Studio Mals, Setreset Films, Koen Berkhout, Martin van der Molen, Silas Nout | 2024 | NL | 9' 
Best Commissioned 
Geoff is a creative person who sometimes struggles with his feelings. Is there something wrong with him? In a group session with his favourite tools - a star-studded cast of extraordinary puppets - and through an absurdly catchy song, he finally discovers what's been going on all along....

Skroll | dir. Marten Visser | 2024 | NL | 6' 
Best Dutch 
Humans and midgets have posted videos on social media platforms in their dimension. Skroll is a short compilation of these clips-an animated, random stream of social media content that will really surprise you and is well worth watching to the end. A bizarre film by Marten Visser.

Will You Come With Me | dir. Derya Durmaz | 2023 | DE | 2' 
Best Documentary 
Will You Come With Me? is a short Berlin story. A city that seems free-spirited, but in intimate relationships quickly reveals a harsh reality. It shows that very little has changed since the dark days of yore, when women not only took care of themselves but also of men's actions and had to bear the consequences alone.

'MIMT 4' | dir. Ted Wiggin | 2024 | US | 4' 
Jamie Bolio Award 
If you gave a snake an orange... MIMT is a fable about animals chasing each other between different planes of existence. A beautifully made, abstract, experimental animation from director Ted Wiggin.

Scars We Love | dir. Raphaël Jouzeau | 2024 | FR | 15' 
Best Short 
Although she has broken up with her, Gaspard is still in love with Leïla. A month after their break-up, they meet in a crowded cafe, where the conversation soon becomes uncomfortable. Gaspard feels the tears welling up and takes refuge under the tablecloth, away from prying eyes and closer to his memories... A moving and honest story by Raphaël Jouzeau, told through vivid, dreamy animation.

Hoofs on Skates | dir. Ignas Meilunas | 2024 | LT | 12' 
Best Kids 
Two friends are skating in a winter wonderland on a frozen lake, when suddenly a mysterious world opens up beneath them. The creatures of the lake need help! It's time to learn how to talk to a stranger without fear or prejudice.