Kafka's Doll
Inspired by an unproven myth, Kafka’s Doll is an animated short film that blends factual research, fiction, fantasy and myth into a single heart-warming story about loss.
When an ill Kafka meets a crying little girl in the park, he sets out to write her a letter a day in order to tell her all about her lost doll’s fictitious travels. He then comes back every single day to read her those letters, and in his quest to help her find a sense of personal resolution, he ends up finding his own in ways he couldn’t have previously imagined. This film is a co-production between Portugal and Spain, produced by Animanostra (PT), WKND (SPA), Lusco Fusco Animation (PT) and Studio Kimchi (SPA).
Public screenings, Festivals & Awards
2024 Moinho Cine Fest, Portugal (Official Selection) April
2024 Athens Animfest, Greece (Distinction Winner) March
2023 NYPSFF Helsinki, Finland (NYPSFF Panorama) December 9
2023 El Día Más Corto [ED+CORTO], Spain (Official Selection) December 21
2023 Hsin-Yi Children’s Animation Awards, China (Nominee) December 16
2023 NYPSFF Tallinn, Estonia (NYPSFF Panorama) December 9
2023 NYPSFF Luanda, Angola (NYPSFF Panorama) December 5
2023 AnimaPIX, Portugal (Official Selection) December 3
2023 Portuguese Cinema Days, Germany (Official Selection) December 3
2023 La Vieja Encina, Fest. Int. Cortos Terror y Fantástico, Spain (Official Selection) November 23-26
2023 BaiDeFest, Spain (Winner Best Animated Film) November 16-19
2023 XII Festival de Cortometrajes de Paracuellos de Jarama, Spain (Official Selection) November 15-18
2023 Girona Film Festival, Spain (Special Jury Mention) November 6-11
2023 Epic Animation Comic Games Fest, USA (SDIKFF Winners Session) October 28-29
2023 Northern Lights Fantastic Film Festival, Iceland (Official Selection) October 26-29
2023 Espanto Film Fest, Mexico (Official Selection) October 25 – November 5
2023 Prémio Nacional da Animação, Portugal (Official Selection) October 23-29
2023 Filmets Badalona, Spain (Winner Best Soundtrack) October 20-28
2023 The Pigeon International Film Festival, Iceland (Official Selection) October 13-16
2023 Curt’Arruda Lisboa, Portugal (Official Selection) October 13-15
2023 Shortcutz Lisboa, Portugal (Official Selection) October 10
2023 Baixada Animada, Brazil (Official Selection) October 5-18
2023 Manifestum, Portugal (Official Selection) October 3-4
2023 Tirana International Film Festival, Albania (Official Selection) September 23-29
2023 Re-Generation International Youth Film Festival, Australia (Official Selection) September 21-28
2023 Navarra International Film Festival, Spain (Official Selection) September 21-23
2023 Festival du Film Merveilleux & Imaginaire, France (Official Selection) September 20-22
2023 Semana de cine de Lugo, Spain (Official Selection) September 18-23
2023 Lift-Off Filmmaker Sessions, UK (Jury Winner) September 18
2023 Kursaal Film Festival San Sebastian, Spain (Official Selection) September 15 – October 8
2023 Footcandle Film Festival, USA (Official Selection) September 15-24
2023 Motel X, Portugal (Official Selection) September 12-18
2023 Chaniartoon – International Comic & Animation Festival, Greece (Official Selection) September 11-24
2023 Arouca Film Festival, Portugal (Special Jury Mention) September 7-16
2023 Aphelion Film Festival, Italy (Best Animated Film) September 3
2023 Portobello Film Festival, UK (Official Selection) August 31 – September 17
2023 Curtas Castelo de Paiva, Portugal (Official Selection) August 26-27
2023 San Diego International Kids’ Film Festival, USA (Winner Grand Jury Prize – Best Short) August 25-27
2023 XII Festival Alhama Ciudad de Cine, Spain (Official Selection) August 8-10
2023 Festival de Cine Espiritual Contracorriente, Spain (Special Jury Mention) July 24-29
2023 Festival Les Units Med, France (Official Selection) June 19 – October 10
2023 NYPSFF São Tomé, São Tomé and Principe (NYPSFF Panorama) July 28
2023 Comic-Con San Diego Independent Film Festival, USA (Official Selection) July 20-23
2023 IX Festival de Cortos de Carabanchel, Spain (Official Selection) July 19-23
2023 Ciné Rencontres de Prades, France (Official Selection) July 15-22
2023 Cartoon Club, Italy (Official Selection) July 10-16
2023 Festival Internacional de Cine de Sax, Spain (Official Selection) July 8-15
2023 Festival Internacional de Cine Bajo la Luna, Spain (Official Selection) July 3 – August 17
2023 NY Portuguese Short Film Festival, USA (Official Selection) June 29
2023 Puebla Film Festival, Spain (Official Selection) June 28 – July 1
2023 Lisboa Indie Film Festival, Portugal (Winner Best Animated Short) June 25
2023 Fantboi, Spain (Official Selection) June 8-11
2023 Detours en Cinecourt, France (Official Selection) June 10
2023 Caribe Toons, Colombia (Official Selection) June 1-3
2023 Golden Kuker Sofia, Bulgaria (Official Selection) May 25-29
2023 Avilacine, Spain (Best Original Soundtrack) May 22-27
2023 Periferie Animate, Italy (Official Selection) May 12-14
2023 Leiria Film Festival, Portugal (Official Selection) May 10-15
2023 Premios Fugaz, Spain (Finalist) May 7
2023 Palm Springs International Animation Festival, USA (Winner Best Animated Short) April 30 – July 3
2023 Brighton International Animation Festival, UK (Official Selection) April 15-16
2023 Festival de Cine de Villa María del Triunfo, Peru (Official Selection) April 13-22
2023 RiverRun International Film Festival, USA (Official Selection) April 13-22
2023 Lions International Short Film Festival, Spain (Official Selection) April 1
2023 Happy Valley Animation Festival, USA (Official Selection) March 31 – April 5
2023 VII Skyline Benidorm Film Festival, USA (Official Selection) March 25 – April 1
2023 Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival, USA (Official Selection) March 24-26
2023 Anarchy Film Festival, United Kingdom (Official Selection) March 17
2023 VII Madeira Fantastic Film Fest, Portugal (Official Selection) March 14-18
2023 Aurora – Festival de Cine de Horror de Guanajuato, Mexico (Official Selection) March 7-12
2023 Nevermore Film Festival, USA (Official Selection) February 24-26
2023 SANFICI Santander Fest. Int. de Cine Independiente, Colombia (Official Selection) February 20-24
2023 FINCORTEX, Colombia (Official Selection) December 31
2022 Hator Hator Horror Fest, Spain (Winner Best Animated Film) December 16-18
2022 XXIII Festival de Cortometrajes de Torrelavega, Spain (Official Selection) December 13-17
2022 XIV Festival Internacional de Cortometrajes Pilas en Corto, Spain (Official Selection) December 9-11
2022 Festival Triste Para Sempre, Portugal (Official Selection) December 8-11
2022 Certamen Internacional de Cortometrajes Roberto Di Chiara, Argentina (Official Selection) December 3
2022 Macau International Short Film Festival, Macau (Official Selection) December 1-8
2022 ICONA 2022 – Ionian Contemporary Animation Festival, Greece (Official Selection) December 1-4
2022 Semana del Cortometraje de Arganzuela, Spain (Official Selection) November 23-26
2022 FESCORA, Spain (Official Selection) November 23-25
2022 VI Maniatic Film Festival, Spain (Children Section) November 21-26
2022 Festival Corto Cortismo de Miguelturra, Spain (Official Selection) November 17-20
2022 Festival de Cine Infantil de Churumbela, Mexico (Official Selection) November 16-20
2022 Festival Internacional de Cine de Granada, Spain (Official Selection) November 16-19
2022 XIII Muestra de Cortos Asociación de Cine Bardem, Spain (Official Selection) November 11-19
2022 XIV Festival Cortos Rodinia, Spain (Official Selection) November 10
2022 Festival Audiovisual Asier Errasti, Spain (Official Selection) November 9-14
2022 Africa International Film Festival, Nigeria (Official Selection) November 6-12
2022 Festival MOST, Spain (Official Selection) November 3-13 y 23-27
2022 FANTAELX – X Fest. Int. de Cine Fantástico de Elche, Spain (Official Selection) November 2-12
2022 Fantastic Gijón, Spain (Official Selection) October 28-31
2022 Austin Film Festival, USA (Finalist) October 27 – November 3
2022 Razor Reel Flanders Film Fest, Belgium (Official Selection) October 27-30 & November 3-5
2022 Linea d’Ombra Festival, Italy (Official Selection) October 22-29
2022 CURTAS – Festival do Imaxinario, Spain (Winner Best Fiction Film) October 21-30
2022 FENAVID, Bolivia (Official Selection) October 21-27
2022 Octubre Corto, Spain (Official Selection) October 20-29
2022 Festival de Cine de Madrid, Spain (Cine Molón Section) October 17-23
2022 Festival Internacional de Curtmetratges de Vila-seca, Spain (Official Selection) October 16-24
2022 Festival Literário Internacional de Óbidos, Portugal (Invited Film) October 14
2022 K-Lidoscopi, Spain (Official Selection) October 12-16
2022 La Axarquía, Festival de Cine, Spain (Official Selection) October 7-22
2022 MANIFEST – Mafra Animation Film Festival, Portugal (Official Selection) September 23-25
2022 Imagens no Tejo, Portugal (Official Selection) September 9 – October 7
2022 Alhaurín en Corto, Spain (Official Selection) September 23
2022 Ponme Un Corto – II Festival de Cine en Huerta de Rey, Spain (Official Selection) September 2-24
2022 Fest Cine Astorga, Spain (Official Selection) September 5-9
2022 Torrevieja Audiovisual, Spain (Official Selection) September 2-3
2022 NAFF, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Selection) August 27 – September 1
2022 Villamare Film Festival, Italy (Official Selection) August 20-27
2022 Curtas em Flagrante, Portugal (Official Selection) August 14-15
2022 El Pecado, 21º Certamen Int. de Cortometrajes, Spain (Official Selection) July 29 – August 6
2022 Constantine’s Gold Coin – Int. Fest. of Animated Film, Serbia (Official Selection) July 18-22
2022 FECIP, 6º Portoviejo Film Festival, Ecuador (Official Selection) June 9-12
2022 Cartoons on the Bay, Italy (Official Selection) June 1-6
2022 Monstra – Lisbon International Animation Film Festival, Portugal (Official Selection) March 16-26
© 2022 Animanostra / WKND / Lusco Fusco Animation / Studio Kimchi