Will Freudenheim

A surrealist, sci-fi, neo-noir fable about a hard-boiled but heartbroken detective whose new case takes him on the trail of a giant missing king and his tiny, adorable alien baby. The delirious short takes place in a far future equal parts Blade Runner and Bruegel the Elder, full of tough-talking gangsters, jaw-dropping neon vistas, and enough bizarre creatures and robots to fill several Star Wars cantinas. The world-building illustrates the animator’s philosophy that movies can be as much about their setting as they are their characters.

A dystopian future that’s ever nearer, Acid City floats in toxic waters and is left to its own devices. But under the boiling sun, the city weaves together its own social fabric. With audio recordings taken off the streets of NYC, this animation offers us something rare in the face of climate catastrophe: hope.