Waste Away
In a trash-filled city, a homeless woman's encounter with a fish takes an unexpected turn.
Waste Away is a surreal stop motion short about a homeless woman who becomes pregnant with a fish. The responsibility of motherhood gives her the strength to fight for survival, while the forces of nature threaten to overtake her. The setting of urban neglect emphasizes the pervasive alienation between people, and humanity’s destructive impact on their environment. Relevant to today’s crisis, at a time when nature is undermining our position as its ruler, this animation tells a vivid story of disaster and rebirth. Waste Away is my BFA thesis film at Massachusetts College of Art & Design.
2020 - Stop motion / DragonFrame + After Effects compositing
Press:
Laughing Squid - A Homeless Woman Has a Profound Encounter With a Dead Fish...
Stop Motion Magazine - Waste Away: A Surreal Stop-Motion Portrait of Survival by Elly Stern
Awards:
Best Animated Short - Independent Shorts Awards, 2020
Best Student Film - Venice Shorts Festival, 2020
Best International Animation - Cinemaway, 2020
Outstanding Achievement Award (Animated Short) - Indie Short Fest, 2020
Jury's Citation Award - The Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival, 2021
Festival Director's Award of Recognition - Toronto Youth Shorts, 2021
Programmers' Pick - NFFTY, 2020
Selected Screenings:
Tulum Festival de Cine Consciente - Mexico, 2026
FACE/WASTE Exhibition - Canada, 2024
Yelapa Festival de Cine Consciente - Mexico, 2024
Tindirindis International Animation Film Festival - Lithuania, 2021
GIRAF Animation Festival - Canada, 2021
Animex Awards - UK, 2021
Toronto Youth Shorts - Canada, 2021
Toronto Animation Arts Festival International - Canada, 2021
GRRL HAUS Cinema - Germany, 2021
Garden State Film Festival - USA, 2021
Massachusetts Animated Student & Senior Thesis Film Festival - USA, 2021
The Thomas Edison Black Maria Film Festival - USA, 2021
Whistler Film Festival - Canada, 2020
Anchorage International Film Festival - USA, 2020
Animasivo - Mexico, 2020
NFFTY - USA, 2020
Cinemaway - Ukraine, 2020
Indie Shorts Fest - USA, 2020
Venice Shorts - USA, 2020
Independent Shorts Awards - USA, 2020
FemFilm Festival - USA, 2020
Animation Block Party - USA, 2020
At Yelapa Festival de Cine Consciente in Yelapa, Mexico, 2024
At FACE/WASTE Exhibition - Markham, ON, Canada, 2024
Waste Away at FACE/WASTE Exhibition, 2024
Waste Away screening at Yelapa Festival de Cine Consciente, 2024
Waste Away at FACE/WASTE Exhibition, 2024
Waste Away at FACE/WASTE Exhibition, 2024
FACE / WASTE: Waste, regarded as worthless material, is a human-defined and controlled concept. When we designate something as waste and discard it into the trash bin, it undergoes a nullification of its monetary value and its symbolic meaning changes. The symbolism of waste extends beyond its origin and final destination, delving into the deeper relationship between humans, the material world, and the land. This involves the social and ecological imagination, practices, and open narratives associated with waste.