Ian, A Moving Story picked up the Audience Choice Award for Animated Short at the 2019 Indy Shorts International Film Festival, a terrific prize honoring an absolutely terrific film in what was, you guessed it, a terrific year for animated shorts at Indy Shorts. The film centers around a young boy named Ian who was born with cerebral palsy and who only wants to make friends. However, making friends isn't exactly easy for Ian and instead he seems to endure nothing but discrimination and bullying and is kept away from his beloved playground. 

Fortunately, Ian doesn't give up easily. 

This 10-minute short film from Argentina was written by Gaston Gorali and directed by Abel Goldfarb and comes out of the Academy Award winning animation studio of Juan Jose Campanella (The Secret in Their Eyes). The film's animation is, indeed, rather miraculous and possessing of a uniqueness that never distracts and actually draws you in even closer to each of its characters. 

Ian is actually based on an actual young boy, in fact the namesake for the Ian Foundation started by his mother to promote inclusion on a grander scale and to address bullying. The film has been getting quite a bit of attention on the film festival circuit with prizes at Accolade Competition (Best Short Film), Chelsea Film Festival (Special Mention), Chicago International REEL Shorts Festival (Best Animation), Cleveland International Film Festival (Best Animated Short), DaVinci Film Festival (Honorable Mention - Animated Short Film), Delhi Shorts International Film Festival (Best Animation - Jury), and others including now this award at Indy Shorts which also includes a $500 prize. 

The beautiful, and emotionally resonant, ways in which Ian, A Moving Story displays the impact of bullying are simple yet profound and immensely effective with nary a word to be found in the film.

Sometimes, indeed, no words are needed. While there may be no dialogue, thus making the Argentinian film accessible to all, Emmy nominated screenwriter Gaston Gorali's story is immensely compelling and very much based upon the real life Ian and his mother, Sheila Graschinsky. The film's use of textured animation is astounding and utilizes stop-motion sets made out of recycled waste and weaving into that fabric contemporary CG tech. 

It's all stunningly beautiful and emotionally riveting. 

An animated short that will unquestionably please both adults and children, Ian, A Moving Story takes a simple, all too familiar story yet tells it in wondrously unique and original ways. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic