STEAKHOUSE

Short animated film by Špela Čadež

Slovenia / Germany / France | 2021 | 9:30 min

The steak has been marinating for a few days now. The pan is heated. Franc’s stomach is rumbling. But Liza’s co-workers surprise her with a birthday party. Will she be home on time?

“This mature and refined work is indeed an impeccable animation, frightening and humorous at the same time, presenting a deceptively simple yet relevant story, brightened up by a deliciously biting feminist touch.”
Locarno selection committee

Director Špela Čadež
Animation Zarja Menart, Anka Kočevar, Špela Čadež, Clémentine Robach
Screenplay Gregor Zorc
Editor Iva Kraljević
Music Tomaž Grom, Olfamož
Voices Maruša Majer, Marko Mandić
Visual Postproduction Thomas Schmidl
Sound design Johanna Wienert
Producers: Tina Smrekar, Špela Čadež / Finta Film
Co-producers Fabian&Fred / RTV Slovenija / Miyu Productions
Supported by Slovenian Film Centre, Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Pictanovo – Région Haut de France in partnership with CNC, RE-ACT, FFA – German Federal Film Board, ZDF/ARTE

Špela Čadež is animation director and co-founder of Finta Studio in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Her films have received 130+ awards at festivals worldwide and were screened in competition selections such as the Sundance Film Festival, Clermont Ferrand and Annecy. A passionate advocate for the analogue, Čadež has impressed with films in puppet and cut-out animation techniques. In 2018 Špela was invited to become a member of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

  1. Young Jury Special Mention, 74th Locarno Film Festival 2021
  2. Best Animation Technique, Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) 2021
  3. Honorary Mention, 36 Guadalajara Film Festival 2021
  4. Best Animated Film Award, Festival of Slovenian Film Portorož 2021
  5. Jury Prize, 23rd Bucheon International Animation Festival
  6. Special Jury Award – (Yantong Zhu) – New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival 2021
  7. Best Short Film Award, Ljubljana International Film Festival 2021
  8. Candidate for a nomination in the category ‘European Short Film’ at the European Film Awards 2022, Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2021
  9. Special Jury Mention, International Festival of Animated Film Animateka, Ljubljana 2022 
  10. Annie Awards Nomenee 2022, USA
  11. Prešeren Awards 
  12. Grand Prix Anima Brussels 2022
  13. Audience Award Tricky Women Festival, Vienna, 2022
  14. Animation Grand Prix, Mecal Pro 2022
  15. Special Mention ITFS Stuttgart 2022
  16. Best screenplay, Mieres Film Festival, Mieres 2022
  17. Special Jury Mention, World Festival of Animated Film Animafest Zagreb 2022
  18. Jury Award, Annecy International Animation Film Festival 2022
  19. Bronze Pegasus, Animator Poznan 2022
  20. Special Mention, Clermont Ferrant Short Film Festival, France 2022
  21. Special Mention, Insomnia 2022
  22. Grand Prix, Turku Animation Film Festival 2022
  23. Special Jury Mention, Shorts México 2022
  24. Special Mention, Animasyros International Animation Festival 2022
  25. Best Short, Future Film Festival 2022
  26. Best Animated Short, Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival 2022
  27. Special Mention, Animaphix Animated International Film Festival 2022
  28. Grand Prix, The Big Cartoon Festival Moscow 2022
  29. Prize for Best Short Film, 46th eCINANIMA – International Animated Film Festival of Espinho 2022
  30. Winner of the World Animation Competition, Leeds International Film Festival 2022
  31. Special Mention, 29th Etiuda&Anima International Film Festival, Krakow 2022
  32. Grand Prix, 20th Anilogue International Animation Festival, Budapest, 2022
  33. Best Script, Aguilar Film Festival, Aguilar de Campoo, 2022
  34. Best Direction, Animakom, Bilbao, 2022

 

Rythm and music play an important role in the film, giving the viewer insight into Franc’s functioning and dictating his preparation for the special event. The main theme in the film comes from Olfamož, a Slovenian improvisational band collective composed by and around the multiinstrumentalist Andrej Fon. Musicians from different scenes, freejazz, alter-rock and neofolk, mix genres from noise through Afrobeat to postrock. The music was selected by the director’s longtime collaborator Tomaž Grom, who understands music as a medium of communication rather than aesthetic pleasure, moving easily between free improvisation and predetermined structures. Tomaž Grom also composed the final song, performed by Irena Tomažin Zagoričnik, a devotee explorer of the voice as an instrument.

The aesthetic in Steakhouse was created with the use of a multiplane camera set up, achieving motion in animation with the help of oil-painted cell and paper cut-outs.