John and Michael is a 2004 animated short by Shira Avni about two men with Down syndrome who share a loving relationship.

John and Michael
Directed byShira Avni
Produced byShira Avni
Michael Fukushima
Narrated byBrian Davis
Production
company
Release date
  • 2004 (2004)
Running time
10 minutes 28 seconds
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The film was animated with clay backlit on plexiglas, to produce a stained glass effect.[1] Avni made over 14,000 paintings to create the film. It is narrated by Brian Davis, who is himself intellectually disabled.[2] John and Michael was co-produced by Avni and Michael Fukushima of the National Film Board of Canada.[3]

Awards

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John and Michael received a dozen awards and honours at film festivals, including a Golden Sheaf Award for best Animation, the award for best original screenwriting at the Inside Out Film and Video Festival, the short documentary award at DOXA Documentary Film Festival, the short film award at the Pink Apple film festival, a Silver Remi Award at the WorldFest-Houston International Film Festival as well as the award for best animated short at the Cinequest Film Festival.[3]

  • an Honorable Mention at the Lesbian & Gay Film Festival
October 13 to 22 2006, Seattle - USA
  • the Jury Prize - Category: Shorts at the OutFlix Film Festival - International GLBT Film Festival
August 4 to 10 2006, Memphis - USA
May 25 to 28 2006, Yorkton - Canada
  • the Doxa Short Documentary Award at the Doxa - Documentary Film and Video Festival
May 23 to 28 2006, Vancouver - Canada
  • the JWR Award for Best Original Screenwriting at the Inside Out Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival
May 18 to 28 2006, Toronto - Canada
  • the Short Film Award at the Pink Apple Film Festival
May 4 to 21 2006, Zurich - Switzerland
  • the Silver Remi Award at the WorldFest - International Film Festival
April 21 to May 1, 2006, Houston - USA
  • the Award for Best Animated Short at Cinequest
March 1 to 12 2006, San Jose - USA
  • the Award - Category: Animation 10 – 30 minutes on a theme of disability Picture This Film Festival
February 6 to 10 2006, Calgary - Canada
  • the Special Distinction Award by Jury Classe L CAV Rencontres Internationales du Cinéma d'Animation
November 14 to 22 2005, Wissembourg - France
  • an Honorable Mention - Catégorie: Arts at the International Film and Video Festival
November 9 to 13 2005, Columbus - USA
  • Best Animated Short Award at the Q Cinema: Fort Worth's Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival
May 19 to 22 2005, Fort Worth - USA

References

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  1. ^ Krakow, Eve. "Color My World". Concordia University Magazine. Montreal: Concordia University. Archived from the original on 6 April 2010. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
  2. ^ Akerman, Beverly (January 15, 2005). "John and Michael". fps magazine. Archived from the original on 14 July 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
  3. ^ a b "John and Michael". Collection. National Film Board of Canada. 2004. Retrieved 1 January 2010.
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