Gayle Thomas

The Magic Flute

Gayle Thomas

An animated fable for children showing that things can be malignant or benign depending on how they are used--with good or evil intent.

The Phoenix

Gayle Thomas

Lister Sinclair

The ancient myth of the phoenix, the legendary bird with the amazing power of self-regeneration, is reborn with a modern twist. In this animated adaptation of a story by Sylvia Townsend Warner, we follow Lord Strawberry's search for the fabled bird. He finds it in the deserts of Arabia and brings it home to his aviary. Upon Lord Stawberry's death, however, the phoenix ends up as a sideshow in a fairground. This spirited satire of human foibles, with its timely message about our treatment of nature's creatures, will appeal to young people and adults alike.

A Sufi Tale

Gayle Thomas

The inhabitants of a village learn to overcome their fears of the unknown.

The Boy and the Snow Goose

Gayle Thomas

This animated short tells the story of a young boy who finds an injured snow goose and nurses it back to health. Constant companions through the sun-filled days of summer, the two sadly separate in the fall when the bird obeys the call to join its flock for the annual flight south. Will the friendship endure?

It's Snow

Gayle Thomas

Colour cut-out animation inspired by the shape of snowflakes and touched with the airy magic of these fragile designs. While music tinkles invitingly, snowflakes roll and whirl, pulse and glitter, shining with the many hues of twinkling lights. Made without words, this is a joyous film to please the fancy and captivate eye and ear.

M.C. Escher: Sky and Water 1

Gayle Thomas

The art of M.C. Escher (Dutch printmaker) never fails to facinate and astound. M.C. Escher: Sky and Water 1/M.C. Escher : l'air et l'eau 1 mixes traditional and computer animation -- accompanied by a stunning soundtrack -- to playfully explore and deconstruct the optical illusion within one of the artist's most famous works. A fitting homage to a master on the 100th anniversary of his birth. A film without words.

Poets on Film No. 1

Janet Perlman, Bozenna Heczko

John Robert Colombo, Paul Hecht

This short film brings together animated interpretations of four poems by great Canadian wordsmiths: "Riverdale Lion" by John Robert Colombo, "A Kite Is a Victim" by Leonard Cohen, "Klaxon" by James Reaney and George Johnston’s "The Bulge."

Quilt

Gayle Thomas

An abstract animated film, using computer and experimental techniques in choreographing quilt motifs and designs to music. A tribute to the unique and long-established art form of patchwork quilting. A film without words.