Animation Name:
Being A Dog
Directed by:
Felix Swahn
Country of Origin:
Sweden
Synopsis:
Tim is longing for love. He’s a lonely human being who struggles with exclusion every day. Every time Tim feels different than others he transforms into a french bulldog. Ginger makes Tim feel human. Ginger is an old friend of Tim`s whom he was in love with, unrequited love. Tim collides with Ginger in the street, they talk and become friends again. After meeting Ginger Tim becomes a dog again. This time he chooses to enjoy being a dog and sees all the possibilities of a dog`s life. It’s good to be a human being but it’s good being a dog sometimes too.
Director Biography – Felix Swahn
Felix Swahn was born in Karlskrona 1993. He studied experiemental film and animation at AnimationsAkademien 2014-2016. He studied comics at Skarpnäck Folkhögskola 2016-2017. His illustrations and texts are published in magazines such as: 8-sidor, Intra, Ögonblick, Special Pedagogik. He has had 3 personal exhibitions and he has illustrated different books poetry, novels and children books. 2018-2020 He worked as an animator for two Architecture offices doing animation film for project presentations. Felix has studied Advanced 2D-animation at CG-Spectrum. Felix was born with Autism, he started to talk when he was five but he started to draw when he was two years old. He has many stories he wants to tell the world that needs to be told.
1. First of all I would like to congratulate you for your project Being A Dog getting a huge notice by the film personnels. Seems like you are inspiring them so the festivals are trying to reach out to you. How do you feel about that?
When I finished this movie it was in the middle of the Corona pandemic. I was not able to travel because of the restrictions and the war in Ukraine. I could not attend film festivals around the globe as much as I wanted. But I am grateful and it truly means extremely much to me that my film was able to travel to filmfestivals around the world and make it’s voice and my voice heard and touch peoples hearts. That´s what I want! It feels like my dreams are coming true and I hope that I will be able to attend filmfestivals physically more often when I am done with my next film!
2. What initially attracted you to the field of film production, and how did you get started in the industry?
I`ve always felt that films are the best way of storytelling. It involves everything music, moving images, sounds, a plot, atmosphere and so much more. I grew up having incredible difficulties to communicate with people around me. I couldn´t tell how I felt and how it was to be me. I tried to do that verbally but felt like no one listened to me. But with movies it feels like I can both teach others important things as much as I learn important things. When it comes to communication, filmmaking is an amazing tool. There is so much I want to tell others. Movies helped me to make things clear in my mind and that is why I am attracted to the field of film production. I got started in the film industry by graduating in an animation school in Sweden called “AnimationsAkademien” with an animated film student project ”The Odd Funeral” that got screened in 14 film festivals and received 3 awards. I learned how to market my stuff which was very important and meaningfull for me. I also did some animation commissions for architecture offices and did illustrations for books from different companies. I have done a live-action film called “Stockholm-Syndrome” back in 2019 and then I did my animation film “Being a dog” in 2021 that got screened in 182 film festivals and received 76 awards around the globe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOZ9Y3ZAu-g After finishing “Being a dog”, I studied Advanced 2D-animation remotely at “CG-Spectrum: Advanced 2D Animation” where I learned how to do professional 2D animation and how it works to get into the industry. I have done music video commissions and animation presentation for different companies.
3. As we can see through your animated films are so good. What made you feel like creating such interesting animated films? Do you aspire to become a well known person in the animation?
I started to talk when I was five and I started to draw when I was two years old. For me moving images is the strongest communication tool, stronger than the verbal language. I wanted to tell how it is to be different from my perspective, how it is to be human being from my point of view and that alienation can be overcome. Everyone says that the dog is human beings best friend but I want people to see that the autistic person is the human beings best friend instead of seeing it as a problem. Many thinks that the autistic person is more different than others because of lack of communicating skills. I want my stories to tell people that just because you are autistic it does not mean that you are more different than others. You have strong feelings and you do have big dreams just like everyone else. I am more like everyone else than more different than everyone. My voice is important. There are so many stories and voices that has not been heard and needs to be heard. I want to do stories that touch other peoples hearts that leads to something meaningsful. Yes I am aspire to become a well known person in the animation.
4. How do you identify potential film projects for production?
Movies that has something to say and movies that people put all their hearts into are potential projects in the industry according to me.
5. Have you ever thought of shifting into the Drama or Thriller genre? I am sure you will make good films.
Yes, a part of my dream is to tell different kinds of stories. So I am planning on shifting into Drama and Thriller as well if I want to challenge myself to become a better storyteller!
6. What strategies do you use for marketing and distribution to ensure a film’s success?
I am submitting my film on film festival websites and plattforms. Make sure my film is visible for as many as possible. Sometimes I submit my film for a review and a interview so I can showcase myself more. I am taking commissions for others as well so it will be easier for everyone to understand the potential I have. I`m always making original movies of as high quality as possible so more people will recognise me for that too. That is challenging because to animate a film takes lots of time. Then you are forced to do short movies and it takes precision to tell a good short story.
7. Can you discuss any specific challenges you’ve encountered in your role as a filmmaker and how you’ve navigated them?
Animation takes a lot of time. One has to have a lot of patience and one has to have planning skills. I have an autism diagnosis and the strength with this disability I have is that I can keep doing stuff for a very long time. In order to handle animation you need to keep doing things until it is finished no matter how long it takes. For me when it comes to the disability I have difficulties with communication with others. I do not read situations and I do not always read other people. On the other hand I am very good at completing tasks that are well defined. And I´ve learned how to define different tasks during the film making process that simplifies the process for me and others around me. I always had a feeling that people could not think the thought that I could do animation movies and sometimes I feel like people think it is too much of a big dream for me to become a well known film maker like Tim Burton.
8. How do you handle feedback and criticism during the filmmaking process?
Sometimes I am taking feedback and criticism from others and thinking about it. So I can make better stuff in the future. Sometimes I can be too sensitive to feedback and criticism. I thought that I did something great and it turns out that I did not do as good as I thought I have. This can lead to self destructiveness. But taking criticism from others is something I am working on. I am aware that I am sensitive for it and keep on learning to know some strategies on how to handle it. Sometimes I get very good reviews and that is a good feeling.
9. What criteria do you consider when selecting film festivals or distribution platforms for your films?
A platform I think is very great to submit film festivals to is Filmfreeway. It has tons of film festivals and has the best sortiment of film festivals in different categories from monthly film festivals to academy award film festivals. If someone wants to submit films I recommend them to use Filmfreeway. Other festivals plattforms I think is good are exampel Click-for-festivals and Festhome. Film festivals that are Oscar Qualified and BAFTA Qualified are the ones that I think are worth while applying to. It`s fun to apply for festivals with an audience jury. It´s great to get direct response from film lovers.
10. Can you share any upcoming projects or future aspirations as a director?
I am working on two projects right now. One project has a work in progress name “The different treatment”. It’s about how neuro normative people can treat people from the autism spectrum in a very good and respectful way. So people can meet each other instead of be afraid of one another. The second project for the moment is called “Friendship”. It’s about my two cats. One is introvert and the other one is extrovert and together they cooperate and improve their lifes.