Playful Tales: Seven Shorts

Playful Tales presents six animated shorts for families and people of all ages to enjoy. Crafted by autistic animators, each short exhibits a distinct style and imaginative world, with lessons of creativity, perseverance, and accepting differences that relate to our everyday lives. Followed by a discussion with Harry Schad, Jacob Lenard, and Rae Xiang.  

Secret of the Hunter  
Dir. Jessica “Jess” Jerome. 2024, 7 mins. A young huntress, burdened with a hidden secret, tries to defend her new animal companion from an even larger threat in this film written, developed, animated, edited, and composed by students, alumni, and faculty from Exceptional Mind Academy’s “Animation Club.” Marvels of Media partner Exceptional Minds is an academy and studio dedicated to preparing artists on the autism spectrum for careers in animation and the digital arts. Content warning:  violence, blood 

Wilson S. Whale 
Dir. Harry Schad. 2024, 4 mins. Wilson S. Whale is ridiculed by other whales because he spouts rainbow-colored sprinkles from his blowhole instead of water. One day, Wilson meets a lost fish named Guppy and the two embark on an adventure to find Guppy’s family. Featuring animation reminiscent of a children’s book, Wilson S. Whale teaches that anyone who feels different will find their true friends in the end.

Abelard the Traveling Hedgehog’s Underwater Adventure with Max the Turtle 
Dir. Pete Peterman & Ambrose Peterman. 2024, 7 mins. Abelard the Hedgehog and Max the Turtle venture into the depths of a lake, searching for the playful “Poconos” sea dragons. Through puppetry and do-it-yourself aesthetics, this whimsical short depicts a world inspired by the works of Jim Henson and Fred Rogers.

Joust My Luck 
Dir. Jacob Lenard. 2023, 3 mins. In this animated comedy, Sir Sammy and the Great Rodney of Snobb compete in a jousting match. Joust My Luck harkens back to the slapstick, creativity, and wit of cartoon classics like Looney Tunes and early Nicktoons like Rocko’s Modern Life.

The Ugliest Masterpiece  
Dir. Rae Xiang. 2023, 1 min. A Chinese American girl wants to make extraordinary drawings like her sister, yet she isn’t happy with the result. Using 3D animation, The Ugliest Masterpiece thoughtfully represents Chinese American family life with an important message of self-expression and confidence. 

Julius’ Identity Crisis 
Dir. Brendan Ratner. 2024, 1 min. This satirical short stars Julius the Cat, a public domain cartoon character who used to be a pop culture icon, playfully exploring the ways a character can be shaped in different contexts. Content warning: cartoon violence and blood 

Isaac and the Firefly Queen 
Dir. Dani Bowman. 2024, 8 mins. Directed by Love on the Spectrum star Dani Bowman and written by Payton Hepler, this imaginative and wholesome tale follows a young boy sent on a quest by the queen of fireflies to save her kingdom. 

Free with RSVP.

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Accessibility Information: 

Location: Museum of the Moving Image is located at 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria, Queens, NY 11106, and the film screening will happen in the Redstone Theater.  

Transportation by subway: Closest subway stations are the R at Steinway Street and N/W at 36 Ave. Please check with the MTA for any service changes, especially on weekends. For other ways of transportation, please see this page.  

Wheelchair Access: The Museum is fully accessible by wheelchair. In the Redstone theater, there is space for wheelchairs near the entrance and at the back of the theater. 

Captions and American Sign Language (ASL): The film screening will have closed captions for the films and ASL interpretation for the introductions and panel discussions. 

Sensory Relief Space and Sensory Kits: There will be a quiet sensory friendly space for anyone who needs to decompress, located on the first floor. At the Admissions Desk, ask for our sensory kits which include ear buds, stress balls, and fidget toys. 

If you have any questions, please contact Tiffany Joy Butler by emailing [email protected] or calling 718-777-6851.