Private Project

Emptiness

Emptiness is a heartwarming animated story introducing Gea (/hā-a/), a graceful swallow who has just become a mother of three little birds. The story unfolds through her eyes until tragedy takes her by surprise—influencing a gut-wrenching search with a bittersweet ending. Emptiness is a powerful metaphor for so much that weighs on the chests of countless parents throughout the world. The film attempts to portray the beauty of parenthood and the resulting frustrations, indignation, fear, and sense of loss caused by the disappearance of a loved one.

  • Ricardo Antonio Varela
    Director
  • Soco Aguilar
    Writer
  • Soco Aguilar
    Producer
    La Leyenda de la Nahuala, Nikté
  • Mayra Alcantara
    Key Cast
    "Gea"
  • Alejandra Cienfuegos Mao
    Art Director
  • Erik Alcantara
    Score Composer
    Fuego (stop motion shortfilm)
  • Erik Alcantara
    Sound design
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Emptiness / Vacío
  • Project Type:
    Animation
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 7 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 9, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Mexico
  • Country of Filming:
    Mexico
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Private Screening for the Team
    Mexico City
    Mexico
    December 9, 2022
Director Biography - Ricardo Antonio Varela

Ricardo Varela is a 2D animator, character designer, and director based in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and Vancouver, Canada. His credentials include a host of film projects, including his first short film, KIKITO, and Nosfe. His focus is hand-drawn animation and stop-motion. He is an animation and digital arts graduate of Monterrey Institute of Technology.

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Director Statement

Our short is dedicated to families searching for their missing loved ones, like our main character, Gea. We are a talented team of Mexican artists and producers. Our intent is to use Emptiness as a platform to illuminate and amplify this crisis in the hope of a solution