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Hungry Little Shadow

In a tiny, magical restaurant just big enough for a table for one, a grand tale is told. Lilu, also known as Shadow, is a hungry, orphaned kitten, desperate for a meal. This is no ordinary dining experience. Even the silverware gets transformed as the story of Shadow the Cat unfolds. Hungry Little Shadow is a puppet show for all ages, inspired by a Slovenian folk tale. Very young children should watch with a parent or guardian.

  • Sara Tilley
    Director
  • Sara Tilley
    Writer
  • Sara Tilley
    Producer
  • Sara Tilley
    Key Cast
    "The Server"
  • Andrea McGuire
    Key Cast
    "The Customer"
  • Sara Tilley
    Puppet Design
  • Andrea McGuire
    Music
  • Project Type:
    Feature, Short, Other
  • Genres:
    Children's Film, For All Ages, Puppetry, Storytelling
  • Runtime:
    41 minutes 21 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 4, 2021
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Sara Tilley

Sara Tilley (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist from St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Her artistic work bridges writing, theatre, and Pochinko Clown Through Mask technique. After graduating with a BFA in Acting from York University, Sara founded a feminist theatre company, She Said Yes!, which she ran as Artistic Director, 2002-2016. Sara's writing spans the genres of playwriting, prose and poetry. She has written, co-written or co-created eleven plays to date and written two award-winning novels--Skin Room and DUKE (Pedlar Press, 2008 and 2015).
Sara trained in Pochinko Clown through Mask with Ian Wallace and Sue Morrison, mentoring with Wallace to become a teacher of this specialized Canadian clown method. Her interest in puppetry has led her to pursue training with the Old Trout Puppet Theatre and a mentorship with puppet designer Darka Erdelji in Slovenia, where she began working on the puppets for Hungry Little Shadow, her first film. For more information, visit www.saratilley.ca.

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Director Statement

Hungry Little Shadow is a film for all ages that uses puppetry, object animation and desserts to tell the tale of Shadow, a hungry, orphaned kitten with a zest for life. The story is inspired by a Slovenian folktale. It was originally designed to be a theatre piece which could tour to small, unusual locations, with a different audience member playing the role of The Customer each night. During the coronavirus lockdown period in 2020, my partner and I transformed this play into a film, shooting and editing everything from within our two-person bubble. We learned as we went, and knew so few of 'the rules' that we still don't know which ones we may have broken. The result is a bit of timeless magic, a journey from the outer world into a smaller, cozier one. Welcome to the Ball O'Yarn Bistro, where we serve nothing but sweets, and every meal comes with its own story...