The Calling

The Animal hears a calling and decides to find its source. At the bottom of a well it discovers something both frightening and familiar.

  • Frida E. Elmström
    Director
  • Frida E. Elmström
    Writer
  • Anders Wilhelmsson
    Producer
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Mardjuret
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 3 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 8, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    48,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Sweden
  • Country of Filming:
    Sweden
  • Language:
    No Dialogue
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Uppsala Short Film Festival
    Uppsala
    Sweden
    October 29, 2021
    Swedish Premiere
    National Competition
  • Lund Fantastic Film Festival
    Lund
    Sweden
    October 30, 2021
    Audience Award selection
  • JEF Festival
    Brussels
    Belgium
    February 19, 2022
    International premiere
  • Go Short
    Nijmegen
    Netherlands
    April 3, 2022
    Dutch premiere
    Family Shorts 10+
  • International Short Film Festival Oberhausen
    Oberhausen
    Germany
    May 4, 2022
    German premiere
    Children’s and Youth Film Competition
  • Odense International Film Festival
    Odense
    Denmark
    July 31, 2022
    Danish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Kristiansand International Children’s Film Festival
    Kristiansand
    Norway
    April 28, 2022
    Norwegian Premiere
    Short Film Competition
  • Fredrikstad Animation Festival
    Fredrikstad
    Norway
    October 20, 2022
    Nordic-Baltic Children's Film Competition
  • Chicago International Children's Film Festival
    Chicago
    United States
    November 4, 2022
    North American Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Göteborg Film Festival Prisma
    Gothenburg
    Sweden
    October 29, 2022
    Official Selection
  • REX Animation Film Festival
    Stockholm
    Sweden
    November 2, 2022
    Official Selection Swedish Animation
  • Africa International Film Festival
    Lagos
    Nigeria
    November 6, 2022
    African Premiere
    Official Selection (Out of competition)
  • Uşak Short Fılm Festıval
    Uşak
    Turkey
    December 15, 2022
    Turkish Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Tampere Film Festival
    Tampere
    Finland
    March 11, 2023
    Finnish Premiere
    Minikino
  • Brasília International Fantastic Film Festival
    Brasilia
    Brazil
    March 25, 2023
    South American Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Tashkent International Animation Forum
    Tashkent
    Uzbekistan
    May 6, 2023
    Asian Premiere
    Silence is Golden Competition
  • Animatricks International Animation Festival
    Helsinki
    Finland
    May 18, 2023
    Best of Nordic & Baltic Competition
  • ELO(KUVA)KUU
    Savonlinna
    Finland
    June 12, 2023
    Official Selection Animation
  • La Muestra de Cine Escandinavo en México (MUCEM)
    Xalapa
    Mexico
    August 15, 2023
    Mexican Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Reels on Wheels
    Hannover
    Germany
    September 17, 2023
    Official Selection
  • 16th International Children's Film Festival Bangladesh
    Dhaka
    Bangladesh
    September 8, 2023
    Bangladesh Premiere
    Competition Section
  • AniMaroolic
    Split
    Croatia
    November 7, 2023
    Croatian Premiere
    Official Selection
  • MOTELX - Lisbon Int. Horror Film Festival
    Lisbon
    Portugal
    September 13, 2024
    Portugese Premiere
    Big Bad Wolf
  • Max Sir International Film Festival
    Lviv
    Ukraine
    September 13, 2024
    Ukranian premiere
    Official selection
Distribution Information
  • Folkets Bio
    Distributor
    Country: Sweden
    Rights: Theatrical
  • Premium Films
    Sales Agent
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Frida E. Elmström

Frida E. Elmström is a Swedish animator, director and set designer. After studying documentary filmmaking and creative writing participated in the Film Production training at The New Zealand School of Film & Television, and graduated in Animation at HDK-Valand, the Academy of Arts and Design in Gothenburg in 2018. During her studies she worked in the camera and lighting department on commercials, music videos and plays. In 2011 she started working with Swedish acclaimed director Roy Andersson at his Studio24. In 2020 she received a Swedish national Guldbagge Award for her work as set designer on Roy Andersson’s feature “About Endlessness”. She is also active as artist and has been teaching analog optical illusions at the Royal Institute of Art.

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Director Statement

I want to explore the meeting with the unknown, both within and outside of us. That what doesn’t look, or is, what we expect.

What happens if we stay to familiarize ourselves with the unknown, instead of running away from it. The Calling is a about being curious and dare to face that unknown. And perhaps face it with friendliness.

Today we can run away from that which is unfamiliar or scary, we can turn to our phones or entertainment or social media. I want The Calling to make us contemplate this.