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The Gallant Captain

A boy and his cat journey into unknown waters with a little bottle, a boat and a vivid imagination.

  • Katrina Mathers
    Director
    Nullarbor
  • Graeme Base
    Director
  • Katrina Mathers
    Producer
    Nullarbor
  • Merrin Jensen
    Producer
    Nullarbor
  • Daryl Munton
    Producer
    Nullarbor
  • Patrick Sarell
    Producer
    Nullarbor
  • Toby Pearce
    Key Cast
  • Graeme Base
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Short
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 8 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 1, 2013
  • Production Budget:
    165,000 AUD
  • Country of Origin:
    Australia
  • Country of Filming:
    Australia
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Aspen Shortsfest
    Colorado
    United States
    April 8, 2014
    Best Short Short
  • St Kilda Film Festival
    Melbourne
    Australia
    May 31, 2014
    Best Animation
  • Omaha Film Festival

    United States
    March 9, 2014
    Best Animated Short Film
  • Anima Mundi International Film Festival
    Brazil
    August 6, 2014
  • Athens International Film and Video Festival
    Ohio, USA
    April 11, 2014
  • Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival
    France
    January 31, 2014
    International Premiere
  • Cleveland International Film Festival
    USA
    March 19, 2014
  • Fantoche 2014
    Baden, Switzerland
    September 2, 2014
  • London International Animation Festival
    London, UK
    October 25, 2014
  • Adelaide Film Festival
    South Australia
    Australia
    October 10, 2013
    World Premiere
    Most Popular Short Film
  • Flickerfest Film Festival
    Sydney
    Australia
    January 10, 2014
  • Byron Bay International Film Festival
    NSW
    Australia
    February 28, 2014
  • Holland Animation Festival

    Netherlands
    March 19, 2014
  • Little Big Shots International Festival for Kids
    Melbourne
    Australia
    May 31, 2014
    Best Adult Made Film
Distribution Information
  • Shorts International
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
  • ATOM
    Country: Australia
    Rights: All Rights, Internet, Video on Demand, Pay Per View, Hotel, Airline, Ship, Theatrical, Video / Disc, Free TV, Paid TV, Console / Handheld Device
Director Biography - Katrina Mathers, Graeme Base

Katrina Mathers co-founded Melbourne animation studio The Lampshade Collective, producing the multi-award winning short animations 'Nullarbor' and ‘The Gallant Captain’ (directed with Graeme Base). She has made many award-winning shorts, both live action and animation and she’s worked for many years as a filmmaker and actor. Graeme Base is the renowned writer/illustrator of bestselling children's books including ‘Animalia’ and ‘The Eleventh Hour’. With over thirty publishing awards, sales of his books are approaching six million. ‘The Gallant Captain’ marks Graeme’s debut as a director.

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Director Statement

THE GALLANT CAPTAIN is about a little boy facing up to one of life's big challenges - dealing with the loss of a loved one, in Will's case his father, a sailor lost at sea.

Will sets on an imaginary journey to retrace his father's last voyage, taking with him his beloved Cat as first mate and a precious talisman; a ship-in-a-bottle that his father made.

Storm clouds soon gather and a vast, brooding pirate ship appears - the embodiment of Will's grief. Initially daunted, our brave lad rises to the challenge and sends the pirate ship to the bottom - victory! - but a bigger test lies in store. Back in the real world his little boat is sinking...

As he labours vainly to bail out the boat, his father's bottle-ship slips out of his pocket, over the side of the dingy and begins to float away. He reaches out, desperate not to lose it, but Cat is meowing pitifully as the dingy begins to go down - she is terrified. Will must make a decision. He lets the bottle-ship go and sets about saving Cat, every bit the Gallant Captain.

It turns out the water is only knee-deep (the reality of one's fears often turns out to be manageable despite perceived hopelessness) and Will and Cat both end up back on the pier, bedraggled and a little crestfallen though unquestionably relived to be together and alive.

But something has changed. Will, in his moment of trial, has chosen to let go of the past and deal with the present. Now, as he and Cat look out from the end of the pier, taking in their bittersweet adventure, we see the bottle-ship bobbing away into the sunset. As Will watches, the bottle dissolves, and the fond memory of his father sails off into a golden past, leaving Will free to look to the future.