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Witness: An Organima Film

'Witness: An Organima Film' is an experimental animation short film that captures the sentience in small life-forms: ancient beings on stone, an intelligent water droplet, and spirits of sunlight. Crafted with a novel animation approach that asks natural materials to guide their own story, elemental archives move the viewer to question the nature of human purpose and renew their child-like vision.

  • Nik Arthur
    Creator
  • Nik Arthur
    Director
  • Nik Arthur
    Script
  • Jodre Datu
    Script
  • Nik Arthur
    Producer
  • Ben Wittkugel
    Executive Producer
  • Ben Wittkugel
    Artist Manager & Publicist
  • Emi Takahashi
    Co-Director (Tch)
  • Anna Chandler
    Co-Director (Uu)
  • Marvin Lau
    Animation Support (Uu)
  • Emi Takahashi
    Co-Director (Ksha-sha)
  • Masumi Rodriguez
    Made In Collaboration With (Ksha-sha)
  • Elena Kirby
    Made In Collaboration With (Ksha-sha)
  • Will Miller
    Score
  • Jonah Yano
    Score
  • Ouri
    Score
  • Hinako Omori
    Score
  • Daniela Andrade
    Score
  • Ivy Boxall
    Score
  • Emi Takahashi
    Title Design
  • Anna Chandler
    Title Design
  • Nik Arthur
    Title Design
  • Anna Chandler
    Credit Design
  • Sam Hall
    Audio Mastering
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Experimental, Avantgarde, Analogue Animation, Nature
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 30 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 30, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 CAD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Anifilm International Festival of Animated Films
    Liberec
    Czech Republic
    May 6, 2025
    World Premiere
    Abstract and Non-narrative Animation
  • Fest Anča International Animation Festival
    Žilina
    Slovakia
    June 24, 2025
    Slovakia Premiere
    Contemporary Abstract and Non-narrative Animation
  • Les Sommets du cinéma d'animation
    Montreal
    Canada
    May 26, 2025
    Wide Angle
  • Fear No Film
    Salt Lake City, UT
    United States
    June 19, 2025
    Mind-Blowing Animated Short
Director Biography - Nik Arthur

Nik Arthur (he/him) is an experimental animator and filmmaker living in Montreal, Canada. Most often working with organic matter, Nik develops novel animation approaches that engage with nature’s intrinsic patterns, attending to how their constructions can shape new methods of storytelling.

Working across film, advertising, and music, Nik has collaborated with an array of brands and artists such as YouTube, Vice, Dominic Fike, XL Recordings, and Acne Studios. Throughout these projects, Nik crosses disciplines and offers a unique vision that questions the boundaries of his mediums. Previously, Nik has been recognized for his music videos at Ottawa International Animation Festival (2023), Sommets du Cinema D’Animation de Montréal (2024), and Supertoon International Animation Festival (2023) and supported by the Canadian Council for the Arts.

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Director Statement

Creatures on a stone perform an ancient ritual. Beings on wood wither their world as they explore. A water droplet plays in a pond. In each setting, sentient life-forms move across the space as they reconnect with a childhood friend. Short scenes of small universes create new mythologies of the natural world, inviting viewers to ask: Are we interpreting these stories correctly – or are there any correct interpretations at all?

With an unconventional production process, 'Witness: An Organima Film' weaves together a series of animation studies on organic matter. Throughout the 2-year production, filmmaker Nik Arthur gathered experts in natural materials to explore the anima in various settings, not knowing exactly where each investigation would lead. As the project progressed, research led to the realization that life hides beneath the surface of everyday objects and animates its own stories. With title and sound designers, musicians, and writers, the project culminates in the voices and textures of creatures rising from their respective surfaces.

Forgoing typical narrative structure, the film contemplates, wanders, and opens more possibilities than conclusions. Natural worlds serve as mentors and guides as they immerse and invite, renewing our vision and appreciation for the life that goes unseen.