Animated short film «Pigtail and Mr. Sleeplessness» by «Atom Art»

The premiere of the animated film «Pigtail and Mr. Sleeplessness» took place during the Riga International Film Festival this September. The 25–minute long film is a story of a five years old girl Pigtail and her adventures during the winter holidays. What Pigtail wants most of all is to learn to skate. However, just before Christmas Pigtail’s baby brother appears to the world and turns everything upside down. Pigtail’s parents are fully occupied with him, and her Grandma who has specially arrived from the countryside doesn’t know how to skate nor is any good at reading good–night–tales. So, Pigtail together with her imaginary friend, Mr. Sleeplessness, come up with a plan to send Grandma and Baby Brother to the Moon in order to save the holidays and win back parents attention.

The authors of the new film, produced by the independent animation studio «Atom Art», are the team behind the beloved film cycle «Shammies» («Lupatiņi»): director Edmunds Jansons, artist Reinis Pētersons and the leading animator Mārtiņš Dūmiņš. The author of the idea and scenario is Lote Eglīte, producer Sabīne Andersone, music composer Ģirts Bišs, music performers — the ensemble «Brokastis četratā». The voices behind the film are actors of the New Riga Theatre: Guna Zariņa, Baiba Broka, Kaspars Znotiņš, Edgars Samītis. The voice actor of Pigtail is nine–year–old Nora Guuma.

At the Lielais Kristaps National Film Festival award ceremony on November 13 in Riga, the «Pigtail and Mr. Sleeplessness» received the title of the best animated film, while Lote Eglīte received the award for the best script, and Edmunds Jansons was awarded as the best director of animated film.

On November 25, the film will be on view in the cinema «Splendid Palace». After that a screening meet–and–greet with the authors and creative workshops for children will take place.

FOLD Film about the work of the animator and founder of «Atom Art» Edmunds Jansons is available here.