Alexandre Siqueira's Animated 'Terminal' World Premieres at TIFF (Stills-Trailer)

After the much-acclaimed 2019 animation short 'Purpleboy' (read our review), Portuguese/Brazilian animation director Alexandre Siqueira returns in 2026 with another tale of personal dilemmas and social awareness.

His 'Terminal' animation short has now been selected for TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) and its Short Cuts Competition, where it will have its world premiere.

In the 17-minute 2D animation/ mixed media short, Jorge, a man in his fifties, returns to his mother's house after more than thirty years traveling the world. Illness and a maternal relationship are now being tested.

We expect a non-conventional approach to humanism in this very well-placed 'back home' animated Odyssey, with another pertinent color palette and equally deep psychological focus.

My interest was to explore cinematically how a single concept could simultaneously contain the coldness of an irreversible clinical diagnosis and the warmth of a transport infrastructure where lives intersect, depart, and return. The focus is not on the spectacle of the illness, but rather on the painful, dense, and silent perspective of the mother. Through her gaze, the mother's house ceases to be merely a static setting and becomes a living space, an absolute terminal - Alexander Siqueira, film director

'Terminal' is produced by BAP Animation Studios (Garrano, Dog Alone, Percebes), Studio Kimchi (Spain), and XBO Films (France). 

Alexandre Siqueira's 'Terminal' is not the only animation short selected for TIFF. The Short Cuts competition includes 8 animated films, including films from Niki Lindroth von Bahr and Anna Mantzaris.

The full TIFF Short Cuts list:

• 'The End', Niki Lindroth von Bahr / Sweden, France, Denmark
• 'Please', Anna Mantzaris /  Sweden, France, Czech Republic, Norway, Finland
• The Day I Smoked a Cigarette with my Father, Sameh Alaa, Robin Vouters /  France, Egypt, Belgium
• 2:Love, Ronni Shalev /  Belgium, France, Israel
• (Haboolm Ksinaalgat) Soul Catcher, Amanda Strong, Pamela Post / Canada
• The Comet, Julie Charette / Canada
• Melk, Filip Anthonissen / Belgium  
• Terminal, Alexandre Siqueira / Portugal, Spain, France

Watch the 'Terminal' trailer:

'Terminal' is distributed by the Agência Portuguese Short Film Agency.

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