Director's Statement
My stories are reflections of everyday life; biographies of people we can relate to; friends, eccentric relatives, and the colourful people we encounter in the street. I try to get a balance between humour and pathos, light and shade, comedy and tragedy. I invented a word to describe my films, clayographies, a portmanteau term combining clay and biographies.
As an auteur, I have to wear many hats. One of my favourite roles is the Production Designer. Melbourne had one of the longest covid lockdowns but luckily, I was able to spend my confinement prepping for the film. Over five months I hand drew the 1600 storyboard panels on pieces of paper then moved on to drawing the 200 characters, 200 sets and the thousands of props that needed to be handmade. For this film, I wanted to keep the materials and aesthetic simple, and use four basic materials: clay, wire, paper and paint. Too much stopmotion has become slick and reliant on 3D printers. I wanted to celebrate the clay, its lumps, bumps and imperfections.
I was born with a hereditary shake which I have incorporated into my aesthetic. Every asset had to look flawed, asymmetrical; as if made in a hurry or by someone who was drunk. My character's psyches are imperfect and so I wanted their appearance to match my drawings which are loose, gestural and naive. I have a holistic approach to my work and strive for originality. Art imitates life and vice versa; for me they are inseparable and both art and filmmaking have become my yoga.
Memoir of a Snail Memoir of a Snail
directed by Adam Elliot, written by Adam Elliot, cinematographer Gerald Thompson, editing Bill Murphy, animation supervisor John Lewis, music composer Elena Kats-Chernin, sound designer David Williams, producers Liz Kearney, Adam Eliott, production Arena Media, Screen Australia
IMDbPhotos
What's On
A Real Pain A Real Pain
Jesse Eisenberg
Tuesday, 15. 07. 2025 / 21:30 / The Ljubljana Castle
Two estranged cousins join a guided tour of Poland to pay tribute to their beloved grandmother. Oscar for the Best Supporting Actor and a nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Wisdom of Happiness Wisdom of Happiness
Barbara Miller, Philip Delaquis
Wednesday, 16. 07. 2025 / 21:30 / The Ljubljana Castle
With disarming wit, the Dalai Lama reflects on balancing millennia-old Tibetan Buddhist traditions with the contemporary values of our globalised society that now struggles to overcome violence and war while standing on the brink of environmental collapse. In this intimate heart-to-heart, the nearly 90-year-old Nobel Peace Laureate and the world’s greatest ambassador for compassion brings a timely message of hope. Wisdom of Happiness blends the Dalai Lama’s inspirational words with stirring images of our planet and newly unearthed archival footage.
Little Trouble Girls Kaj ti je deklica
Urška Djukić
Thursday, 17. 07. 2025 / 21:30 / The Ljubljana Castle
Urška Djukić’s (Granny’s Sexual Life) debut feature explores the power of girls’ voices to overturn traditional ideas and patriarchal patterns through the eyes of a shy and sensitive 16-year-old girl, Lucija. The opening film of the Perspectives Competition and winner of the FIPRESCI Award for Best First Film at this year’s Berlinale.