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If the industry giants are whipping up films that cater to the least common denominator of the palette then Filmcake is practicing molecular gastronomy.

Implicit in a company’s name that includes “cake” is a sweetness. Filmcake founders, Oliver Valente and Ben Lagos, don’t disappoint. Their films deliver, disarmingly sweet whilst burnished by a signature touch that distinguishes all great bakers. The discerning use of stop motion animation makes for a whimsical but well-timed, extemporaneous but subversive, light and textured aesthetic. Using scraps of video like pictures in a collage, layers of two dimensions create a sense (real or imagined…It works) of character and depth. Substantiating the foundations of the medium while testing the shortcomings, you can watch a Filmcake again and again for familiarity or freshness.

Between the two of them, nationality spans Tanzania, Chile, New Zealand, Tahiti, Italy and Scotland. With such broad points of reference, the personal motivation behind the films becomes almost as universal as the aesthetic. They’ve covered a vast array of subjects from Kenya to Berlin and are inspired by greats such as Luc Besson,
Bernardo Bertolucci, Chris Cunningham, Wes Anderson, and the Cohen Brothers.     These young filmmakers/filmbakers demonstrate serious promise in terms of breadth of scope and profundity of style. Organic, experimental, and highly technical, Filmcake’s goods hit the cinematic spot from sweet to savory.