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Apple Tree has a record amount of Halloween screenings this year, 12 in total, and a couple of wins and nominations to boot. So, big(ger) chance we’re playing in a theater near you! Award for… classified (more details soon!) at Midwest Horror Fest in Logansport, Indiana, USA (21-22 oct). Woohoo! Award …
Flawless stop-motion, great art-work and a twisted sense of humour embedded in horror’s history.
Weird Wednesday 0711
Apple Tree has won ‘Best Short’ as well as ‘Best Feature’ (no shit!) at British Animation Film Festival (BAFF) in London. BAFF is all you need!
Under The Apple Tree has won the MELIES D’ARGENT for best European fantastic short film at Grossmann fantastic film & wine festival in Slovenia! This means that we are now in competition for the Melies d’Or. Thank you Grossmen! Cheers! Director Erik van Schaaik having a sad little apple at …
Quality, humor and exuberance.
Grossmann Fantastic Film and Wine Festival
Last night, just before going to bed, we were informed that Under The Apple Tree is the winner of a Wildcard (kind of an audience award – ish) at Hellfire Short Film Festival 8th Round in the UK. Now that’s a good bedtime story!
I would love to see Under The Apple Tree developed into a feature film.
Atomic Age Renegades
The attention to detail throughout the film is exquisite, it’s beautifully crafted and the story is brilliant and ingenious.
Atomic Age Renegades
Another win for the Apples at the U-Horror Fest, Los Angeles, USA! Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head. And then I got the good news. Thank U very much, U! January 20-22, 2017 “U-Horror Fest is giving indie genre filmmakers the opportunity to show their …
We’re selected for the 10th Tehran International Animation Festival, March 5 – 9, 2017. Iran, the cradle of one of the richest cultures and civilization of the world! Makes you wonder about the award for best animated short… They have great url’s with Arabian characters! Have a look: TIAF 2017
A brilliant stop-animated short giving a new spin on the zombie theme.
South African HorrorFest
There was a young woman of Ryde who ate too many apples and died. The apples fermented inside the lamented and made cider inside her inside.
Under The Apple Tree wins the 1st prize at Animation Marathon 2016 in Romanso, Athens, Greece. Ευχαριστώ πολύ!
A mooooost bodacious win in Cape Town: Best Stop-Animated Short at South African Horrorfest 2016. A big thanks from the apple-crew here in Holland ‘n Belgium ‘n Spain!
Here’s a fantastic Apple Tree review by The Ink And Code: The New York City Horror Festival has come to an end and I’m pleased to say it was a great deal of fun to attend for the first time. One of my favorite parts was the showing of shorts …
18 minutes of macabre delight, this short should be every child’s first horror experience
The Ink and Code
Bogotá. Bogotá. Bogotá. Sounds kinda like a drum riff. Under The Apple Tree has been selected for …bogotabogotabogotabogota… the 14th edition of the Bogotá Short Film Festival / Festival de Cortos de Bogotá – Bogoshorts! December 6th to 13th, 2016, Bogotá (Colombia).
In 2009 Anita van Dalen (producer) and Erik van Schaaik (writer/director) made a long trip through Alaska, thoroughly falling in love with this beautiful country. Needless to say it’s a thrill to be selected for the Anchorage International Film Festival 2016! Under The Apple Tree is a film worth freezing for! December …
A film worth freezing for.
Anchorage International Film Festival, Alaska, USA
Apple tree has picked up the award for Best Director and the award for Best Short at Eerie Horror Film Festival 2016 in the USofA! Needless to say we are bloody grateful, cutthroat happy, hard gore overwhelmed and stick-it-in-and-break-it-off humbled by this recognition. Wish we could have been there. Thank you very much! …
Another win!!! Dedicated to Mitzi, the late pussycat we catsat when we were in New York: The award for Best Short at this years New York City Horror Film Festival (USA). Here’s a fantastic Apple Tree review from The Ink And Code.
Under The Apple Tree has won the award for Best Animated Short 2016 at the Atlanta Horror Film Festival in Atlanta, Georgia (USA). ‘The horror… the horror…’ I mean: ‘The honor… the honor…’ THANK YOU!
Under the Apple Tree has been selected in competition at Manchester Animation Festival 2016 (UK). Three screenings. November 15 – 17, 2016. Bee there or bee square!
Quality storytelling, originality and personality of characters, great animation performance.
Stop Motion Montreal
Imagine the Gruffalo with Zombies.
Grimm Up North
Maçãs no Anima Mundi! Under the Apple Tree has been selected for competition in the CURTA METRAGEM/SHORT FILM program of the 24th International Animation Festival of Brazil, 2016. The festival will take place in Rio de Janeiro, from October 25th to 30th, and in São Paulo, from November 2nd to …
Alors voilà! Under the Apple Tree has been selected in competition for the 13th edition of Court Métrange international fantastic and etrange short film festival, Rennes (FR). October 19 – October 23, 2016
Erik loves Anim’est! He’s itching to pack his suitcase to visit Bucharest again. Under the Apple Tree has been selected to participate in the international short competition of the 11th ANIM’EST international animation film festival in Bucharest (RO). October 07 – 16, 2016.
The excellently told story is peppered with morbid humor, its archaic English voice-overs entirely in rhyme.
Netherlands Film Festival
Im Himmel gibt’s kein Bier, Drum trinken wir es hier. Same goes for cider. Under the Apple Tree has been selected within the Shnit Animates program at this years festivals edition of Shnit International Shortfilmfestival Bern (CH). October 05 – 16, 2016.
For réal!? Under the Apple Tree has won the first prize in the category Professional Film at the eight edition of Festival Stop Motion Montréal (2016) in Québec (CA). Thank You!
One of the most well-crafted stop-motion films we’ve seen. Deeply funny.
Skwigly Animation Magazine
Laura-Beth Cowley from Skwigly wrote an in-depth interview with Erik about Apple Tree and his next animation project: Hieronymus.
77,000 people, one of the largest pop culture conventions in the world, and yet ANOTHER WIN for farmers, priests and worms! Under the Apple Tree had been awarded the FIRST PRIZE ANIMATED FANTASY at the 2016 Dragon Con Independent Short Film Festival Atlanta (USA). Thank you very much, dear Dragon Conmen, and a big …
Third prize for Under The Apple Tree at Animfest Athens 2016. Thank you so much! Σας ευχαριστούμε! If I’m not mistaking…
Nah also aber ja, ne? Under the Apple Tree has been selected to take part in the International Competition of the 23rd Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film Stuttgart (DE). April 26 – May 01, 2016.
Erik van Schaaik is nominated for the Dutch Directors Guild Award, for writing and directing Under The Apple Tree. A great honor to receive from ones colleagues!
Under the Apple Tree has been selected in the International Competition at the eight edition of GoShort Nijmegen (NL). April 6 – 10, 2016.
Under the Apple Tree has been selected in the Dutch competition at HAFF, Holland Animation Film Festival Utrecht (NL). March 16 – March 20, 2016.
Under the Apple Tree has been selected in the competition of the night of animation at Anima Festival Bruxelles (BE). February 5 – 14, 2016.
Apples and pumpkins go very well together. Check out these Halloween feasts, screening Under The Apple Tree: SAT 31 OCT 2015 22:00 Nijmegen – Midnight Madness, Kloosterkino 00:00 Amsterdam – Halloween Horror Show, Tuschinski 21:30 Amsterdam – LAB111, theatre 4
Griezelig, geestig en met grote liefde voor het horrorgenre gemaakt.
Trouw
Friday, October 2, 2015 Under The Apple Tree was honored with the prestigious Golden Calf award for Best Short Film at the Netherlands Film Festival (NFF). Director Erik van Schaaik was welcomed to the stage by two of his most esteemed colleagues, Oscar nominees Marieke Blaauw and Joris Oprins, to …
The observant reader may have already read it on the movie poster: The song from Under The Apple Tree is written and performed by none other than Racoon! Thank you Bart, Stefan, Paul and Dennis, for Fun We Had, a beautiful, melancholic feel-good tune, the cherry on top of our …
Erik Vos from graphic design company Het Lab created this bodacious poster for us. Right away the movie won the Golden Calf award, so now Erik has to start adding laurel leaves and reprint. Let’s hope we can keep him busy.
Under The Apple Tree has been selected for the Animated Professional Shorts Competition at KLIK Animation Festival Amsterdam (NL). October 27 – November 01, 2015.
This week we successfully finished our crowdfunding campaign, we wrapped shooting in Holland, we also wrapped in Belgium and we’re ready for post-production. Thank’s a million to all our supporters, funders, likers and cider-enthusiasts! Cheers! Here’s the small Belgium crew at Beast Animation, and the larger Dutch crew at Pedri …
Ladies and gentlemen, you’ve been a fantastic audience. This crowdfunding campaign really rocked, but now it’s coming to an end. Our last song is called ‘Only 4 hours left’. So if you still want to get one of our awesome rewards, invest in a thing of beauty or if you …
Hurray, we’ve reached our crowdfunding goal! We’re happy, thankful and totally motivated to make the best movie ever! Also our lead animator Sergio finished his last shot yesterday, which was yet another reason to pop a champagne bottle. I enjoyed a good mug of bubbly together with Sergio and the …
Dear (forthcoming) funder, Just a few days left shooting our movie in Holland and Belgium. What a race! Frame by frame we are nearing the finish. Over the last months some of our puppets have sustained some injuries. Our protagonist Aber underwent heavy treatment; he’s doing fine now. Other characters …
A holiday postcard from our apple tree ‘heroes’ childhoods. Have a great summer, y’all!
A quick painting of the farmers old barn.
Design sketch. This character needs to be très translucent. Donc.
We spent part of our Sunday updating our Appletree website. The pics in the header are taken from the storyboards. Thanks, nieta. You’re a star!
Erik has taken down the window signs from the Apple Tree studio. Don’t worry, we’re not closing, we’re just moving. We discovered a wonderful little place in the heart of the fashion district of Arnhem. It suits us very well. It’s just temporary. If everything goes as planned we’ll soon …
We’ve been a-poppin’ cider champagne for The Apple Tree just grew bigger and better. My lovely producer and I made a pact with another lovely producer – Pedri Animations – and are in the process of making even more pacts with producers abroad. The best thing is that the Dutch Filmfund – …
Yesterday we popped a lovely cider champagne. The ever growing Apple Tree team had to celebrate. Celebrate what? you ask? I’ll tell you soon..! In the meantime: For the best bubbly in town I recommend you have a look at the Ciderwinkel website of Cider Man Raúl. Cheers!
Hi there, animation lovers, The Apple Tree storyboards are finished! What you see here is about one third of the movie. I must say it’s great to see the whole story unfold before my eyes in images. I have a beautiful digital version of the boards – of which I’ll …
Hi y’all! Here’s a puppet-building test. Built in 2 days. Animatable. The wire armature is a bit too thin. Makes him a bit wobbly. But that fits the character, doesn’t it? This puppet came out a bit scarier than intended. But the horn on the walking aid helps making this poor …
Great article on the Apple Tree Studio in De Gelderlander. Thanks Marco! Check here for a short, online version.
Last evening I made these 3D sketches at the kitchen table. A first look at priest puppet. The first four (which is one and the same) is inspired by the illustration from the book. The one on the right is a little bit more stylized, more cartoony. It’s missing it’s …
A plasticine sketch of Aber the worm. I plan to post more sketches of different characters soon.
I attended a workshop by stop motion Oscar winner Suzie Templeton at the NIAf. She was very generous in revealing her puppet-making secrets. She brought some puppets for us to hold in our hands. These puppets are from her film Peter And The Wolf. Amazing detail! Created by Polish animation …
I’ve had this tiny apple tree in my garden for at least eight years now, and this is the first time that it actually grew an apple. That’s a sign, right? It must be. I finally decided to go ahead and make my Apple Tree movie and tada! there’s an …
Rare, unpublished book illustration from Under The Apple Tree. The Klik! Amsterdam animation film festival needs your support. Join their crowd funding campaign and get an original illustration from the Under The Apple Tree book!!!
Wooohooo! The Appletree project has received funding from Productiefonds Oost Nederland. This is the true kick off of the project. I am so happy! A huge thanks goes out to the committee!