Gandahar (René Laloux, 1987) | Preceded by Cat and Mouse (Mike Olenick, 2026)

In the final film by the visionary animator of Fantastic Planet (1973), the planet Gandahar is home to a peaceful civilization that suddenly finds itself under attack by the merciless “Men of Metal.” In hopes of learning the origin of these automatons and defeating them a council of matriarchs appoints Sylvain, an inexperienced soldier, to embark on an outer-planet quest that leads him through one bizarre environment after another, all populated by surreal and wonderous creatures. Now a sci-fi cult classic, Gandahar is an excellent example of how the art of animation is limited only by the imagination of the creator. In French with English subtitles. (83 mins., 4K DCP)

A quiet afternoon in the neighborhood spirals into chaos when Sarah asks her parents for a cat and is forced to learn a valuable life lesson in this surreal thriller: be careful what you wish for. The short film Cat and Mouse, by Columbus filmmaker Mike Olenick, features a cast filled with Columbus visual artists and includes dozens of backgrounds hand-painted by the director and an original score by AE Paterra of the electronic duo Zombi. The film received postproduction support from the Wex’s Film/Video Studio. (20 mins., DCP)