The Debutante
A film by Elizabeth Hobbs. A spirited young woman persuades a hyena from London Zoo to take her place at a dinner dance being held in her honour.
A spirited young woman persuades a hyena from London Zoo to take her place at a dreaded dinner dance being held in her honour. Their plan requires a surprising amount of artistry and violence. The Debutante is based on a short story written by the artist Leonora Carrington, who was presented at the court of King George V and herself became a debutante in 1936. Elizabeth Hobbs celebrates Carrington’s bold and funny story with ink, paint and collage, accompanied by a score by composer Hutch Demouilpied.
The Debutante is a film by Elizabeth Hobbs, produced by Animate Projects, with the support of the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery, and with thanks to the Estate of Leonora Carrington.
Awards: Grand Prix, the Golden Pegasus at the 15th International Animated Film Festival ANIMATOR 2022, Poland; Grand Prize, International Competition Short Film at Bucheon International Animation Festival 2022, South Korea; Animated Short Jury Award at SXSW 2023, USA; Melies D’Argent/Silver Melies Award for the Best European Fantastic Short Film at San Sebastian Horror and Fantasy Film Festival 2022, Spain; Lab Special Jury Prize at the 45th Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, France; Bronze Jabberwocky prize, at Etiuda & Anima 2022, Poland; Yarnspinner’s Favourite: Special Mention, at Animist Tallinn 2022, Estonia; Prix Sauvage (Wild-Untamed Award) and the Prix de la Spontanéité (Spontaneity Award) at the Paris International Animation Film Festival 2023, France.
Shortlisted for the Animated Short Film Award, at the 95th Academy Awards. Candidate for European Short Film at the European Film Awards 2023 (announcing December 2023).
Elizabeth Hobbs is an animated filmmaker based in East London. Her films are created under a rostrum camera, and are made with many different techniques and materials; ink on bathroom tiles, typewriters, watercolour on paper, butterfly prints and rubber stamps. The films are experimental but with a clear narrative, often based on unusual and overlooked historical stories and figures. In 2019, she received a BAFTA British Short Animation nomination for I’m OK, and in 2020, she was invited to become a member of the Short Films and Feature Animation branch of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Elizabeth enjoys sharing her practice through lecturing, workshops, and collaboration.
