KAPITAN: A Stop-Motion Journey Across Seas and Dreams
With its silent elegance and handcrafted world of sailors, light, and longing, Kapitan has quietly sailed through the international festival circuit, earning recognition as one of the most poetic stop-motion shorts to emerge from Spain’s new generation of animators.
Directed by Andrei Simkin, Kapitan (Spain, 2023, 9’50”) tells the story of a lonely sea captain adrift in search of an orange lighthouse—a beacon that glows in his imagination as both a destination and a promise. When the light finally cuts through the darkness of his cabin, the captain must face the question that anchors the film: continue the endless voyage or reach for the dream he’s always chased.
Though without dialogue, Kapitan speaks volumes through motion, sound, and atmosphere. Its handcrafted puppets, practical sets, and painterly lighting carry the weight of emotion without a single word. The film’s immersive sound design and subtle animation rhythm create a sensory voyage that feels both intimate and mythic.
A Rising Talent in Stop Motion
Born in Moscow in 1999 and raised in Spain from 2012 onward, Andrei Simkin studied at the prestigious ESCAC Film School in Barcelona, where he specialized in animation and developed a passion for tactile storytelling. Kapitan marks his directorial debut—a final project at ESCAC that has since grown into a standout festival success.
Simkin’s journey has since crossed the Atlantic: he now works as a stop-motion animator at Laika Studios in Portland, Oregon, home to films such as Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings. His work bridges two worlds—European art-school sensibility and American studio precision.
Festival Circuit and Awards
Since its completion, Kapitan has been selected for a wide range of international film and animation festivals, including:
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Festival de Málaga – Animazine Section (Spain)
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Animac – Mostra Internacional d’Animació de Catalunya (Spain)
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Cartoon Club Festival (Italy)
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CINANIMA (Portugal)
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REX Animation Film Festival (Sweden)
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Animation Dingle (Ireland)
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Cinespaña, Festival du Film Espagnol de Toulouse (France)
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Mequinenza International Film Festival (Spain)
Its poetic cinematography and visual craftsmanship have earned several distinctions, including:
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Best Cinematography at Festival de Cortos Ciudad de Alcobendas (Spain, 2024)
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Special Mention at Festival de Animación Comfama (Colombia, 2025)
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New Generation Award at Festival Internacional de Cine de Navarra (Spain, 2025)
A Visual Poem of Light and Solitude
Kapitan’s story unfolds like a maritime allegory—an inward odyssey rendered through miniature textures, expressive lighting, and tangible atmosphere. Its stop-motion animation captures both the vastness of the sea and the smallness of human yearning. Every frame feels deliberate, as though built from memory and driftwood.
Through its festival success, Kapitan signals a growing wave of independent and student-driven stop-motion films that explore emotional landscapes through handcrafted means. For Simkin and the team at ESCAC Films, this short marks not just the end of an academic project, but the beginning of a promising career in the global animation industry.
Watch the Trailer
The official trailer can be viewed exclusively via Distribution with Glasses, which manages international festival and press distribution.
