Bloomers nominated for the British Animation Awards

I am thrilled that Samantha Moore’s experimental animated documentary Bloomers has been nominated for Best Short Film at the British Animation Awards 2020. In celebration of this achievement we are launching the film on Vimeo on 4 March, a week before the BAAs awards announcement.

Bloomers incorporates the materiality of garment manufacturing as it combines more than 14,000 drawings printed onto fabrics, including actual pairs of knickers, made by the workers at the Ella & me lingerie factory in Manchester. The workers also generously supplied the yards of material required, as well as their faces and voices as they recount the history of Ella & me, the UK garment manufacturing industry, and British family traditions of making in the sewing room environment.

Samantha Moore collaborated closely with Swedish composer Malin Bång, who composed an original soundtrack, inspired by the sounds of sewing machinery that she recorded on site. The score is performed by the musicians of renowned Austrian music ensemble Klangforum Wien, who play a traditional sewing machine and a pair of dressmaking scissors as part of their instrumental repertoire.

Bloomers won Best British Film at the London International Animation Festival 2019 and Best Documentary at ReAnima International Animated Film Festival 2019. Its festival screenings include DOC NYC, Encounters Festival, Animest, the McLaren Award programme at Edinburgh International Film Festival, and it is soon to screen at Cardiff Animation Festival and ANIMAC.

The film is currently touring the UK as part of the British Animation Awards Public Choice Programme, as are The Flounder and I’m OK by Elizabeth Hobbs.