FIREFALLS - Short Narrative - France

Directed by French painter and film director Ariel Neo, Firefalls explores the reality of the world we live in today and depicts the devastation caused by humans on Earth. As an artist working for the cause of nature and wildlife conservation, Neo’s unique storytelling aims to blur the boundaries between man, nature and art while hoping to once again align them together. Ariel Neo wants to alert minds towards the urgent need to preserve our dying Earth and she uses both her powerful cinematography and paintings to illuminate an important question for her audience. How long can mankind run away from the apocalypse it birthed itself?
Firefalls is associated with the documentary "Behind the firefall" The 52 minute documentary allows the viewer to go behind the scenes and to discover the creative process of a low-budget independent short-film.

Director Ariel Neo

AniFab judge's aggregate score for Firefalls is 9.8 out of 10 with one judge stating, "This movie needs to be seen! Stunning."

​Ariel Neo is a visionary new voice in filmmaking. Over the past two years, she has broken into the international scene with Flying Through the Water and Rainslide, which have both won multiple awards in festivals and competitions. Her latest short film, Firefalls, promises to be even more influential as Neo hones her style and skill, presenting a dramatic, wordless narrative which uses archetypal imagery and symbolism to make the tragedy of climate change come alive before our eyes.
In addition to her broad conceptual vision, Neo is devoted to detail. She prepares every aspect of filming: scouting her own locations, designing costumes, creating props, and storyboarding the action. Neo began her creative journey as an oil painter, and her paintings, impressive and richly colored images rendered on four to seven-foot round canvases, make appearances in her films, acting as totems that reinforce the significance of her cinematic work. Where words fail, these images shepherd us into new understanding by setting a tone full of reverence and beauty. In turn, her films explore and dramatize the themes that Neo’s artwork has always sought to capture: the beauty and diversity of nature, the joy of creativity, and her grave distress at what is happening to our environment. In fusing together art and film, she strives to make something new, an immersive and active art installation that reaches out and enwraps the viewer, creating an atmosphere that is immediate and suspenseful and yet introspective. This unique vision is what sets Neo apart and promises an exciting future.