Transported to a vibrant, ever-changing universe, a teen embarks on a fantastical journey to uncover the secrets of their past and find their rite relationship to a world more interconnected than they ever imagined.
Synopsis:
Fifteen-year-old Kim, overwhelmed by social media, is unexpectedly pulled into a surreal, multi-dimensional journey guided by a wise-cracking alien dog named Jeff. Facing a 24-hour deadline, Kim must navigate bizarre landscapes and encounter a cast of eccentric characters—from historical figures to cyborg shamans—to complete a quest for freedom and self-discovery. Their journey challenges Kim to confront past traumas, understand the interconnectedness of all life, and embrace the importance of playfulness and connection with nature, ultimately leading to a profound transformation and a newfound appreciation for the fragility and beauty of existence.
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Trailer:
Director Statement - Jack Manning Bancroft / Tyson Yunkaporta
IMAGINE is a ground-breaking, co-created animated film blending Indigenous knowledge with cutting-edge technology. Following 15-year-old Kim and their alien canine companion Jeff, the story explores identity, freedom, and a world on the brink of collapse.
Led by Indigenous Australian storytellers Jack Manning Bancroft and Tyson Yunkaporta, acclaimed writer and Senior Lecturer in Indigenous Knowledges at Deakin University, IMAGINE transcends boundaries, bringing ancient wisdom to life with cutting-edge animation, and modern storytelling. This unique animation offers an unprecedented storytelling experience, We started with a blank page, the title: “IMAGINE the Feature Film”, with the goal to awaken the power of imagination as a force for change. Created during the pandemic through a live Google Doc, IMAGINE began with true collaboration on IMAGI-NATION {TV}, with over 150 young people, 18 partner schools, and more than 200 guests, from across 17 countries contributing to the script via the live audience. Guests on IMAGI-NATION{TV} who contributed to IMAGINE Film include former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Nelson Mandela’s Granddaughter Ndileka Mandela, Cloudy Rhodes, Wesley Enoch, Bec Bignall, Ned Benson, Wayne Blair, Simon Taylor, Ritza Bloom, Randy Feltface, Yael Stone, Emma Watts, Meyne Wyatt, Benjamin Law, Michelle Law, Tyson Yungkaporta, and Rob Carlton among others.
AIME was inspired by the original dream of the internet, a space to come together and create something out of nothing with our spirit, soul, and collective intelligence, and then further into the journey, inspiration was taken from the Netflix series The Midnight Gospel that used podcast recordings as a basis for the storytelling. IMAGINE takes the viewer on a transformational journey into the terrifying and beautiful world inside. Part animated science fantasy, part series of meandering campfire yarns, IMAGINE explores the problems facing our world from an entirely new perspective. There comes a time in the life of every individual and every society where they must decide if they are going to face what is in front of them or keep running. How we use our imagination will determine our future, it is our map that both reveals and changes the world. IMAGINE promises to be a transformative journey that redefines the possibilities of animated storytelling. No film project has come out of Australia like this before.
408 Productions entered the production after the co-created experience. It was then that Tyson Yunkaporta and the Other Others Podcast began to be layered in, with 408 helping organise the shapes of the narrative. Tyson Yunkaporta and Jack Manning Bancroft shepherded the writing & Vizion Studios via Mark Grentell helped produce and then led the animation and post production as part of a new partnership with AIME under the banner of IMAGI-NATION Studios.