Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello

Today on Far Future Horizons we present a short Australian animated film inspired by the fantasy writings of Edgar Alan Poe and the science fiction of Jules Verne.

The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello is a series of short animated films  set in a world styled after mid-Victorian England with Steampunk style, iron dirigibles and steam powered computers, where giant mechanical airships are the main mode of transport. The characters are animated in the style of Wayang (Indonesian shadow puppets) best described as silhouettes. The visual style of the characters is similar to that used by the 1926 film The Adventures of Prince Achmed (one of the oldest-surviving animated feature films).

In the frontier city of Carpathia, Jasper Morello discovers that his former adversary Doctor Claude Belgon has returned from the grave. When Claude reveals that he knows the location of the ancient city of Alto Mea where the secrets of life have been discovered, Jasper cannot resist the temptation to bring his own dead wife Amelia back. But they are captured by Armand Forgette, leader of the radical Horizontalist anti-technology movement, who is determined to reanimate his terrorist father Vasco. 

As lightning energises the arcane machineries of life in the floating castle of Alto Mea, Jasper must choose between having his beloved restored or seeing the government of Gothia destroyed. Set in a world of iron dirigibles and steam powered computers, this gothic horror mystery tells the story of Jasper Morello, a disgraced aerial navigator who flees his Plague-ridden home on a desperate voyage to redeem himself.

This animated short was nominated for an Oscar and for a BAFTA award; it is also winner of the Grand Prix award at the Annecy Animation Festival.

Jasper Morello has also won the top honours at the Canadian Film Centre's Worldwide Short Film Festival, Best Animation at Flickerfest 2005, Best Animation at the Sydney Film Festival Dendy awards and Best Animation at Toronto worldwide shorts.

The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello 

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