Created by Matteo Bernardini, the illustrated short series is set to have its world premiere at 2021 Slamdance Film Festival.

When a nine-year-old boy in 1620s Bavaria goes on trial for witchcraft, a flabbergasted court must decide the child’s fate.

Based on Ludwig Bechstein’s The Little Pitchfork Rider, THE LITTLE BROOMSTICK RIDER was born out of the objective creative impediment filmmaker Matteo Bernardini had to face during the lockdown generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Being aware he could not rely on casts and crews as he was used to and being confined to his own house, Bernardini decided to let his illustrations do all the acting and his hands do the rest of the work: the final result is a unique product, more of an “illustrations-coming-to-life experience” than a traditional animated series.

Armed exclusively with paper, pens, scissors and glue, Bernardini has brought his personal interpretation of 17th century Germany to life. Half fairy-tale, half-perhaps-a-bit-too-historically-accurate (and spiced with a hint of macabre humour), Bernardini’s maverick series takes DIY to the next level.

THE LITTLE BROOMSTICK RIDER will have its world premiere in the Episodes section at the 2021 Slamdance Film Festival.
Episode 1: The trial for witchcraft begins and the identity of the defendant is revealed.
Episode 2 : The court gets very peculiar information and perspective about the Satanic Arts.
Episode 3: The existence of a Dark Lord is discovered.
Episode 4: Vision of a Witches’ Sabbath.
Episode 5: Further evidence about the Dark Arts is provided, including singing demons and a great lemon cake.
Episode 6: Little Linhard learns about the court’s verdict: he will burn at the stake. Or so they think.