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The Man Who Plays the Saxophone While Sleeping


Date:
December 15, 2022

CO-PRODUCTION FORUM

The Man Who Plays the Saxophone While Sleeping

the man who plays

The Man Who Plays the Saxophone While Sleeping

by Aram Shahbazyan
OnOff Studio and Silhouette Studio | Armenia

Short animation

Logline

Inside every person, there is a hidden melody that the world can hear if it opens its eyes.

Synopsis

In a small town, a happy family—Mother, Father, and their young daughter—enjoy evenings with their elderly neighbors.

A peculiar issue arises when Father’s sleep turns into saxophone sounds, causing anxiety for Mother but delight for their daughter. The elderly couple discovers Father’s remarkable talent and arranges a night solo performance. The audience, including influential townsfolk, awaits Father’s sleep on a stage bed, but the pressure prevents it. A humiliating failure unfolds as the audience dozes off before Father can perform. The scandal forces the family to flee the town. On a train, a touring music band offers a glimmer of hope. The daughter seizes the chance to let Father’s sleep serenade the audience, and the story takes an unexpected turn.

Director’s Profile

ARAM SHAHBAZYAN was born in 1971.

Graduated Yerevan state Institute of Theater and Cinema in 1994, department of Directors. In 1996-1998 studied in “la Femis” National Cinematography School of France, which graduated as a Film Director. He worked as a director for various private TV companies, was chief director of “AR” private TV Company, was chief director of “MIR” Interstate TV Company, director at Armenian National TV, “Shoghakat” TV, “Shant” TV, director assistant at “Hayfilm” studio, director of various documentary and short films.
He worked for Shoghakat TV, where directed documentary series “A corner of the Planet” and “Village sketches”.

His short film AKNER was selected by XXVII Moscow international Film Festival 2005, for section PERSPECTIVES. He got twice the “Best Director” award at the “YES EM” International Film Festival of Young Filmmakers in Yerevan, Armenia in 2004 and 2005. Resent work is five series feature film for the National TV H1, which was broadcast in May 2007.
“Moskvitch, my love” is his first feature film; It is a co-production between Armenia, France and Russia.

The film has been elected by the Fonds Sud of the French National Cinema Center (CNC). The film participated in the international film festivals and has won several awards. The feature film “Chnchik” got Hubert Ball Fund script development and production funding, World Cinema Fund production funding, AVANTI Swiss SDC grant and National Cinema Center of Armenia Film production funding.

Company Profile

OnOff Animation Studio was founded in 2018 with a mission to produce captivating and innovative animation that would stand out in the global market. We envisioned building strong partnerships with international animation companies to enhance our creative capabilities. Our goal was to co-produce animated films in collaboration with international partners, promoting creative exchange, improving work quality, and expanding the reach of Armenian animation products worldwide. In our pursuit of  innovation, we aimed to pioneer groundbreaking artistic endeavors. Over the years, we’ve devoted significant resources to our studio, catapulting the Armenian animation industry onto the global stage.
Our exploration of VR technologies has been fruitful, with these
technologies now integral to our animation endeavors. We’ve
achieved a significant milestone in bringing creativity and innovation to the Armenian animation industry, positioning it competitively in the international market.