Cutting-edge computer graphics and the aesthetic of Chinese ink paintings collide in this feat of 3D animation. Shenxiu was abandoned by her mother when she was a child. Since then, she’s had bad dreams about a monster called “Nightmare”. On a stormy night, as she travels on a cruise ship with her family, she sees this beast on deck, humming a familiar song and calling her to sea. She falls overboard… into an enchanting restaurant named Deep Sea, carved out of an old submarine. A mysterious journey begins… Programmer's note: Tian Xiaopeng sets a high bar for contemporary Chinese animation. Bringing to mind the lush fantasy worlds of a Ghibli film (Spirited Away) and the maximalist pace of a Speed Racer (its live-action counterpart comes to mind), Deep Sea stretches the medium like chewing gum… or rather like ink dropped in water. Using a unique technology dubbed “particle ink” (designed to reproduce traditional Chinese ink painting) and rendered in 3D for maximum effect, this is the rare animated film that will have the adults in the room rethink the potential of CGI, leaving their children in sheer awe. —Ariel Esteban Cayer NSW Premiere