Russia-based Max Litvinov's experimental animations are a delight

Russian animator and illustrator Max Litvinov’s short films are a little slice of animated fun. At under a minute long, his quick spots contain bursts of sequences and orderly action like Roman soldiers marching in unison and a titchy fella eagerly ringing a bell.

Distantly reminiscent of Franco-Belgian comics like Asterix, Max’s style feels old school with his obvious markings and slightly frazzled linework, making for clunky yet charming viewing. Currently a student The little explanation he provides makes them even more enjoyable as we’re able to enjoy these ambiguous morsels as stand-alone pieces. Films like L’Hydre d’Or and Chien have a loose narrative and feel like experiments in colour and movement yet his most recent shorts Bell and Rome are focused character studies, so it’ll be interesting to see where Max takes his work next.