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ASCENT
ASCENT
SHORT FILM
SHORT FILM

ASCENT is set at the end of the 21st century, when climate collapse has driven much of humanity to the far North. Amid this fragile frontier, Nigerian astrobotanist Daniel and Finnish-Sami hydroponic farmer Mikha fall in love after a chance meeting on the ice. Their bond is deep, but their visions for survival diverge: Mikha is determined to remain and fight for the Earth, while Daniel is drawn to the stars, convinced that humanity’s future lies in colonizing new worlds.


As their relationship fractures, the story unfolds through the eyes of Zain, Daniel’s devoted companion. On the day Daniel departs for the spaceport, Zain slips away, chasing his scent across the city in a desperate bid to stay close to his pack leader. Through Zain’s journey, Ascent explores love, loss, and the human struggle between holding on and letting go in a world on the brink of transformation.

ASCENT is set at the end of the 21st century, when climate collapse has driven much of humanity to the far North. Amid this fragile frontier, Nigerian astrobotanist Daniel and Finnish-Sami hydroponic farmer Mikha fall in love after a chance meeting on the ice. Their bond is deep, but their visions for survival diverge: Mikha is determined to remain and fight for the Earth, while Daniel is drawn to the stars, convinced that humanity’s future lies in colonizing new worlds.


As their relationship fractures, the story unfolds through the eyes of Zain, Daniel’s devoted companion. On the day Daniel departs for the spaceport, Zain slips away, chasing his scent across the city in a desperate bid to stay close to his pack leader. Through Zain’s journey, Ascent explores love, loss, and the human struggle between holding on and letting go in a world on the brink of transformation.

BEHIND THE SCENES

BEHIND THE SCENES

Ascent (2022), directed by Matti Vesanen, is an animated short produced at the NFTS. Selected for the Student Film Competition at Animafest Zagreb 2023.

CREDITS

Director: Matti Vesanen

Producer: Carolina Cordero

Writer: Craig MacNee

Cinematographer: Andri Haraldsson

Production Designer: Melina Mei Veropoulou

Editor: Sakky Barnor

Composer: Adrian Cermak

Sound Designer: Guldem Masa

Production Manager: Nikoleta Slezakova

Colourist and Online Editor: Jongheon Lee

Lead Animator: Markus Øvre

Lead CG Artist: Matti Vesanen

Character Modeling: Sakke Soini

VFX Producer and Vehicle Modeling

Lead CG Artist: Aidan Gilfedder

Vehicle Modeling CG Artist: Harrison Workman

Dolly Grip: Pep Bosch i Calvo

Motion Capture Daniel & Mikha: Durassie Kiangangu

Additional Motion Capture: Edmund Wood

Vocalisation Mikha: Fedja Kamari

Vocalisation Daniel: Franz Böhm

Additional Vocalisation: Wayne Forester

Additional Vocalisation: José Prats, Elena Ruiz, Eloïse Jenninger,

Milo Bonnard, Mansi M... Tessa Moult-Milewska,

Jane Davis, Jia Lang, Yu Pun Frances Pon

Art Assistants: Mathieu Levy, Calvin Barker, Thomas Huber

ANDRI HARALDSSON | DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

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