DIRECTOR STATEMENT
Nightmare is a deeply personal project for me. There is a lot of love and care behind every part of its creation. Every object I built carries something deeply visceral from me, especially its characters, because they became vessels for many of my emotions and experiences.

I have always wanted to portray Chilean nature, especially the places I visit most whenever I leave the city. That is also where my love for camping and my fascination with mythology come from-two elements that eventually became the heart of this short film.

I took this project very seriously from the moment I first imagined it. I wanted everything to speak for itself while also conveying the immersive feeling of being surrounded by nature. What I never expected was how painful it would be to explore loneliness as it slowly took shape through an environment, a story, and, above all, its characters.

I was a student with very little knowledge of stop motion, but with a strong desire express something. I threw myself into the ocean without really knowing how to swim, and it was precisely that leap of faith that allowed a turbulent part of my life to find a voice through art and animation. Through this short film, I was able to confront the situations that frightened me most and transform them into a story.
Out of personal passions, thoughts, and emotions, "Nightmare" was born-a project that gave me the opportunity to grow, to face my fears and insecurities, and to prove to myself that if I truly want something and remain consistent, I can achieve it.

DIRECTOR BIO
Rassel Fabián Rubio Munizaga is a Chilean digital and experimental animator whose practice focuses on handcrafted techniques and stop-motion animation. His work explores the relationship between nature, materiality, and ancestral or fantastical narratives, often through atmospheric, highly sensory storytelling.

He holds a degree in Digital Animation from Instituto Profesional Arcos and has experience across multiple areas of audiovisual production, including cinematography, editing, and acting. This multidisciplinary background informs and enriches his approach to animation.

His graduation short film "Nightmare" won the Desanimados Festival 2026 award in Chile, was selected for the Official Selection of Chilemonos 2026, and most recently received the best Animation short film Award at Festival Monumental Sierras 2026 in Argentina. He is currently distributing "Nightmare" to national and international film festivals while continuing to develop personal projects focused on stop-motion and experimental animation.