The Windmill Farmer

A nurturing farmer in is danger of losing his crop of windmills when he struggles against the cyclical forces of nature. Created at the UCLA Animation Workshop, with music by Nick Fevola.

This film was inspired while driving back from a trip to Palm Springs, when a friend said that it must take them forever to plant and grow so many windmills. I wrote down the title The Windmill Farmer for an idea to explore later, and about a year later I started developing it into a character and story.

This film took 4 months to complete from the first boards until the final mix.

Release date: June 5th 2010
Format: HD 1920x1080 px, 16:9

### Awards and Honors ###

Greenstorming Film Festival '15 (Germany) - Winner, Green Flicks
Box[ur]shorts Film Festival '12 (CA) - Best Student Film
Angelus Student Film Festival '11 (CA) - Honorable Mention in Animation
Possible Futures Film Contest '11 (Online) - People's Choice Award

### Film Festivals and Screenings ###

06/05/10 - UCLA Festival of Animation 2010 (CA)
12/03/10 - Anchorage Film Festival (AK)
12/04/10 - International Short Film Festival Leuven (Belgium)
01/14/11 - Wild & Scenic Film Festival (CA)
04/08/11 - Citrus Cel Animation Film Festival (FL)
05/12/11 - Filmoteca de Catalunya (Spain)
06/22/11 - Goelali Children's Film Festival (Indonesia)
07/01/11 - FILE Electronic Language International Festival (Brazil)
07/03/11 - The Far North Conservation Film Festival (AK)
07/25/11 - Possible Futures Film Contest (Online) Prize awarded
10/08/11 - Angelus Student Film Festival (CA) Prize awarded
11/01/11 - Paraguay Ra'anga / Imagenes del Paraguay (Uruguay)
11/01/11 - Paraguay Ra'anga / Imagenes del Paraguay (Spain)
11/04/11 - Microwave International New Media Arts Festival (Hong Kong)
01/19/12 - Filmoteca de Catalunya (Spain)
03/10/12 - Pictou-Antigonish Library Animation Festival (NS, Canada)
03/10/12 - Box[ur]shorts Film Festival (CA) Prize awarded
04/12/12 - Ashland Independent Film Festival (OR)
12/02/12 - Sustainable Living Film Festival (Turkey)

[Sheisinvisible]

I remember watching this when I was around 4-5 years old, now I’m filled with old memories from my childhood

[migrainemama]

My five-year-old twins are obsessed with wind mills and watch this story over and over again and even kiss the screen. They sometimes wish they were part of a wind mill family. Oh The imagination of a child. Lovely story!!!!

[PainterAustrian]

Probably not the only one who loved windmills and regular mills back in the day. Mainly in the Netherlands here. I used to watch this at 5 years old and now i see this video again. Brings back so much nostalgia. Greetings from the netherlands ❤

[itzdubplayzio]

The first time I watched this as a kid. Man, I miss those days.

[LuisPuenteAceves]

I love this video. I think it is wonderful for my students to watch it and learn from this beautifully told story. Wonderful animation, beautiful colors, an amazing lesson of love! Thank you from the bottom of my heart...🥇

[riteshvarma]

This film inspired me to learn animation in 2010. I still watch this whenever I feel low. Thank you Joaquin for making this. I owe you a lot.

[jonathangazit]

when i was in first grade, this video certainly inspired me in one way or another that there is always hope, looking back 9 years and seeing this animation truly gives me goosebumps all over again, thank you for such amazing work.

[johnbenton]

This little film carries a message. The message is simple. "Never give up hope"

[TitilayosChronicles]

It's so sad that all his windmills started breaking and he did all the hard work so you can make us form nicer

[tigerlilymusic]

My 22-month old daughter LOVES windmills and she especially loves this animation. She can watch it over and over and over again! Thank you for this film.

[juliamahmoud-wjps]

I used to watch this when I was 5 years old with my brother this video I will never forget of my childhood 😢❤

[jimmyandchristinaandamanda]

I watch this in 2014 this and found it again it’s so heart warming


Edit: OMG thank you so much for liking my comment Joaquin Baldwin! Your The Best!

[addam]

This is my 3 year old sons favorite video. I even painted a still of it on the wall of his bedroom! Even daddy loves this vid! The music compliments it so much! Great job!

[ItsJustJay]

I know I have some serious mental health issues but I'd never see myself crying on the toilet at 3 am after watching a YouTube video about windmills.

[AbhishekSingh-lswh]

One of the most beautiful stories and the way it is depicted. Life itself is beautiful, we just gotta see. That's what I'll take from this. Thank you!

[IskandarAlex]

Brings back a lot of memories when I was a kid watching this, good memories.

[joabaldwin]

@natEmation No problem. The weather vein (rooster) and the windmills (only when they break apart) are in 3d, rendered out as swf files in Maya. I used a shatter effect with gravity/collisions in Maya so I wouldn't have to animate all the little pieces by hand.

[GingerFilms]

2:00 It’s like a reference to the Danish wind turbine accident, but still nostalgic

[GoofyMan]

Idk but I was obsessed with windmills when I was small and now I’m looking at this in the present

[pastornitin]

after 4 or 3 years i finally get to see this beautiful story again in this year 2022