One Final Day is an animated World War II drama that follows two young soldiers on different sides of history as they begin to question the war that they once glorified.
As a Canadian filmmaker with veterans in my family, I have always been intrigued by the various facets of war. I often marveled at the massive tanks inside the War Museum in Ottawa as a kid, and would even sneak into my grandfather’s closet at times and dress up in his Air Force uniform to play war games with my brothers. My grandfather rarely opened up about the war, but when he did, we’d quickly learn that it was far from a game.
Fast forward to September 2023, when Ben Varadi approached me about making this film. I felt honored that he trusted me with this undertaking and quickly got to work.
To ensure historical accuracy, Ben and I spent a lot of time carefully developing a story that would present the truth of war to our audiences in a realistic, tasteful, and impactful way. I sat down with veterans to get a grasp on how their combat experiences have affected their personal lives. Our storyboard artist, Shane Murray, spoke about his time as a paratrooper in Afghanistan, which better informed the story and characters portrayed in the film. We had the privilege of filming live-action footage of U.S. Marine Shy Thompson. Our animators used that reference to replicate the realism and nuance of every movement.
Given the multiperspectivity of the film’s subject matter, I prioritized building a production team that represented a diverse range of cultural backgrounds. The artists involved in creating this film hail from all over the globe: Canada, the United States, England, Mexico, El Salvador, Germany, Australia, Poland, India, Russia, the Philippines, and China.
The result: a visually-stunning animated journey through war-torn Europe that explores the brutalities of war, bravery, honor and the true price of freedom.
We hope you enjoy One Final Day as much as we did creating it.
As a Canadian filmmaker with veterans in my family, I have always been intrigued by the various facets of war. I often marveled at the massive tanks inside the War Museum in Ottawa as a kid, and would even sneak into my grandfather’s closet at times and dress up in his Air Force uniform to play war games with my brothers. My grandfather rarely opened up about the war, but when he did, we’d quickly learn that it was far from a game.
Fast forward to September 2023, when Ben Varadi approached me about making this film. I felt honored that he trusted me with this undertaking and quickly got to work.
To ensure historical accuracy, Ben and I spent a lot of time carefully developing a story that would present the truth of war to our audiences in a realistic, tasteful, and impactful way. I sat down with veterans to get a grasp on how their combat experiences have affected their personal lives. Our storyboard artist, Shane Murray, spoke about his time as a paratrooper in Afghanistan, which better informed the story and characters portrayed in the film. We had the privilege of filming live-action footage of U.S. Marine Shy Thompson. Our animators used that reference to replicate the realism and nuance of every movement.
Given the multiperspectivity of the film’s subject matter, I prioritized building a production team that represented a diverse range of cultural backgrounds. The artists involved in creating this film hail from all over the globe: Canada, the United States, England, Mexico, El Salvador, Germany, Australia, Poland, India, Russia, the Philippines, and China.
The result: a visually-stunning animated journey through war-torn Europe that explores the brutalities of war, bravery, honor and the true price of freedom.
We hope you enjoy One Final Day as much as we did creating it.
Meet the Creators
Ben Varadi - Exec Producer | Composer |
Ben Varadi is a Canadian Producer and co-founder of Spin Master Toys. With the aim of combining visual media and physical entertainment, he has helped design, develop, and launch thousands of toys over the last 30 years. He participated in the creation of TV hits such as Bakugan and Paw Patrol, has overseen hundreds of commercials, and even holds the honor of being in both the Canadian Toy Hall of Fame and the US Toy Hall of Fame.
When he’s not busy producing commercials or coming up with the next big toy idea, Ben is composing and performing original music as The Beautiful Blu. In 2015, Ben traveled to Krakow, Poland to attend the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, where his grandmother and uncle had been kept prisoner during WWII. In total, 19 members of Ben’s ancestry were murdered at the hands of the Nazi Regime during the war. |
Reliving this history stirred something in Ben that he needed to share. Upon returning home, Ben and his partner Ronnen put on a unique Photo Exhibition of their visit to Auschwitz, for which Ben composed and performed music designed to accompany the exhibit experience. Two years later, Ben decided to take the music and evolve it into an album telling the story of the Holocaust from his late grandparent's perspective. And thus, One Final Day was born.
Paul Hollingsworth - Director |
Paul Hollingsworth is a visionary director who has carved a niche in the animation industry with his dedication to storytelling and craftsmanship. Originally from Toronto, Paul's journey into the world of animation began with a childhood fascination for bringing LEGO bricks to life - from the toy box all the way to the big screen.
In pursuit of this passion, he founded Digital Wizards Studios with a team of incredible artists who put love and magic into each and every frame. Together they have created dozens of films, branded content and pioneered the technology to create the first VR 180 stop-motion experience for Google, garnering numerous awards including LAIFF, Brooklyn Film Awards, Yucca Valley Film Festival and a Telly Award. With each new project, he invites audiences to embark on a journey into worlds crafted with passion, precision, and boundless creativity. |
