First Run Features is releasing an interesting collection of European cartoons on DVD entitled Cartoon Noir.

The darker side of European animation is explored in six award winning shorts. Including: Abductees (Paul Vester), five tales of alien abduction told using a wide range of animated techniques; Ape (Julie Zammarchi) a darkly comic animation featuring a grouchy, married couple who battle daily over their nightly dinner; Club of the Discarded (Jiri Barta) a Svankmajer-inspired Czech film featuring a family of discarded mannequins enjoying a quiet life in an abandoned warehouse until a group of hipster mannequins move in, and ruin the neighborhood; Gentle Spirit (Piotr Dumala) a Polish award-winner depicting the psychological landscape-fraught with entrapment and violence-between a young woman and an ominous male figure; Joy Street (Suzan Pitt) an astonishing story of a woman’s journey from suicidal despair to personal renewal, with the help of an unlikely spirit guide; The Story of the Cat and the Moon (Pedro Serrazina) a tale of unrequited love following a cat who is beguiled by an always out-of-reach moon.

The disc runs 83 minutes and will be released on November 21st. It will carry a suggested retail price of $29.95.