Where the Mushrooms Grow

2025 |USA |3:16 |English

This experimental stop-motion film follows the journey of a caterpillar searching for a place to transform and it finds the answer where the mushrooms grow.

Director

Maggie Gercken Claudia Andrade

Mycelia Animation Studios

MEET THE DIRECTOR

Maggie Gercken

Maggie Gercken is an animator based in Richmond, VA. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Kinetic Imaging and now works as a freelancer specializing in stop motion. Where the Mushrooms Grow is her first short film and has been shown in two festivals as of 2025.

SEE MORE FROM 2025

Awake: The Dark Night of the Soul

A sad alien eats a magic mushroom trying to escape from all his problems but he suddenly starts a psychedelic trip to self knowledge.

2025 |Venezuela |7:00 |Spanish

Bumps on Sticks

Three human-sized elf cups, a loupe for scale, and a mycologist, guide you through the process of close observation, documentation, and proper specimen collection. Are you ready to join the ranks of the global citizen-mycologist kingdom?

2025 |USA |3:56 |English

Caverns and Coprophilia

Dr. Amy Honan and Cave biologist Andy Better make scientific discoveries underground while collecting rare specimens of poop loving fungi.

2025 |USA |7:32 |English

Do I Know You, Mushroom?

A poem, drawings, interviews, anthropology conferences, and fungal forays. "do i know you, mushroom?" is an assemblage that reaches toward the feeling of going on a mushroom foray — the textures, the journey, the contemplations on life and our interconnectedness, and the great wonder of fungi.

2025 |Canada |14:47 |English

Hyphae

Hyphae is an animated short following three tiny mushrooms as a wildfire sweeps through their forest clearing. Told without words, it explores fragility, loss, and the quiet resilience of life.

2025 |Germany |2:30

Lavsang: Song of the Lichens

Another film by Gilje that explores the fascinating landscapes and biology of lichen, using microscope footage of lichen combined with text and a poetic soundtrack.

2025 |Norway |3:30 |English

Mania

As the mycelium spreads, an undercurrent of desire and arrogance subtly emerges, intertwining and diverging continuously with the passage of time...

2025 |Taiwan |3:52

Micocosmo: A Fungi's World in a Festival

MicoCosmo is Italy’s first festival entirely dedicated to mycology and the world of fungi in all its forms, born from a grassroots effort led by volunteers and spontaneous support from the community. Talks, workshops, forest walks, and convivial moments create organic spaces for shared experiences and exchange of knowledge. Through the voices of mycologists, researchers, organizers and fungi enthusiasts, the film explores the richness of perspectives that animate contemporary mycology. A place for collective dialogue and growth, imagining new approaches and building a community inspired by the world of fungi.

2025 |Italy |29:58 |Italian

Myconism

What if there were a cult devoted to fungi and humanity itself was born from them? This short film combines animation and photography to imagine a world where fungi are honored through values, prayers, dances, and rituals in harmony with nature.

2025 |Italy |3:15 |English

Peaks to Prairie: A Holistic Regenerative Approach

How can we harness the intelligence of nature to address our climate challenges? An epidemic of wildfires threatens forests in the peaks, while nearby agricultural soils in the prairie sit degraded. Is there a holistic way these two problems could serve as solutions for each other? Did somebody say Mushrooms?

2025 |USA |19:59 |English

Ricochet Sculpture in Mycelium

In this documentary, we will accompany two artists in their creative journey, from Montreal to Georgian Bay in Ontario, with the goal of creating an artwork using mycelium that is ambitious and original.

2025 |Canada |15:46 |French

Savior

A fuzzy little guy takes you on a journey through the forests of the PNW, investigating all the mushrooms he can find with his magnifying glass, until one tiny mushroom helps him investigate himself.

2025 |USA |4:24

A Message from our Founder

Where the Mushrooms Grow