Mosquito: The Bite of Passage

Filmmakers: Brian Vincent Rhodes, Eric Cheng

AFS Representative: Brian Vincent Rhodes (Co-Writer, Co-Director)

Runtime: 7 min

Synopsis: When legendary warrior mosquito Soma and her daughter Aliye go hunting together for the first time in slumbering George’s apartment, Aliye realizes that she does not want to follow their family’s ageless tradition of hunting for blood. When George wakes unexpectedly, the two have to make a break to escape with their lives, while also trying to repair the biggest rift their family has ever had.

About The Filmmakers

Brian Vincent Rhodes
Brian Vincent Rhodes grew up in the industrial city of Detroit, Michigan and was an acclaimed youth artist and obsessed fan of animation.

Not seeing an immediate future in art, Rhodes studied mechanical engineering and industrial design at the University of Michigan, and afterwards, designed for companies and organizations such as Apple, Chrysler and NASA. After winning a film competition while working at Apple Computers, Rhodes decided to pursue cinema.
Rhodes has won multiple international awards for his student work and his thesis, Mosquito: the Bite of Passage, has been called “the most technically advanced film in the history of USC” by faculty.

He is currently in development on his own television show for FX Network (20th Century Fox) and also works as a storyboard artist for Blue Sky Studios (20th Century Fox). Rhodes has had lead creative roles for projects on Netflix, the Sundance Film Festival and the Grammys. Rhodes’ goal is to use animation and comedy as a way to creatively discuss deeply personal human experiences and issues.