If he elicits a good chuckle or even a nose-exhale semi-laugh, he considers the job done. Gelfand is captivated by cartoonish characters in contrasting environments, imagining “a Looney Tunes short taking place in a Romantic painting.” This unique vision sees his digitally sculpted, kooky characters navigate familiar, often liminal spaces: forgotten dingy rooms, foyers, and corridors. Within these gritty settings, Gelfand injects a palpable sense of wonder – a flicker suggesting something greater flows beneath. 

His befuddled characters somehow muddle through with unwavering effort, embodying the “wistful optimism” Gelfand says defines his style. This approach shines in works like Plane Entertainment for Adult Swim's Off The Air series, where an air-borne passenger becomes the protagonist in his own surreal film. Or the short Now That I'm Thinking, which throws its hero into a Lynchian spiral. Acclaimed by Pictoplasma, LIAF and Richmond Animation Festival, Gelfand reminds us it always gets worse before it gets better. (Or does it?)