When a small Italian village hosted the Matita International Animation Film Festival, they presented a lot of big ideas for all who participated. Animation World's Annick Teninge was there.
The Matita International Animation Film Festival was held September 23 - 26, 1999. It was the second edition of this young animation festival located in the small town of Guardiagrele, near Chieti, on the Italian Adriatic Coast. When I discovered the Matita Festival last year, my first reaction was skepticism: Why was there yet another animation festival in Italy? But then I asked myself, "What is the real role of a festival?" Not every single one has to be an industry event, and compete for films and audience. In fact, one of the most praiseworthy goals of a festival is to make its public discover the art form it celebrates. In this respect, the Matita Festival was a success.
Professionals present at the event: (left to right) Kirk Bowers, Pixar Technical Director; Karyn Metlen, Pixar Animator; and Director Barry Purves. © Barry Purves.
Matita's Goal
Italy is home to quite a few animation festivals: Cartoombria (Perugia), Cartoons on the Bay (Positano), I Castelli Animati (Genzano), Future Film Festival (Bologna), Matita Film Festival (Guardiagrele), and Metamorfosi (Roma). However, each of them has its own focus. Future Film Festival is exclusively dedicated to new technologies. Cartoons on the Bay focuses on TV productions, whereas non-competitive Cartoombria sites in on computer animation, and Metamorfosi experimental animation. I Castelli Animati has a more global approach to animation, with an international competition and an Italian competition of short films. The Matita Festival has chosen a historical and educational angle. The creation of the festival in 1997 was an initiative of Claudio Pazienza, a documentary filmmaker and artist who had a passion for animation, and Francesco Di Vincenzo, a journalist, who asked the local Provincial Administration of Chieti to support the event. Then, other local and regional institutions agreed to support the festival. The Matita Festival is geared toward the local public, as well as young people and students.
A scene from Trnka's masterpiece, The Hand.© Kratky Film.
The Programming
For its second edition, the organizers received 159 shorts (up from 142 the previous year), from 27 countries, including remote Brazil, the Philippines, Hong Kong and India. In addition to various screenings and presentations, the festival offers a tribute to an animation master. Czech legend Jirí Trnka was this year, and Belgian pioneer Raoul Servais will probably be next year. They also pay tribute to a country. In this year's edition, "The Italian Cartoon Dream" program covered forty years of Italian animation, with films from veteran animators Bruno Bozetto, Giulio Gianini and Emanuele Luzatti, as well as younger, emerging artists such as Gianluigi Toccafondo. But certainly the most valued aspect of the festival programming is its yearly tribute to an animation school, called "Focus On." Kask School was in 1998, CFT Gobelins was featured this year, and CalArts will probably be in 2000. In addition to a presentation from the featured school, workshops for children are organized before and during the festival. An introductory course on animation was held in June, hosted by Belgian association Camera Enfants Admis. During the festival, another workshop was hosted by Zorobabel Atelier, another Belgian animation workshop. One of the long-term objectives of the festival organizers and local authorities is the creation of an animation school in the region.
Jirí Trnka at work on The Good Soldier Schweik. © Kratky Film. Cybernetic Granny, stop-motion master Trnka's 1962 film. © Kratky Film. Jirí Trnka's work, Old Czech Legends. © Kratky Film.
Barry Purves with some of his young admirers. © Barry Purves.
A Personal Touch
For me, two anecdotes colored this festival. The first was a surprising speech from a member of the audience during a presentation on digital technology by Paris-based effects company Ex Machina and British director Simon Pummel. This veteran graphic designer -- who had worked his entire career in the print business -- was totally captivated by the demonstration. Through a number of candid questions which involved the entire audience, he clearly expressed his eagerness to start a new career in multimedia. The second anecdote is a story which happened to Barry Purves, festival guest of honor. Barry was sitting on a park bench one afternoon, writing postcards, when a few kids approached him. (In this small town, everybody knew about the festival and that we were the "strangers.") Language was a barrier, so Barry started to show them images from his films. Soon enough, he was surrounded by dozens of kids asking him for autographs.The next day, the kids turned up at the screenings with small gifts for Barry and all of us strangers, and were determined to see his films. When the festival organizers told them that they could not stay for the whole screening because some of Barry's films were not suitable for their age, they were scandalized. One little boy stood up in the theater and demanded to talk to Barry in person! In the end, they did not stay for the screening of Achilles, but watching these children discover puppet animation and Barry's dramatic and colorful animated world was just fantastic. It made me realize that small festivals can be very big as well.
Arthur, the author section grand prize winning film from K.E.E.N Productions, directed by Guionne Leroy. © K.E.E.N. Productions. Billy's Baloon,directed by Don Hertzfeldt of Bitter Films Prod., received the grand prize in the author section. © Bitter Films Productions. T.R.A.N.S.I.T., Piet Kroon's 1920s love story garnered a special mention. © The Illuminated Film Company Ltd/Stichting Picture Start 1997.
Barry Purves and Ruth Lingford relaxing on the beach. © Barry Purves. Piotr Dumala and Annick Teninge get some sun at the coast. © Barry Purves.
After a long day of judging, the jury sets out for some fun. (left to right) Piotr Dumala, director/animator/teacher at the Film School of Lodz; Ruth Lingford, director/animator/teacher at London's Royal College of Arts and the National Film & Television School; Alessandro Russo, Cecchi Gori Group; AWN's Annick Teninge; and festival guest François Darrasse from CFT Gobelins School. © Barry Purves. 
Judges sample some great Italian food. (clockwise) Festival guest Anna-Karin Qunito from Ex-Machina; Laura Ruggeri, a student at the International Academy of Images and Lanterna Magica; Teninge; Dumala; and Lingford. © Barry Purves.
To purchase Jirí Trnka videos, visit the AWN Store.
Annick Teninge is the General Manager of Animation World Network. She was also a Jury member at this year's edition of the Matita Festival. A French native, Annick began her animation career as Assistant Director at the Annecy International Animation Festival, a post she held for six years.
