Hamm single-handedly animated the entire feature, wrote the script, composed the original songs and score, and performed all the voices. "I call it my Yellow Submarine," says Hamm, who was influenced by features such as The Point and The Phantom Tollbooth.
Gene Hamm has worked in Hollywood on Bakshi's Lord of the Rings, The Smurfs, Superfriends, and Gumby. He currently teaches animation online for Academy of Art University and is the creator of the Cartooning Shortcuts, Formulas & Cheap Tricks DVD. His short animated film No Hat, No Mask, No Service won Best of Fest at the Big Muddy Film Festival in Carbondale, Illinois. For more information and updates about Limbo visit www.hammination.com.
WILD BRAIN DOES ITS PART TO REMIND YOU THAT WHILE OUR TROOPS ARE IN HARM'S WAY IN IRAQ, COMPANIES LIKE HALLIBURTON ARE MAKING BILLIONS The ad "Who Profits?" by Wild Brain features the voices of Kevin Bacon, Ed Asner and Scarlett Johansson. The spot reminds us that while Bush is spending billions in no-bid contracts with firms run by close friends of the administration, budgets suffer for education, health care, job training and other services needed at home. The ad was written by Steven Kotler, designed and directed by John Hays, produced by Amy Capen. It was paid for by MOVE ON.ORG. www.movieonpac.org/10weeks/
WILD BRAIN'S "HIGGLYTOWN HEROES" HAS PREMIERED ON THE DISNEY CHANNEL It airs daily at 8 AM and 12:30 PM. The show comes highly rated by the young audience it is aimed at. Disney should be happy as it is doing extremely well with the ratings. For the special primetime premier Laura Tulloss organized an informal screening party and I must confess that I enjoyed this juvenile fare.
"We thought using these everyday heroes would be a good way to explain to the young audience how the community works," said co-executive producer Holly Huckins. "I think it's important to recognize that everyone deserves our respect and our thanks for the jobs they do. It doesn't mean you have to throw a ticker tape parade for everyone but there's importance in every occupation," she concluded. "The truth is, we all need each other for everything,"
George Evelyn, Denis Morella, Holly Huckins, Kent Redeker and Jeff Ulin created the show. It was directed by: Denis Morella and George Evelyn. Jeff Fino was the executive producer and Nancy Evelyn was the producer. Music is by They Might Be Giants and celebrities doing guest voice appearances include Tim Curry, Kathy Lee Gifford, Anne Heche, Cindi Lauper, Ed McMahon, Sharon Stone and Smokey Robinson. Congratulations to all who worked on it. Hopefully the crew will soon be told Disney wants a second season of the show.
There is already lots of interest in the show on the Internet (over 200 listings). The official websites are www.DisneyChannel.com and www.PlayhouseDisney.com.
ACADEMY AWARD WINNER GARY RYDSTROM TO RECEIVE A CAREER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD The Motion Picture Sound Editors has chosen to present its Career Achievement Award to sound designer Gary Rydstrom for his outstanding contributions to the art of sound. Rydstrom works for Pixar (sound designer for Finding Nemo) and was with Lucas for many years. The award will be presented at the 51st Annual Golden Reel Awards to be held Feb. 27 in Los Angeles.
HENRY SELICK GETS A STEP CLOSER TO PRODUCING HIS NEXT FEATURE He has wanted to turn Neil Gaiman's book Coraline into a feature for some time. Vinton Studios has just announced they have obtained rights to the property. Selick heads their feature development division.
PRESCOTT WRIGHT WAS AN HONORARY PRESIDENT OF THIS YEAR'S OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL The following was written by Frank Taylor for the festival's publications:
"It was, I believe, Prescott Wright (and perhaps AndrŽ Martin) who first posited the idea of a biennial competitive animation festival in Ottawa. The new North American festival would, together with the long-established Annecy festival, provide a western counterbalance to the pair of behind-the-iron-curtain festivals that took place in Zagreb and Mamiya, Romania at the time. What better place to do it, he argued, than in Canada, home of the National Film Board, and, within Canada what better place than Ottawa, perched on the border between Quebec and Ontario, bilingual, picturesque and close to the major centres of Toronto and Montreal.
I remember when Prescott first came up from California to the Canadian Film Institute in what must have been late 1975, to start working with Frederik Manter, Wayne Clarkson and later Kelly O'Brien to introduce the CFI team to the myriad complexities of presenting such an event. He was a regular at all of the other festivals, the founder of the International TournŽe of Animation, had long served on various ASIFA boards, and knew every detail of a successful animation festival.
Prescott was the inspiration, the teacher, the magnet that drew people here in that first year, and, during Ottawa 76 when it finally took place, the back-stop for every vacuum that cropped up during the five days of the event. He had done it all before; he knew everybody in the animation community and would greet them all with his big bear hug; he knew all the politics and sensibilities; and he could do a hot splice in the projection booth if that was needed in the assembly of the programs.
It was from the projection booth that he stage-managed every competition screening and awards presentation for every subsequent incarnation of the festival right up to at least Ottawas '88 and '90, which I had the pleasure and honour of directing. Wearing his headphones and mic, he would cue the bilingual announcer, the projectionist, the lighting people, and any on-stage presenters or speakers. When problems occurred, and they sometimes do in any such event, Prescott would unflappably steer us all back on course.
He knew from the start how important Chez Ani would be to the atmosphere and reputation of the Ottawa Festival and he also emphasized how important the character of the picnic would be to the branding of the new festival.
Prescott's big laugh provided the aural backdrop to at least the first decade and a half of Ottawa festivals and it is his gift for laughter - sharing it, causing it and, occasionally, being the brunt of it - that we all so much appreciate.
Prescott Wright wrote the book on the Ottawa International Animation Festival. While all of us who have been involved with it over the years have added little bits here and there, it is his original vision for the event that, nearly 30 years later, continues to shape it." Frank Taylor
For those of you who don't know Prescott, he was a founder of our ASIFA chapter and a guiding light for many years. He created many wonderful programs for us from his vast international animation collection (16mm prints). He also helped arrange other exceptional programs with friends of his who were visiting from Europe, Asia and N. America. Due to health problems he now lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico near his daughter and his grandchildren. The photo was taken about the time he was director of the Denver International Film Festival in the early 1980's. This year Ottawa had 2 honorary presidents. The other was animator Co-Hoedeman.
ALAN ORCUTT'S LATEST STOP-MOTION SHORT TO BE SHOWN BY THE CALIFORNIA INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL "The 3 Nanny Goats Gruff" is a twist on the classic tale of three goats in search of greener pastures. If you didn't see it at the January open screening, here's your chance. It will be shown at the California Independent Film Festival in Livermore in the festival's "Bay Area Showcase." It will be screened at the Rios-Lovell Winery at 10:00 AM Sunday November 7. www.caindiefest.com for ticket information.
The film has been screened by The D.C. Independent Film Festival, the Key West Indie Fest, the Da Vinci Film Fest. and the Telluride Indie Fest. It is Alan's 4th stop-motion film. He has also completed a computer animated short, Living in a Hole. It is "a visually compelling take on depression" and it is quite a departure from his typical comedy fare. He has just started to enter it in festivals. His next project is a fable about parenting.
IT IS TIME TO BEGIN THINKING ABOUT PUTTING TOGETHER AN ASIFA-SF REEL IN 2005 We are going to need volunteers to select the content, to edit the program, to design and animate the show's opening titles, to find the best way to produce the reel on DVD and/or tape, etc. If interested contact Karl Cohen (415) 386-1004 karlcohen@earthlink.net
ASIFA-SF STILL NEEDS SOMEBODY WHO CAN SEND E-MAILS TO OUR MEMBERS We will provide the late news or event items. We need somebody who can download our mail list into their computer and send the information out. We don't do this often, but we need somebody who can get time sensitive material out quickly when the person who is helping us now is busy.. In August we had less than a week to announce the special event we were part of at DeAnza. If you can help contact karlcohen@earthlink.net (415) 386-1004
ABOUT RISING COSTS AND YOUR ASIFA-SF DUES For several years we have been spending slightly more than we take in. Our board has decided it is finally time to try and break even again. As of December 1 the dues will be raised from $22 to $25 a year. That will bring in an extra $600 a year, enough to keep our bank account in the ballanced. We will send out renewal notices in November at the old rate. Renew early and save $3.
CARTOON ART MUSEUM IS HONORING THE ART OF FREDERICK "FREDO" NOLAND The museum's ongoing Small Press Spotlight will feature the art of Frederick Noland, who publishes comics under the name Fredo. This showcase features highlights from his long career as an award-winning independent cartoonist
KEN PONTAC HAS BEEN WRIT-ING ABOUT HIS JOURNEY TO "LAZY TOWN" IN ICELAND FOR CARTOON RESEARCH.COM His hair is flame red in this photo, but what else would you expect from Ken?
SF STATE STUDENT RECOMMENDS CHECKING OUT DV GARAGE FOR ONLINE ANIMATION INFORMATION Judith writes, "This past summer I signed up for a Beta class with DV GARAGE called the Pixel Corps. It was very informative and educational. The founder of DV Garage is Alex Lindsey whom I had as an instructor at SFSU Multimedia Downtown Center. He was one of the main animators at Lucas on Star Wars and really knows his stuff.
He has established an online community for animators worldwide. At DV Garage you can find all sorts of tutorials etc. Now he has a spin-off called the Pixel Corps which functions as a community of Digital artists who are given classes and software at a ridiculously low cost, some even free. After everyone learns the software there are challenges to test your new skill and there will be JOBS! Yes I said JOBS!
Alex has a dream of having people from around the world work together on projects via the Internet. He is based in San Francisco so there is a lot of work he has already been doing here, and there will be more."
http://www.pixelcorps.com/overview.html
ABOUT PROPOSITION L IN SAN FRANCISCO The signature gatherers told people it was to save old theaters and that the Castro and Balboa were about to close. The following was sent to us by Gary Meyer, an ASIFA-SF member who runs the Balboa Theatre (which isn't threatened with closing by the way, nor is the Castro):
"Last night over 100 people from the San Francisco arts community met to discuss our mutual concern for the disastrous Proposition L that is on November's ballot. Among the most vocal about their concerns were Sean Penn, Peter Coyote, Phil Kaufman and Kim Aubrey from Coppola's office.
On the surface L sounds great, but it turns out to be a couple of people manipulating 15% of the annual Hotel Tax Fund for their own purposes under the guise of saving theaters and increasing local film production. Great ideas but a total boodoggle that could actually pass because who doesn't want to save old theaters?
And that is a lot of money being taken away from all the other arts groups...and nobody even knows where it will go.
The Mayor and all the Supervisors, San Francisco Film Society/Film Festival, the SF Democratic, Republican and Green Parties, SPUR, Tenant's Union, Neighborhood Theater Foundation and the SF Labor Council have all written position papers against Propostion L.
Many people have been fooled until they got more facts. Read the Voter's Handbook statement from the Mayor and Board of Supervisors and Neighborhood Theater Foundation.
Sincerely, Gary Meyer
LOCAL EVENTS (top)
Thursday Sept. 30 - Sunday October 3, THE 8th RESFEST at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater The latest festival consists of 190 cutting edge works (selected from over 1,500 entries) including lots of animation and special effects work. It is a global celebration of innovative film and music that includes 9 programs of shorts, plus live performances, Sprout, a feature about surfing and retrospectives of Shynola music videos (animation from UK) and edgy films by Jonathan Glazer.
I've seen a few of the shorts including Peter Cornwall's exceptional stop-motion horror film Ward 13 from Australia (he visited SF last year). It is the final film in "Shorts One" and it is a solid 14 minutes of tension and evil goings on in a fast-moving nightmare.
Brand Spanking by John Paul Harney from the UK in "Shorts Two" attacks corporate sponsorship of high school education (putting vending machines and ads in the hallways, ads on "educational" TV programs, etc.). This fine 10 minute work was made with Softimage. It goes beyond the extreme to keep you laughing. Also in this program is a film that I haven't seen but the idea fascinates me. It is a live action special effects film called The Man Without A Head.
The "Bushwacked!" program includes an excellent political film by Eric Henry called Pirates and Emperors (or Size Does Matter). It makes excellent use of limited animation created with After Effects and Illustrator. The animation brings the strong music track to life. The program has 22 other works in it including the popular Slam Bush, a live action hip-hop anti-Bush rap by Louis Fox that has become a hit on the Internet. Both works are by Bay Area film artists.
The retrospective of Jonathon Glazer's work might be a fascinating show as his Guinness "Surfer" TV commercial is an amazing looking work. It has surfers catching giant waves and at the top of the waves where the water is foaming are giant white horses riding the crests. If his other work is equally as amazing, this should be an outstanding program.
Sept. 30 Shorts One at 8 PM followed by the opening night party. Oct. 1 Studio tours (morning and afternoon), 6:30 PM Cannon XL Digital Camcorder Presentation, Shorts Two at 8 PM and Cinema Electronica at 10. Oct. 2 panel presentations at 1 PM, BBQ, guest DJs and meet filmmakers at 2; Shynola Rarities at 4, Shorts 3 at 6 PM, Bushwacked! At 8 and Warp Vision at 10. Sunday Oct. 3, Sprout (suffer feature) at 1, Videos that Rock at 3, By Design at 5, Jonathan Glazer Retrospective at 7, Closing Party at 8. (866) 468-3399 or visit www.resfest.com
Saturday Oct. 2, "FORBIDDEN PLANET" AT THE PRESIDIO'S FREE THIRD ANNUAL FILMS IN THE FOG SCREENING The screening of the 1956 sci-fi classic will be in CinemaScope. Lawn of the Main Post Theatre, 99 Moraga Avenue, Presidio. A picnic and concert begins at 5:00 pm, the feature and a Tom and Jerry cartoon starts around 7 PM. Bring short lawn chairs and blankets. Food and beverages from the White Star Cafe will be available for purchase.
Saturday Oct. 2, FIND OUT HOW MOVIES REALLY GET MADE AT PIXAR an event at Pixar, a benefit for the Cartoon Art Museum. Art exhibit and hor's d'oeuvres from 5:30 - 7, speakers from 7 - 8:30, social hour at 8:30. Talks by Gary Rydstrom (sound), Andrew Stanton (writer/director), Mark Andrews (story), Angus MacLane (animator) and Dr. Michael Johnson (R&D). Tickets $125 from Cartoon Art Museum (415) 227-8666 ext. 300
Sun. Oct. 3, 5:30 PM SHORTS BY JIRI TRNKA, Introduced by Russell Merritt Includes Trnka's first films, The Animals and the Brigands (1946, 9 min), a slapstick treatment of the German occupation, The Springer and the SS (1946, 13 min), Song of the Prairie (1949, 21 mins, an affectionate parody of the Western), Archangel Gabriel and Mother Goose (1964, 29 mins), and his last film The Hand (1965, 19 min), a dark allegory about artistic freedom in a totalitarian society, considered his masterwork. When Trnka died in 1969 at the age of 57 he was given a state funeral. Four months later, The Hand was banned. 35mm prints, Pacific Film Archive.
Wed. Oct. 6, 7:30 "THE PIED PIPER" Jiri Barta (Czechoslovakia, 1986) Barta teamed up with the legendary Jiri Trnka Animation Studio to turn the Pied Piper fable into an extraordinary work using puppet animation with ornately designed oil-painted backdrops, and live action. Recreating a Czech medieval town Barta creates a Gothic world caught some where between Gaudi and Kafka, Caligari and Svankmajer. You know the story, but Barta uses various woods and patterns to create a different look for each human puppet. He overruns his town with alarmingly real rats, giving further power to his parable of a society overrun with vermin, and consumed by scavengers. Color, 35mm
Preceded by shorts by Jiri Barta: Disc Jockey (1980, 10 min). The Extinct World of Gloves (1982, 16 min). The Club of Discarded Ones (1989, 25 min). 106 min plus intermission, 35mm, at the Pacific Film Archive.
Thurs. Oct. 7, 5:30 THE CZECH YEAR Jiri Trnka (Czechoslovakia, 1947) Free First Thursday Screening! Tickets available at the PFA Theater starting at 4:30. Trnka's first puppet feature uses simple wood-cut figures to illustrate traditional folk customs and celebrations as seen in villages throughout the year, set to Czech folk songs. One of his own favorite films, it's a charming work, perfect for all ages. 75 mins, no dialogue, B&W, 35mm, Pacific Film Archive
Fri. Oct. 8 at 5 PM, Regency in San Rafael, MVFF, 5@5 is 5 shorts including Sejong Parks BIRTHDAY BOY (best film at SIGGRAPH) and Peter Sved's CRAWLSPACE.
Sat. Oct. 9, 8:30 PM ALTERED STATES: CALIFORNIA VISIONARY FILMS, work by Oskar Fischinger, Harry Smith, Jordan Belson, James Whitney, Larry Jordan, Bruce Conner, Kenneth Anger, and Curtis Harrington. Introduced by Erik Davis "performance lecturer." At ATA, 992 Valencia, www.othercinema.com
Sun. Oct. 10, 2 PM, BLACK MOR'S ISLAND, a French "rousing seafaring adventure" for kids over 10. A 15-year old kid escapes an orphanage, assembles a crew, steals a ship and sets off to find a
pirate's treasure. Could be a fun feature. At the Rafael Center, Mill Valley Festival (MVFF).
Sun. Oct. 10, 10:30 AM, TOP HAT AND TALES, animated & puppet shorts. Open a Door from Taiwan, Our Story from Mexico and 3 Polish animated works. Rafael Center. MVFF
Sunday Oct. 10 Lowes Metreon Festival of Anime will premiere GUNDAM F91 11:00 am - 'Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'; 12:00 pm - 'Galaxy Angel Z' (Episodes 1 and 2) / 'Taruto' (Premiere of Episode 1); 1:00 pm - 'Please Twins!' (Episode 1 and 2); 2:00 pm - 'Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex'; 3:00 pm - 'Mobile Suit Gundam SEED' (Episode 1 and 2); 4:00 pm - MFA:04 Costume Contest; 5:00 pm - 'Mobile Suit Gundam F91', proceeded by panel discussion with the film's producer www.acteva.com/go/metreon. $15
Thursday October 14, 9:30PM Regency and Saturday October 16, 4:15 PM Rafael Film Center, BILL PLYMPTON'S "HAIR HIGH," 2004, 80 minutes, MVFF.
Thursday October 14 at 8:45 & Saturday Oct. 16 at 8:15 PM, THE DARK SIDE OF THE TOON This program includes 4 films I know and 3 are excellent. They are showing Chris Landreth's RYAN which won the top prize at Annecy and a major award at SIGGRAPH this year. Eternal Gaze by Sam Chen is a powerful tribute to the sculptor Giacometti that I raved about when I saw it in a program of the short list for the Oscar for animated short this year. A second Oscar contender, Rockfish from Blur Studios is also in the program. It is a well-done climax to an action/adventure game. The other film I love in this show is Bill Plympton's Guard Dog. The rest of the program is Goryesque Winter, Witty Day of the Dead, Oedipus, For a Tango and Mark Gusafson's Joe Blow. MVFF, Rafael Center.
Friday, Oct. 15, 9:30 PM Rafael Center, THE GRATFUL DEAD MOVIE with what was considered a mind blowing animated 7 or 8 minute opening segment in 1977. Animation is by Garry Gutierez and friends. This was the beginning of Colossal Pictures.
Saturday, Oct. 16, 10:45 AM, BLACK MOR'S ISLAND, a French "rousing seafaring adventure" for kids over 10. A 15-year old kid escapes an orphanage, assembles a crew, steals a ship and sets off to find a pirate's treasure. Could be a fun feature. At the Regency in San Rafael, Mill Valley Festival.
Saturday, Oct. 23, 8:30 PM BUSHWACKED at ATA. This may include some of the anti-Bush animation shown by RESFEST.
Thursday, October 28 noon at the Exploratorium. ASIFA-SF PRESENTS NEW ANIMATION FROM INDIA in honor of International Animation Day. This is an excellent selection of work that captures both the exotic nature of India (see dancing elephants, ancient gods, picturesque villages, etc.) and the reality of modern India (ads for bug sprays, a film for the UN's Rights of Children campaign, etc.). The independent/studio shorts are Bindu, Raju and I, and Shadow of Light. The student finalists are Drum, Ganesha and Hand and Arrow. The ads films/PSAs are Jumbo Coil, All Out Liquid, Roach Party, Fetus, POGA (sponsored by MTV) and Bazee.
Thursday, October 28 7:30 PM at the Exploratorium, ASIFA-SF PRESENTS WINNERS OF THE 35th ANNUAL ASIFA-EAST INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL (2004) in honor of International Animation Day See 30 prize-winning shorts, TV commercials and promos from the nation's oldest and most honored animation festival. After the screening the audience will vote for their favorite works and $200 in prize money will be awarded to the top 3 winners. PLUS, WE WILL AUCTION OFF 2 ORIGINAL SIGNED DRAWINGS BY BILL PLYMPTON - ONE IS OFF HIS GUARD DOG IN ACTION! BRING YOUR CHECK BOOKS.
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT W.
"Éexceptionally accessible, informative and entertainingÉ Uniquely well-suited for convincing undecided votersÉ If I had to recommend just one film to see before Election Day, There's Something About W. is it." Scott O'Reilly, IntervensionMag.com
NOW SHOWING AT:
Sacramento, CA Every Thursday until the election at 2112 E Street (between 21st and 22nd), 5:30 and 7:30 for your convenience! Lauren Ayers, for directions call (916) 448-4848
San Rafael, CA. Every Monday night, evening tea party, at 5 Mt. Tioga Ct., 7 p.m., Katherine da Silva Jain
San Francisco, CA Friday, October 1, 8 PM, Varnish Fine Arts Gallery, 77 Natoma St, between 1st and 2nd, off Howard, suggested donation: $10-$20
Berkeley, CA, Monday, October 4, Pacific Film Archives, fundraiser benefiting KPFA, 8 PM
Oakland, CA, Tuesday, October 5, 9:15 PM, twin bill with Karil Daniel's "Voices of Dissent", Parkway Theatre, 1834 Park Blvd, Oakland, Fee
San Francisco, CA, Wednesday, October 6, 12:30 to 1:30 PM, Thoreau Center for Sustainability, Presidio Building 1014, Pacific Room, info: Bruce DeMartini, 415-561-7823, free
Berkeley, CA October 14, 7 PM, Goldman School of Public Policy -- Room 250, University of California - Berkeley 2607 Hearst Avenue (at LeRoy Avenue), Host: Larry Rosenthal, Policy Consultant on There's Something About W. http://www.berkeley.edu/map/,
Berkeley, CA Sunday, Oct. 17, 6 PM, Hillside Club, Fundraiser for the film; donations request
For more information, screening updates or to buy a DVD or VHS ($15 + shipping) visit SomethingAboutW.com
NATIONAL NEWS (top)
ASIFA IS CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION DAY, OCTOBER 28, IN AT LEAST 30 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD Over 200 events will be presented this year. Events are planned in Egypt, Ivory Coast and Morocco in Africa. In Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Canada and the United States (ASIFA Atlanta, ASIFA Central, ASIFA East, ASIFA Colorado, ASIFA Northwest, ASIFA San Francisco) in the Americas. In India, Iran, Jordan, Taiwan and Uzbekistan in Asia. By ASIFA Austria, Folioscope in Belgium, ASIFA Bulgaria, ASIFA Croatia, the National Film Archive in the Czech Republic, ASIFA Finland, ASIFA France, ASIFA Italy, the Bimini Festival in Latvia, by Niaf in the Netherlands, by Casa de Animacion in Portugal, ASIFA Romania, by Animadrid and the Gijon Festival in Spain, by ASIFA Slovenia, ASIFA Sweden, GSFA in Switzerland and ASIFA Yugoslavia.
International Animation Day was created by the ASIFA in 2002 based on an idea by Abi Feijo. ASIFA France was the first to make this idea concrete and Olivier Catherin of ASIFA France coordinated the 2004 event.
ASIFA-EAST HELD A PROGRAM WITH AL BRODAX, THE PRODUCER OF "YELLOW SUBMARINE" The controversial producer has a new book out, Up Periscope Yellow. It tells his side of the story.
FALL TV INCLUDES NBC'S BIG BUDGET "FATHER OF THE PRIDE," PBS' "MAYA AND MIGUEL" AND COMEDY CENTRAL'S UGLY LOOKING "DRAWN TOGETHER" Drawn may be quite funny according to people who saw a clip from it at a trade show. It may become a hit as it is said to be "lurid." Its stars look like low budget
knockoffs of Betty Boop, Porky Pig, Superman, etc. They live together in this parody of reality TV programs.
NBC is off and running with their expensive production of Father of the Pride. It is said to cost over $2 million a show! They ran lots of promos for it during the Olympics and premiered it the first week of September to take advantage of their advanced publicity (and to get a jump on the competition). To make the premiere an even bigger deal a car company bought the entire time slot for the first program and ran it without commercials. (Only promos before and after the show.) The show is about the backstage lives of Siegfried and Roy's white lions. Since I don't get NBC I haven't seen it, but word from a friend is the writing bored him.
Maya and Miguel will join PBS' 2-hour lineup after school called PBS Kids Go! It stars a multi-racial family in a fast-paced, commercial-looking show that teaches vocabulary and other skills. It is aimed at promoting the values of a multicultural society and to aid English language learners in a show that is entertaining.
SOUTH PARK'S PARKER AND STONE'S UPCOMING FEATURE WILL NOT BE RATED NC-17. Apparently the creators of Team America: World Police created an X or NC-17 version and have been working with the censors to find out what needs to be cut to make it the nastiest film that Paramount can distribute with a R rating. The rumors about graphic sex among string marionette puppets making the film NC-17 are false. Paramount has a clause in their contract that clearly states that Trey Parker and Matt Stone's film has to be rated R by the MPAA. The film will be released October 15.
Parker and Stone went through the same process when they released South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut. It took several trims and a title change for them to get an R-rating in 1999. That film, made with a $20 million budget, grossed $52 million in the US before coming out on video!
MICKEY MOUSE AND POPEYE WERE IN AN UNAUTHORIZED ANTI-AMERICAN WWII CARTOON Mark Arnold, who runs Mark's Rare Comics in Saratoga and publishes The Harveyville Fun Times! write, that he recently rented a 2-hour documentary on DVD entitled The Eye of Vichy (1993). "In it, at about the 90-minute mark, there was a short 2-minute cartoon that featured Popeye, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck in speaking roles and cameos by Goofy and Felix the Cat. The basic idea of the French propaganda film was making fun of the fact that the US was bombing the French with the promise of a better lifestyle of food and commodities from Britain to justify their cause. Obviously, the cartoon implied that living under Nazi rule was vastly superior to succumbing to the Allies who are just bombing France for the hell of it and didn't know what they were doing and giving false testimony that they were rescuing everyone. Bizarre, but interesting. Definitely worth checking out. It's in French with English subtitles, obviously not done by Disney or Paramount, but close enough on model to get the point." http://rarecomics.home.att.net
"AEON FLUX" CAST ANNOUNCED The live-action adaptation of Peter Chung's animated cult TV series Aeon Flux is now being filmed for Paramount in Berlin. It stars Oscar-winning actresses Charlize Theron (Monster) and Frances McDormand (Fargo) plus Marton Csokas (XXX), Jonny Lee Miller (Hackers), Sophie Okonedo (Dirty Pretty Things), Amelia Warner (Quills) and Caroline Chikezie (The Footballers' Wives {British TV show}). Aeon Flux was created for MTV in the early 1990's by Peter Chung and Colossal Pictures in San Francisco.
MICHAEL EISNER SAYS HE WILL RETIRE 2 YEARS FROM NOW, ROY DISNEY SAYS DO IT SOONER Eisner might like the idea of being a lame duck CEO, but his foes feel the company needs better leadership now. Roy plans to try and step up his departure date if he isn't gone in 6 months. Eisner also has said he will not seek the chairmanship of the board again, while foes want him to leave the board. They say he is out of touch and out of date. The fight isn't over.
Disney's board later said they plan to name the next CEO by next June. It isn't clear how that will affect Eisner's plans to hang on for 2 more years. The board's only candidate from inside the company is Robert Iger, Disney's COO (he isn't popular with the anti-Eisner crowd). Perhaps they will pick someone from outside the corporation.
Eisner must be the most controversial CEO of the year. A few recent headlines: "Eisner urged to quit Disney board too," "Disney dissidents, some want Michael Eisner gone sooner rather than later," "Can Disney magic weave happy ending?" "'A fantastic Disney ride,' says Eisner," and "Disney CEO Won't Last Until 2006 if Unhappy Shareholders Have Their Way." Television Week had a front-page banner headline that read, "Eisner TV Legacy Cloudy." KC
POOR MICHAEL EISNER HAS BEEN DROPPED FROM AN EXCLUSIVE CLUB He has been tossed out of Forbes magazine's list of the 400 richest men in America. They estimated his worth at only $278 million last year. Roy Disney remains on the list in the 278th spot at $1 billion. Bill Gates remains #1 at $48 billion.
ANIMATION BY BILL PLYMPTON AND OTHERS WILL LIVEN UP THE NEW DREW CAREY SHOW The WB Network has announced the premiere of "Drew Carey's Green Screen Show" on October 7. The show will hopefully be a fun and lively marriage of improv and animation. After the comics act out improvised skits, teams of animators including Bill, Pat Smith, David Levy (pres. Of ASIFA-East) and others, will add visuals, creating an improvised movie! On The WB Network Thursdays at 8:30 PM. http://www.thewb.com/
SYLVAIN CHOMET HAS CREATED A SCREENPLAY BASED ON A JACQUES TATI FEATURE Chomet is the amazing creator of The Triplets of Belelville and the short The Old Lady and the Pigeons. Tati created Mr. Hulot's Holiday, Playtime and Traffic back in the 1950s and early 60s. Tati was a mime whose humor inspired Chomet's first feature.
JERRY BECK'S "ANIMATION ART" COVERS THE WORLDWIDE HISTORY OF ANIMATION It is being published by Harper Design Int'l and the $45.00 382-page book will be on bookstore shelves Oct. 26. This book covers animation from Emile Reynaud to Shrek 2. Forwords are by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Bill Plympton. Writers for the book include Harvey Deneroff, Frank Gladstone, Jim Korkis, Tom Knott, Harry McCracken, George Maestri, Michael Mallory, Mark Mayerson, Jan Nagel, Fred Patten, Ray Pointer, Chris Robinson, Keith Scott, Adam Snyder and Pat Raine Webb.
GARY SCHWARTZ DOES GALLERY ART TOO He is know as an animation teacher (have video lunch box, will travel). The show of his sculptures is at Izzy's Raw Art Gallery in Detroit until October 30. www.izzysrawart.com
THE COOLEST UNDERGROUND CINEMA IN THE WORLD HAS BEEN DISCOVERED The Guardian in London (Sept. 8) reported that in a secret cave in Paris the police found a real underground cinema! They "have discovered a fully equipped cinema-cum-restaurant in a large and previously uncharted cavern underneath the capital's chic 16th arrondissement. Officers admit they are at a loss to know who built or used one of Paris's most intriguing recent discoveries. `There were two swastikas painted on the ceiling, but also celtic crosses and several stars of David, so we don't think it's extremists. Some sect or secret society, maybe. There are any number of possibilities.'"
It turns out there are 170 miles of tunnels, caves, galleries and catacombs under Paris and the police stumbled on the complex while training beneath the Palais de Chaillot, across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower. "After entering the network through a drain next to the Trocadero, the officers came across a tarpaulin marked: Building site, No access. Behind that, a tunnel held a desk and a closed-circuit TV camera set to automatically record images of anyone passing. The mechanism also triggered a tape of dogs barking, `clearly designed to frighten people off,' the spokesman said."
The tunnel leads to a vast 400 sq metre cave some 18m underground, "like an underground amphitheatre, with terraces cut into the rock and chairs". There the police found a large movie screen, projection equipment, and tapes of a wide variety of films including 1950s film noir classics and more recent thrillers. None of the films were banned or offensive.
A smaller nearby cave had been turned into an informal restaurant and bar. "There were bottles of whisky and other spirits behind a bar, tables and chairs, a pressure-cooker for making couscousÉ The whole thing ran off a professionally installed electricity system and there were at least three phone lines down there."
Three days later, when the police returned accompanied by experts from the French electricity board to see where the power was coming from, the phone and electricity lines had been cut and a note was lying in the middle of the floor: It said, "Do not try to find us." A group identifying itself as the Perforating Mexicans told a radio station the subterranean cinema was its work.
The tunnels and catacombs under Paris include former quarries, dating from Roman times. There is also Les Catacombes, where the remains of up to six million Parisians were transferred from overcrowded cemeteries in the late 1700s. Tours are available of a limited section of the catacombs, but not where the fun is happening.
A TRIBUTE TO FRANK THOMAS by TOM SITO Frank Thomas, one of the most talented and influential animators in the history of the art form, a member of Walt Disney's elite "Nine Old Men," passed away quietly on Wednesday (9/8/04) at his home in Flintridge, California. He was 92 years old. Thomas had been in declining health following a cerebral hemorrhage earlier this year.
Starting in 1934 at the Walt Disney Studio, he was with them for 43 years. Frank Thomas created such memorable performances including Mickey as the Brave Little Tailor, Pinnochio cowering from the threats of Stromboli, Bambi trying to walk on ice, Captain Hook at the piano, the spaghetti dinner scene in Lady & The Tramp, Baloo and Prince John. Andreas Deja recalled: "Great animators each have their own system for timing and posing, Frank Thomas's was one of the most complex. His feels like there are no inbetweens, something important was in every drawing. Yet he modestly denigrated his own abilities compared to Milt Kahl or Marc Davis. He'd introduce himself "Hi, I'm Frank Thomas, and I can't draw!"
Walk over to the studio lot on any lazy summer day at lunchtime and you might hear Frank playing his honkytonk piano in the famous Firehouse Five Plus Two band. After retiring as an animator, director and teacher, Thomas (in collaboration with his lifelong friend and colleague Ollie Johnston) authored four books including Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life and Too Funny for Words. Until recently he was creating art on their own website.
Although strongly opposed to the Disney Studio strike of 1941, Frank served on the Screen Cartoonists Guild executive board. During the 1982 Runaway Wars strike he rebuked a sulky young animator who complained about the strike by saying: "You cannot afford to ignore your union!" But despite his legendary status to young animators he was always just Frank - encouraging, joking, instructing, complimenting. He seemed genuinely interested in what other animation artists were doing and always had time for you. If Hokusai was called in Japanese the Crazy-Old-Man-In-Love-With-Drawing, Frank Thomas was the Smiling-Old-Man-in-Love-With-Animation.
The family suggests that donations be made in Frank's name to the Character Animation Program at CalArts (California Institute of the Arts) in Santa Clarita, California.
A memorial to Frank was held on. Sept. 30 at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles.
SAILING DOWN THE VOLGA ON THE KROK BOAT
by Nik Phelps and Nancy Denny-Phelps
THE KROK SHIP CAN BARELY BE SEEN IN THIS PHOTO
For the past four years Nik and I have been fortunate enough to leave the world as we know it once a year and spend twelve fabulous days in the magical world of KROK. For those who have not been as lucky as us, it is hard to explain what it is really like. It is an animation festival held on a boat with 200 animators from all over the world floating down a river while watching animation, eating, drinking, dancing on the deck all night and making life long friends.
Unlike other festivals where everyone is scattered all over the city, all of us are together twenty-four hours a day, sharing the screenings, tours and meals. KROK is truly one big family.
Arrival in Moscow on August 18th meant a reunion with many old friends and the anticipation of new adventures. After many welcoming hugs and kisses at the festival headquarters in downtown Moscow, we had several hours of free time. We took a walk with two new arrivals from Spain; animator Miguel Angel and Maria Navarro Diego, the director of the Cordoba Animation Festival. In true KROK fashion, in the middle of Red Square we ran into veteran KROKers Irena Margolin from New York and Moscow, Irra Virbitsky of New York, and ASIFA International President Nour-e-din Zarrinkelk of Iran. More excited hugs and kisses.
Evening found us back at the Central Cinema House, the Festival's headquarters, ready to board buses taking us to the Kurskiy railway station to catch an overnight train to Nizhniy Novgorod, where we would board the cruise ship to begin our trip down the Volga. Now that we were finally all together, there were even more hugs, kisses and cries of "Oh Wow, I didn't know that you would be here this year!"
An all night train ride meant that it was time for many of us to pull out musical instruments along with vodka, wine and all sorts of goodies to eat. When our sleeping compartments became too crowded and the Russian train police admonished us to keep down the noise, we all moved to the platform between the train cars carousing further into the night. As dawn broke there was hot tea from the samovar at the end of each train car. A light drizzle fell as we pulled into the station.
After breakfast and a bus tour of the city it was time to settle into our cabins on the riverboat "Georgiy Zhukov". The opening night ceremony was at the Orlyonok Cinema in Nizhniy Novgorod, and it began with filmed memories celebrating the 11 years of KROK and a one-minute animation by Irra Virbitsky, with music by Nik, titled KROK 2003 (I Drink WithÉ) which recounted her adventures on the boat at the 2003 KROK. After the official welcoming speeches we launched right into Competition Program number 1, which was for student films.
This year, the festival's competition was only for student and debut films (works by filmmakers who have made three or fewer films). Starting this year professional animation will be presented every other year on the Dnieper River cruise in the Ukraine. Many of the films that we liked at the Annecy and Zagreb student screenings were shown at KROK, but for us the big treat was the large number of Russian and Ukrainian student works that we would never be able to see anywhere else. Opening night highlights included Flatlife by Belgium's Jonas Geirnaert, which won the Jury Prize for Short Films at Cannes this year.
In the debut film category there were three films that stood out: Hello by Jonathan Nix of Australia, Frank from Japan's Taruto Fuyma and Return I Will to Old Brazil by Alex Budovsky from New York City (his Bath Time in Clerkenwell is included in Avoid Eye Contact, a brilliant DVD collection featuring work with New York animators.)
After the screening, we returned to the boat for the opening night reception, which was resplendent with delicious food, including plenty of caviar, and an ample supply of vodka and red wine.
The next morning after breakfast, our boat began its cruise down the beautiful Volga River. Between the unseasonably warm weather and the beautiful birch forests that we were floating past, it was very difficult to head to the screening room, but the lure of good animation always proves to be too strong for me.
Each year along with the daily competition screenings, there are informational screenings, and retrospectives by each juror and respected animators and guests. I particularly enjoy the jurors' screenings because it gives you insight into how their decisions were arrived at when the awards are finally announced. On board the ship, we have a very rare opportunity to see classic animation seldom screened in the United States and to spend time talking informally with grand masters.
The eminent Moscow documentarian and animation curator Natalya Lukinykh introduced And Life and Tales of Love, which showcases legendary director Yuri Norshtein and designer Francesca Yarbusova. It is an episode from her recently completed 12-part documentary Soyuzmultfilm - the Tales and the Facts. Their films are considered an ideal of Russian artistic perfection. Yuri Norshtein, who was on the boat for the entire trip, presented a fabulous master class and there was a separate retrospective program of his films.
Our Dear Masters, also presented by Natalya Lukinykh, is a documentary episode dedicated to the great Russian animators Edward Nazarov and Stanislav Sokolov. It is especially meaningful that young animators at KROK have the opportunity to learn about the life and artistic philosophy of famous Russian animators while also getting to know them on a social level.
While we were in port at Yaroslavl, Alexander Petrov treated us to a surprise visit on board ship. He is renowned for his animation that is painted on glass with oils, and he won an Oscar for Old Man and the Sea. He graciously extended an invitation to all of us to visit his recently completed studio where he is at work on his next project. We were invited to watch Petrov at work while he talked to us about the processes he uses. His son, who is also his chief assistant, screened a reel of new work including several recently completed commercials.
There were several outstanding special screenings. Marcy Page from the National Film Board of Canada presented a collection of NFB work. The Institute of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Postproduction at Filmakademie Baden-Wurttemberg screened an over-view of their student animation from the last five years. The Victoria College of the Arts, Australian School of Film and Television, Australia's premier school, presented a collection of student work.
From early morning until sunrise the next day every hour is packed with screenings, special programs, sightseeing when the boat docks, and dancing on the deck until sunrise. There is also time for groups to gather in the ship's bar to talk about everything under the sun in 30 different languages.
Ivan Maximov DJ'ed everything from 50's and 60's rock and roll oldies to current Russian pop. Ivan is not only a great DJ and a good friend, he is also a well-known animator. We were delighted to see his quirky and original "Wind Along the Coast" screened as a special treat at the opening night ceremony.
Carnival is always a special night. For one evening the screening room is forgotten and the bar is turned into a magical setting where we all become animated actors performing skits, songs, and other foolishness to entertain each other and compete for fabulous prizes awarded by a special distinguished jury. Our international cast of 11 (5 Belgians, 2 Brits, 1 Ukrainian who now lives in New York
City, 1 Iranian, and Nik and I plus a fabricated figure of our Norwegian friend Gunnar, who had to leave the boat early) had shared a very loud and raucous meal table three times a day. We performed a tribute to our very patient, non-English speaking waiter entitled "Table # 1 - The Best Waiter With the Worst table". We were awarded one of the coveted prizes - a large box of "Winnie the Pooh" chocolate and yogurt concoctions - a Russian dairy treat made by one of the festival sponsors. We shared then with the audience before they melted. We also received a bottle of champagne, which we all drank at breakfast the next morning.
Each year KROK treats us to a sumptuous barbeque picnic and this year was no exception. We docked at a conifer forest just a few hours from Moscow, a popular spot where Muscovites picnic, swim and ride horses. We had time to explore the forest and swim before it was time to eat, drink and enjoy music provided by several passengers.
All too soon we found ourselves back in Moscow wondering how 12 days could pass so quickly. We returned to the Central Cinema House for the awards ceremony with a mixture of anticipation and sadness, knowing that the next day we would all scatter to the four corners of the world.
The ceremony opened with the requisite number of speeches and musical entertainment, among which was "The Unlikely Fellowship of Strings and Keyboards" a musical group made up of Alex Budovsky (United States) on melodica, Mikhail Tumelya (Belarus) on balalaika, Mikhail Berenstein (United States)) on ukulele, Irina Litmanovich (Israel and Russia) on guitar, Konstantin Arefyev (Russia) on jaw harp and Nik on clarinet. Then came the awarding of the prizes.
The Little Sparrow That Could Not Fly, directed by Leon Estron of Russia won a sponsors' prize (a TV set and video player) for his delightfully witty film about a little sparrow that is trying to take to the air but can only dance. After dancing with Leon I can attest to the fact that his own fancy footwork is the model for his little bird.
KROK easily wins the honor of presenting the most unique festival prizes. This year the Confederation of Film Makers Union presented a sandwich machine to Russia's Alena Oyatieva for A Dangerous Walk.
The diploma and $3,000.00 (US) award for Best Student Film went to Matthieu Croset of France for Nanos, "about strange creatures trying to communicate their way while lost in a dark and hostile world." Ward 13, directed by our friend Peter Cornwell of Australia, received a diploma in the best debut film category. He won the audience award at Zagreb.
We were very pleased to see Seventeen by Dutch director Hisko Hulsing presented with a diploma in the best debut film category. We both felt that his animation, which explores the dark side of human nature, should not have been overlooked at Annecy.
The top prize for the Best Debut Film (a diploma and $3000.00) was divided between Philippe Grammaticopoulos of France for Regulator and director Matthiew Gravelle of Wales for Taps. I think that Regulator is a film that needs several viewings before it can be fully appreciated. I saw it at both Annecy and Zagreb and I was ambivalent about it, but at KROK, I finally fully appreciated this film. It is about a man and woman who adopt a "spare parts" child and have great difficulties deciding which parts to choose to make up the child.
A $1,000.00 (US) special prize was awarded to The Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs (ENSAD) of France for the best film school program.
Felix Gonnert of Germany garnered a $1,000.00 (US) special award for creative research in the field of modern technology for his film Lucia. We were delighted that our Belgian friend Jonas Geirnaert was also honored with a $1,000.00 (US) special prize for Flatlife to honor the film's perfect timing and great humor.
The Grand Prix Trophy and $5,000.00 (US) went to Russian director Dmitriy Geller for A Little Night Symphony, a delightful story of the creation of a musical composition.
We ended the evening back on board the ship for a lavish closing night party/feast with several courses of delicious food plus vodka and wine. The last night was a mixture of laughter and tears, especially for the people like us who would be flying out early the next morning. No one really wanted to say goodbye, and there were lots of "I'll e-mail you photos as soon as I get home" and "I've got to make another film so I can be here again next year." Anyone who has the opportunity to attend KROK should never pass up the opportunity.
A special thank you must go to Irina Kaplichnaya and her fabulous staff. They managed to keep the KROK boat sailing along smoothly and somehow made it all look so effortless. To deal with all of the problems that a boatload of creative individualists can cause is no easy task, especially with the amusing (and sometimes not so funny) problems that the many language barriers can cause. Three years ago the ship's galley wasn't prepared to serve a vegetarian. This year the kitchen staff was ready for him and the non-meat eater (known by all as "The Vegetarian") got plenty to eat.
After watching Irina and her staff for four years, I've come to realize what an amazing accomplishment it is to plan this fabulous festival, to get us all on the boat and to keep everything sailing along smoothly.
For information on the 2005 Festival which will be held in the Ukraine go to: www.animator.ru
DVD NEWS (top)
JAMIE GALATAS WRITES "Batman: The Animated Series Volume 2 will be released December 7. Volume 1 is out now and is fantastic! Superman: The Animated Series Volume 1 will also be released December 7. These are both high quality shows that really expanded on the comics, as well as the wonderful characters that reside in the stories. Ren and Stimpy Seasons 1 & 2 are set for release on October 12. This is going to be GREAT!!!" He also expressed excitement about the 2nd volume of The Looney Tunes Golden Collection. It has over 40 shorts on it including a few black and white classics from the 1930s. It comes out November 2.
"KAENA: THE PROPHECY," A 3D CG SCIENCE-FICTION ADVENTURE FROM FRANCE THAT IS WORTH STUDYING FOR WAYS TO PRODUCE A 3-D FEATURE WITHOUT A GIANT BUDGET I think you may want to see this film to learn more about the crafts of storytelling and animation. It is a fun film set in the future with lots of nasty creatures that eat humans. I assume the film might develop a cult following among fans that love fantastic art. It is a lot more fun than Lara Croft and other CG features that were not mega-hits. The plot involves humans on a distant planet that are enslaved by religion and enormous evil looking creatures. Kaena is a young high-spirited female forced to set out on a dangerous quest to save her world. From Columbia TriStar Home Ent., $24.96.
The film started out as a game that was produced with a limited amount of software. I'm fascinated by it as it tries hard to compete in the features market. The animators were not too skilled with walk cycles so they came up with a script that includes lots of running, climbing and falling. State of the art texture mapping was a luxury they couldn't afford so the film's star, Kaena, has strange blotches of color on her forehead. Backgrounds are quite complex and sometimes distract from the action. They never include architecture. Many backgrounds are abstract jungle-like vines. It is easier to match shots and avoid continuity problems if the backgrounds are parts of giant plants instead of room interiors. All vines seem to look alike.
The writing is worth looking at as some of it works, but what is missing? The faults are so blatant that if you ever write you will learn from studying this film. The same is true with staging. On my 3rd screening of the film I figured out why some sequences didn't read right the first two times I saw them. Actions or props that should read clearly don't so I missed seeing the point of the scene. Most of this issue was written and edited by Karl Cohen with articles provided by Nik and Nancy Phelps, Tom Sito, Gary Meyer, and Frank Taylor. Pete Davis was the proofreader and Tara Beyhm provided the address labels. The mailing crew included Kath and Litz, Shirley Smith, Laura Tulloss and Nancy Phelps. ASIFA-SF, THE BAY AREA'S ANIMATION ASSOCIATION AND THE EXPLORATORIUM'S FILM PROGRAM INVITE YOU TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION DAY WITH US Romel Dias of Animagic India said that "'Raju & I' is aimed at creating an awareness about social conditions and deals with issues faced by underprivileged children, as seen from the eyes of a 12-year-old city boy." The firm spent 2 years making this powerful 30 minute short about Children's Rights. NEW ANIMATION FROM INDIA THESE ARE FINALISTS IN ASIFA INDIA'S "AWARD OF EXCELLENCE" COMPETITION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, NOON, THE EXPLORATORIUM'S McBEAN THEATER This is an excellent selection of work that captures both the exotic nature of India (see dancing elephants, ancient gods, picturesque villages, etc.) and the reality of modern India (ads for bug sprays, a film for the UN's Rights of Children campaign, etc.). Seeing the finalists in the shorts, TV commercials and student film categories offers a rare glimpse into an emerging animation culture that is quite different from what we are used to. The independent/studio shorts are Bindu, Raju and I, and Shadow of Light The student finalists are Drum, Ganesha and Hand and Arrow. The ads films/PSAs are Jumbo Coil, All Out Liquid, Roach Party, Fetus, POGA (sponsored by MTV-India) and Bazee . ASIFA-SAN FRANCISCO P.O. Box 14516 San Francisco CA 94114
ASIFA-SAN FRANCISCO, THE BAY AREA'S ANIMATION ASSOCIATION AND THE EXPLORATORIUM'S FILM PROGRAM INVITE YOU TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION DAY WITH US
Mark Kausler & Greg Ford, It's the Cat Bill Plympton, Guard Dog Karen Aqua& Joanna Priestly, Andaluz
WINNERS OF ASIFA-EAST'S 35th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 7:30 PM
THE EXPLORATORIUM'S McBEAN THEATER, FREE
See 30 prize-winning shorts, TV commercials and promos from the nation's oldest and most honored animation festival. After the screening the audience will vote for their favorite works and $200 in prize money will be awarded to the top 3 winners.
PLUS, WE WILL BE AUCTIONING OFF TWO ORIGINAL BILL PLYMPTON DRAWINGS! ONE IS HIS GUARD DOG IN ACTION. BRING YOUR CHECK BOOKS. Special thanks to Bill for his generous donation.
Student Winners
Stieg Retlin, 2 Player Game, SVA, honorable mention
Alexander Woo, Rex Steele: Nazi Smasher, NYU, honorable mention
Ivy Boersma, The Cellulite Parasite, University of the Arts, 3rd place
Jonathan Etkins, Bad Blood, University of the Arts, 2nd place
Jake Friedman, Green #1 in D Minor, NYU, 1st place
Commercials/Promos: Chris Boyce & R. Charde, On the Moon
Acme Filmworks/ Wendy Tilby & Amanda Forbis, Colorado Lottery Woodcut, Excellence in Design
Jennifer Oxley, Helping Little Star, Excellence in Animation
Bill Plympton, Hair High, Excellence in Animation
Augenblick Studios, Lobster, excellence in Writing & Humor
Jennifer Oxley, Helping Little Kitten, Commercials and Promos
Wachtenheim/Marianetti L.L.C, Q, 3rd place
Acme Filmworks/ Wendy Tilby & Amanda Forbis, United Airlines Interview, 1st place
Sesame Workshop/Eric Weil Janie & Jerome: The Move, Sponsored Films, Excellence in Design
Sesame Workshop/Eric Weil Janie & Jerome: Rain, Sponsored Films, Excellence in Education Jennifer Oxley, Helping Little Star
Wachtenheim/Marianetti L.L.C., Are You Hot? Sponsored Films, Excellence in Writing/Humor
Curious Pictures, Codename: Kids Next Door Operation: Support, Sponsored Films, 3rd place
Patrick Smith/Blend Films, Dyna-Mic Records, Moving Along, Sponsored Films, 2nd place
Wachtenheim/Marianetti L.L.C., Saddam & Osama, Sponsored Films, 1st place
Independent Films:
Karen Aqua & Joanna Priestley, Andaluz, Excellence in Experimental Techniques
Chris Boyce & Robert M. Charde, On The Moon, Excellence in Soundtrack Design
Karl Staven, Piano Dog Visits The Underworld, Excellence in Design Carolyn & Andy London, Subway Salvation
Carolyn & Andy London, Subway Salvation, Excellence in Writing/Humor
PES, Pee-Nut, 3rd Place, Independent Films
Nina Paley, The Sitayana, 2nd Place, Independent Films
Chris Hinton/Acme Filmworks, Nibbles, 1st Place, Independent Films
Willis Sillim's Tall Tale by Steffen Vala, 2004 Samu Award
The Birdcage King by Christopher Magee, Special Honorable Mention
Greg Ford and Mark Kausler, It's The Cat, Best in Show
Bill Plympton, Guard Dog, Best in Show
Patrick Smith, Moving Along