The Masters of Animation
Full Program Schedule
FRIDAY JULY 4
THE SEATTLE ART MUSEUM
Noon: OPENING EVENT: Marc Davis, One of Disney's Original Seven
Marc Davis, one of the original seven Disney animators, makes an extremely rare appearance to discuss his work. As creator of both the good (Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty) and the bad (Cruella de Vil, Maleficent) women in Disney's past, this is a special opportunity to experience an insider's view of these classic animated films. [Video].
Hosted by Marc Davis
2pm: Nickelodeon's Craig Bartlett (Hey Arnold!) and Will Vinton Studio's Mark Gustafson (Mr. Resistor)
Two of the brightest minds in contemporary animation join forces to display exceptional, outrageous shorts, including some of Craig's pre-Nickelodeon work, and Mark's amazing claymations. Craig's work is highly recognizable; from the "Penny" cartoons in PeeWee's Playhouse, to Ren and Stimpy, and the recent hit, Hey Arnold ! on Nickelodeon. In addition to the popular Mr. Resistor, Mark's work can be seen in Disney's Return to Oz (the Gnome King characters), the Adventures of Mark Twain, and the recent commercial featuring G.I. Joe and Barbie cruising around in a toy Nissan. [Video].
Hosted by Craig Bartlett and Mark Gustafson
4pm: Jason and the Argonauts - Ray Harryhausen
Chosen by Harryhausen as his personal favorite of all of his stop-motion films, this is a rare 35mm archival print with the actual models used in the movie at the screening! The film magnificently chronicles the story of Jason's adventures in pursuit of the Golden Fleece. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear the master of the stop-motion effect talk about the details that went into developing his most cherished work. [35mm].
Hosted by Ray Harryhausen
6pm: Angel's Egg - Mamoru Oshii - SEATTLE PREMIERE
Arguably the most visually stunning animated film ever made. With it's breathtakingly wild and dreamy imagery, Angel's Egg is a cross between Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, and David Lynch's Eraserhead. The story takes place in a devastated village where a mysterious little girl protectively carries her big egg with her wherever she goes. A young soldier appears, and admires her egg. Later the girl meets the soldier again and he offers to protect the egg for her. This brings the two closer together, until the girl decides she is going to hatch her egg Giant fish, desolated landscapes and a disturbing music score add up to what is by far the most stylized and astonishing animation ever. In Japanese--translation provided (the film contains very little dialogue). [35 mm].
Hosted by Mamoru Oshii
8pm: The Remarkable Stop Motion Films of Barry Purves
One of the finest stop-motion artists working today makes his first personal appearance in Seattle. Barry was the original animation director for Mars Attacks (see why producer Tim Burton was so adamant about having Barry work on his film). The screening includes: Next, in which William Shakespeare, auditioning to a very bored producer, uses his complete works as his audition piece, summed up in 5 minutes; Screenplay, a highly stylized and surprisingly violent piece inspired by the famous Willow Pattern Plate and Kabuki; Rigoletto, a 30 minute presentation of the opera; and Achilles, an adult piece about the character of Achilles, his role in the Trojan War, and his love for fellow warrior Patroclus, narrated by Derek Jacobi. [35mm].
Hosted by Barry Purves
10pm: Late Night Madness with Marv Newland, Bruce Bickford, David Anderson, and Janice Findley
A mini-fest of films that go bump in the night. This brew includes some truly twisted fare (with some films we don't dare show during daylight hours), including works by Marv Newland, Bruce Bickford, David Anderson and Janice Findley (all of whom will attend) Recent films by Jan Svankmajer (Food) and the Brothers Quay (Tales from the Vienna Woods) round out the feast. Marv Newland, the head of Rocketship International, is the creator of the classic Bambi Meets Godzilla and Gary Larson's Tales From the Far Side, among others. Bruce Bickford is the creator of The Amazing World of Bruce Bickford and the Frank Zappa claymation films. David Anderson has given us such mind-blowing films as Deadsy and Door. One reviewer has described his works as being, "as if David Lynch dropped acid and dreamt of Salvador Dali;". And local artist/filmmaker Janice Findley presents her award winning stop-motion short, Beyond Kabuki, recently accepted into the Museum of Modern Art collection. [35mm and 16mm].
Hosted by Marv Newland, Bruce Bickford, David Anderson, and Janice Findley
SATURDAY JULY 5
AT THE SEATTLE ART MUSEUM
Noon: The Films of Chuck Jones
Join us for a screening of three favorite non-Warner Bros short films: Dr Seuss', The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, narrated by the late great Boris Karloff, Riki Tiki Tavi, from the Rudyard Kipling story and narrated by Orson Welles, and The Dot and The Line, Chuck's Academy Award-winning short. In addition, the extremely rare and little-seen Warner Brothers short Hell Bent for Election completes the program. [35mm and 16mm].
Hosted by Chuck Jones
2pm: The Best In Student Films - Curated by Rene Laloux and Ruth Hayes - WORLD PREMIERE PROGRAM
A collection of the finest college student films from across the United States, curated by animator Ruth Hayes and French animator/instructor Rene Laloux, who will be presenting a compilation of French 3-D animations done by his students in France. This program was constructed specifically for this festival, providing us with the rare opportunity to see new work from some of the most interesting and up-and-coming artists in the field of animation.
Films include:
Space War - Christy Karacas (1997)
A chaotic frenzy in space, inspired by classic video games and the old children's shows.
12 Ball - Ara Peterson (1997)
This film explores the vitality of pure pattern and motion through the manipulation of one small toy.
My Name is Rain - Seung Kwan No (1997)
The careful study of abstract movement and perception based on falling rain.
Made in the Shade - Takeshi Murata (1997)
A series of vignettes which button down boredom and jump into love.
Inside Your Medicine Cabinet - Jordan Harris and David Lawson (1995)
Computer animation and media collage on the future of technology.
Equestrienne - Lisa Baytos (1995)
A pastel rotoscope about a woman and her horse as they prepare for a competition.
Pets - John Lally and Valerie Mih (1996)
3-D computer character animation inspired by Nick Park's, Creature Comforts.
La Mujer Lagartija Trixy S. Wattenbarger (1997)
An absurdly comic romance/mystery involving the Lizard Lady, the Love Generator and a pair of missing shoes.
Stark Film Eric Patrick (1997) WORLD PREIMERE
An experimental road film made by collaging semi-transparent elements directly onto 35mm leader in which the subject's identity and perceptions progressively decay until interior and exterior spaces collapse into one another.
But They Said The Love Me Kathleen Angela Iannacone (1997)
Rythmic intercutting of xerography and live-action takes the viewer on an emotional sojourn through the psyche of an abused woman.
Moo! Michaeld Enright (1995)
A dark meeting between experimental animation and a slovenly glutton, shot on a Bolex using magic markers and slabs of rubber.
Phi-Brite Jeff Koone (1997)
An abstract, experimental film done completely one a Lite-Brite with Lite-Brite refill pegs and set to a drumbeat you can dance to.
Xenomycology Bejamin Ridgeway (1996)
A sci-fi stream of consciousness packed with surrealish cyclical events of bizarre proportions, guaranteed to make you loopy.
Rene Laloux will introduce a collection of French stop-motion shorts from his students works. [16mm and Video].
Hosted by Ruth Hayes and Rene Laloux
4pm: The Work of Ruth Hayes and Rose Bond
Filmmakers Ruth Hayes and Rose Bond (from Seattle and Portland, respectively) present a program of their extensive work, ranging from flip books to direct animation. Ruth presents rare, out-of-print flip books, via live video and two other works, including her award winning Reign of the Dog, which animates allegorical and documentary images, maps, and text to explore and deconstruct the history of the conquest of the Americas. The film's canine spin derives from the Spanish fighting dogs introduced and first used against native resistance by Columbus in 1494.
Rose Bond specializes in direct animation, a camera-less technique where one draws or paints directly on the film surface. Her work uses traditional tales to illustrate issues of modern life. Her technique is fluid, elegant and quite dreamlike, a quality which is emphasized by the nature of direct animation. Rose is probably the most recognized artist today working with this painstaking technique. [35mm, 16mm, Video].
Hosted by Ruth Hayes and Rose Bond
6pm: Mondo Plympton - Bill Plympton - SEATTLE PREMIERE
Maverick animator Bill Plympton (The Kiss, Plymptoons) presents this brand new feature film compendium of his classic short films (and several unusual oddities) PLUS some brand new works in their SEATTLE PREMIERE! Included in this program: Your Face, How to Kiss, 25 Ways to Quit Smoking, and How to Make Love to a Woman. [35mm} .
Hosted by Bill Plympton
8pm: The Plague Dogs - Martin Rosen (director's cut) - US PREMIERE
A follow-up to his earlier Richard Adams adaptation, Watership Down, Martin will introduce the U.S. PREMIERE of his un-cut version of this stunning film. A pair of dogs escape from an animal experiment lab and are hunted down like criminals. The entire film is told from the dogs' points of view and provides a disturbing perspective into the world of animal experimentation and it's effects. Considered "too disturbing" to release in this version, this is the first time a US audience will see the film that the director intended us to see. Voices by John Hurt, Nigel Hawthorne, Barbara Leigh-Hunt and Patrick Stewart. [35mm].
Hosted by Martin Rosen
SATURDAY, JULY 5
THE KING KAT THEATRE
4pm: The Nightmare Before Christmas plus short films - Henry Selick
Selick's brilliant debut feature is about the adventures of Jack Stellington, the Pumpkin King, who tires of the horrors of Halloween and decides to take over Christmas instead. A ground-breaking and astonishing fantasy film for all-ages. Henry will also present a collection of shorter works, including Slow Bob in the Lower Dimensions and Seepage. [35mm, Video].
Hosted by Henry Selick
7pm: An Evening with Chuck Jones - SEATTLE PREMIERE
Dive into the world of one of the greatest living artists of our time as the legendary Washington-born Chuck Jones runs amuck with an extraordinary compilation of his favorite Warner Brothers cartoons and reminisces on the Golden Age of American animation. [35mm].
Hosted by Chuck Jones
10pm: Ghost in the Shell - Mamoru Oshii
The visionary Mamoru Oshii presents this epic tale of technology and spirituality. One of the highest grossing animated films in Japanese history, Ghost in the Shell is set in the next century, when humans coexist with cyborgs (part human, part machine and part computer). A female military cyborg, Major Motoko Kusanagi, finds her sense of duty and her very sense of existence being challenged when an advanced computer program attains self-consciousness and independence. Major Kusanagi finds herself suddenly confronted with an enemy that proves to be something greater than her cyborg training has prepared her to deal with. [35mm].
Hosted by Mamoru Oshii
SUNDAY JULY 6
THE SEATTLE ART MUSEUM
10am: Meet The Animators: Jones, Oshii, Plympton, Silverman, Bartlett Blashfield, Laloux and Kovalyov
A provocative panel discussion with many of the world's masters of cel and computer animation. Moderated by the assistant contributing editor to Microsoft's Cinemania and a frequent contributor to The Seattle Times.
Hosted by Jeff Shannon
Noon: TBA with Jack Stokes
Unfortunately we were unable to confirm this event by press time. However, we are pleased to announce that it will involve one of the most respected animators from England, who was the animation director for The Beatles film The Yellow Submarine.
Hosted by Jack Stokes
2pm: Rocketship Reel with Founder Marv Newland
This screening is a collection of works tracing the history of International Rocketship Limited. Marv is famous for animating Gary Larson's Tales From The Far Side and is the director of such pleasures as Hooray for Sandbox Land and Bambi Meets Godzilla. His work has been screened on MTV, HBO, PBS, & Nickelodeon and locals may remember his commercials for Rainier Beer. [35mm].
Hosted by Marv Newland
4pm: David Anderson and Joan Gratz
Meet two highly acclaimed filmmakers in an afternoon showing of their work. Joan Gratz is an Academy Award-winning animator who specializes in a technique known as "claypainting". Her work is abstract, flowing and seamless. Her non-commercial work covers a wide range of subjects including candy, prison life, 20th century figurative painting and the subconscious. David Anderson is also an award winning animator who recently held a visiting film faculty position at Harvard University. At this show he will present In The Time of Angels, a complex piece using the Beauty and the Beast myth as a starting point to examine memories, the influence of our ancestry and the notion of true or hidden beauty. [35mm, Video].
Hosted by David Anderson and Joan Gratz
6pm: Igor Kovalyov: Russian Madness with Igor Kovalyov
Some of the most popular animation being broadcast today, with one of the top animators at Klasky Csupo Studios. Russian animator Kovalyov will be screening the pilot for Nickelodeon's Real Monsters and some rarely seen personal work done when he was still working in Russia for Soviet TV, including Hen, His Wife (one of the most symbolic, anarchic pieces ever conceived), Bird in the Window (a fascinating, surreal examination of domestic life), Andrei Svislotski, and others. Recently covered in a huge spread in Variety Magazine, Igor is considered one of the finest animators working today, and his surrealistic work is a noted favorite of The Brothers Quay. [35mm, Video].
Hosted by Igor Kovalyov
8pm: The work of Jim Blashfield - WORLD PREMIERE
Not only does Jim have an interesting body of personal work, but you have probably seen at least one of his award-winning videos on MTV. He has created incredible pieces such as The Talking Heads's, And She Was, Peter Gabriel's, Don't Give Up, Paul Simon's, Boy In The Bubble, Tears for Fears's, Sowing the Seeds of Love, and Michael Jackson's, Leave Me Alone. He will be showing a selection from his body of commercial and personal works including the premiere showing of a work in progress entitled Bunny Heads, a stop motion animated film. [35mm, 16mm, Video].
Hosted by Jim Blashfield
SUNDAY JULY 6
THE KING KAT THEATRE
4pm: An Afternoon with Ray Harryhausen - SEATTLE PREMIERE
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend two hours with the creator of Mighty Joe Young. From the Sinbad movies (The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger) to Jason and the Argonauts (screening Friday at 4pm at SAM) through his last work in Clash of the Titans, Ray's career has spanned over 40 years and has produced some of the most memorable movie monsters in the history of cinema. Ray will be presenting a video compilation of his complete works. Ray will also discuss the process that goes into making his creations and will be displaying some of his favorite models. [Video].
Hosted by Ray Harryhausen
7pm: The Simpsons with David Silverman - SEATTLE PREIMERE
Meet the head director and producer of The Simpsons. David Silverman will conduct an exploration into the origins of The Simpsons from its early days as a recurring short segment on FOX's The Tracey Ullman Show to its current form as a pioneering half-hour sitcom. David will lead a lively discussion about the making of The Simpsons with never-before-aired clips from the show, including skits FOX would not allow to be aired! [Video].
Hosted by David Silverman
10pm: The Time Masters and How Wong Fo was Saved - Rene Laloux - US PREMIERE
This incredible melding of two great animation geniuses, graphic artist Jean "Moebius" Giraud (Alien, The 5th Element) and director Rene Laloux, has produced one of the most magnificent-looking science fiction films ever made. When Jaffar's friend Claude is devoured by giant insects on the evil planet Perdide, Jaffar attempts to rescue Claude's son Piel from the horrors of Perdide. Jaffar finds himself catapulted into many deadly situations attempting to save Piel, including: facing the dangers of The Thing, which reduces anyone it comes into contact with into a Xul; a faceless angel; and a deep lake filled with deadly "cute little fishies". Helped by two extraterrestrial clowns, Jaffar's biggest challenge comes when he must confront the realization of The Time Masters. This is a modern masterpiece not to be missed. Rene Laloux will also be presenting the short, How Wong Fu was Saved, adapted from the paintings of artist Philippe CAZA (Light Years). [35mm].
Hosted by Rene Laloux
**Special thanks to Andre Marc Delocque-Froucaud and Rene Laloux for this rare screening.**
MONDAY, JULY 7
AT THE SEATTLE ART MUSEUM
noon - Meet The Stop Motion Animators: Selick, Harryhausen, Purves, Gustafson, Holman, and Findley - SEATTLE PREMIERE
A panel discussion with Henry Selick, Ray Harryhausen, Barry Purves, Mark Gustafson, Stephen Holman, and Janice Findley
Here is an unique opportunity to find out everything you ever wanted to know about stop motion animation, one of the most popular forms of animation in the industry.
Hosted by Jeff Shannon, the assistant and contributing editor to Microsoft's Cinemania and a frequent contributor to The Seattle Times.
2pm - Making Cartoon Music with Mark Mothersbaugh and Life with Loopey with Steven Holman - SEATTLE PREMIERE
Composer Mark Mothersbaugh (of Devo fame) and winner of many Clio Awards for his commercial scores will discuss the art and technology of composing, producing, and restoring sound tracks for animated and live action works. Stephen Holman will be appearing with his wife and creative partner Josephine Huang to show a presentation of his stop motion/live action animation work including episodes of Nickelodeon's Life with Loopy, We are the Shimpkins, Liquid Television's Joe Normal, selections from his whacked out underground theater shows and a sneak peek at work in progress from the new season of Life with Loopy. Holman will also be on hand to talk about these shows and his distinctive multi-media approach to his work. [Video].
Hosted by Mark Mothersbaugh and Steven Holman.
4pm An afternoon with multiple Academy Award nominated director Gerald Potterton - SEATTLE PREMIERE
Multi-talented Canadian animator and director Gerald Potterton (Animal Farm, Yellow Submarine, Heavy Metal) presents a collection of his Academy Award nominated films, including: the rarely seen Pinter's People, a mixture of live action and animation based on piece written by playwright Harold Pinter; the Academy Award nominated My Financial Career, an animated cut out film based on a short story by Stephen Leacock, and the Academy Award nominated Christmas Cracker, a combination of live action, stop frame pixillation, cut out and cell animation. [35mm and 16mm].
Hosted by Director Gerald Potterton.
6pm - Watership Down with Producer/Director Martin Rosen
A rare occasion to see this wildly successful animated feature on the big screen, with the director in attendance to discuss his work. An intense, mature film about a family of rabbits trying to find a safe place to live, this is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed animation features ever produced, with talented performers such as John Hurt, Richard Briers, Ralph Richardson, Denholm Elliot and Zero Mostel providing the voices. [35mm].
Hosted by Director Martin Rosen.
8pm - CLOSING EVENT: Fantastic Planet (Savage Planet) + shorts with Director Rene Laloux - US PREMIERE
We are very proud to present as our closing event the US premiere of a brand new 35mm print of the original version of Rene Laloux's masterpiece of surrealistic animation. Not since it first premiered at the Canne Film Festival (where it won the Grand Prix Award, 1973) has this version of the film been seen, including a different narrative, editing, and music score. Mr. Laloux feels that this is the only version of the film which should be seen. The allegorical story set on the planet YGAM is the fable of a population of giant blue androids called DRAGGS who devote their lives to meditation and leisure activities. They keep human creatures called OMS as pets. When an OM named TERR decides he no longer wants to live under the tyranny and enslavement of the DRAGGS he escapes into the wilds of YGAM, and begins recruiting an army of OMS to start a revolution against the DRAGGS. Soon, the DRAGG's very existence becomes threatened as they must confront the OMS demands to co-exist as equals. Director Rene Laloux will also be screening two short films, The Monkey's Teeth and The Snails (co-written by the late Roland Topor, the famous surrealist writer with whom he co-wrote Fantastic Planet). [35mm]. In French with English subtitles.
Hosted by Director Rene Laloux..
**Special thanks to Andre Marc Delocque-Froucaud and Rene Laloux for this rare screening.**
10pm - Heavy Metal with Director Gerald Potterton
This hugely successful cult-favorite Canadian production brought together the best artists in the industry to design a film version of the popular science fiction magazine. Several artists participating in this festival contributed to the completed film, including Mark Mothersbaugh (who bestowed the Devo cover "Working in the Coal Mine"), Jack Stokes (animator) and it's director Gerald Potterton who will provide us with the history behind the making of this blockbuster animated feature film. We will be presenting the newly restored, THX 35mm print with added footage not seen in the original release. [35mm].
Hosted by Director Gerald Potterton