The American Cinematheque is hosting a two-night tribute to animator Genndy Tartakovsky. Having a vested interest in comics, cartoons and cinema since he was child, Moscow-born creator/writer/director Genndy Tartakovsky parlayed pop culture loves into a non-stop array of hits for Cartoon Network since graduating from Cal Arts. First came the comical styling of a neurotic boy scientist and his bungling older sister in DEXTER'S LABORATORY, then Tartakovsky swapped funny for the fantastical in the visceral action epic, SAMURAI JACK. Those renowned gigs -- along with directing/producing stints on other cartoon staples like THE POWERPUFF GIRLS -- netted the attention of George Lucas, who fulfilled Tartakovsky's boyhood dreams, awarding him the chance to fill the void between EPISODES II and III with STAR WARS: CLONE WARS, the first animated series to encompass major players from the seminal sci-fi franchise.
Tartakovsky has since begun his transition into features, currently toiling away at pre-production on the animated/live-action hybrid ASTRO BOY, a silver screen adaptation of the classic Japanese Osamu Tezuka manga that the director sights as a major inspiration to his career. This two-night mini-tribute will entail everything from student films to advance peeks of future projects, as well as a hearty helping of inspirational material, comprised of shorts and clips. Genndy Tartakovsky will then appear for an extended Q&A each night, moderated by animation writer Jon M. Gibson. For more information, call (323) 466-FILM or visit www.americancinematheque.com or www.egyptiantheatre.com.
