Acclaimed animator Joanna Priestley celebrates 20 years as filmmaker with a two-DVD collection of her work. The self-released two discs, entitled FIGHTING GRAVITY and RELATIVE ORBITS, cull 16 of her animated short films with many bonus features, including four documentaries providing behind-the-scenes glimpses into the animation process.
RELATIVE ORBITS includes eight classic short films from Priestley, from her funny and charming cartoons to profound observations on life. Highlights include her groundbreaking early film VOICES (1985), about the fears and phobias we all harbor; SHE-BOP (1988), about a goddess on the rampage; ALL MY RELATIONS (1990), about the pitfalls of modern romance and relationships, and PRO AND CON (1993), an animated documentary about those living and working in the prison system. Other short films on the disc include the anthology piece CANDYJAM (1988), AFTER THE FALL (1991), HAND HELD (1995) and GROWN UP (1993), Priestleys look at turning 40.
Bonus features on the RELATIVE ORBITS DVD include RELATIVE ORBITS, a documentary tour of Priestleys studio during the production of AFTER THE FALL and HAND HELD and AMAZONS AND INGÉNUES, a behind-the-scenes look at the making of VOICES, SHE-BOP, PRO AND CON and GROWN UP.
FIGHTING GRAVITY has six Priestley pieces representing the cutting edge of experimental animation, as well as four bonus films. Highlights include Priestleys newest short films DEW LINE (2005) and ANDALUZ (2004), her first film THE RUBBER STAMP FILM (1983), and UTOPIA PARKWAY (1997), a tribute to sculptor Joseph Cornell. Other short films on the DVD include SURFACE DIVE (2000) and THE DANCING BULRUSHES (1985). FIGHTING GRAVITY also includes the two short films JADE LEAF (1985) and KALI YUGA (2000), and the documentaries FIGHTING GRAVITY, which provides a look at the making of SURFACE DIVE and UTOPIA PARKWAY, and the humorously self-explanatory Interview with the SOUND GUY.
Both DVDs are now available with a suggested retail price of $20 each or $35 for both. To order both RELATIVE ORBITS and FIGHTING GRAVITY, please call (503) 274-2158 or go to www.primopix.com.
Joanna Priestley has produced and directed 17 films, all of which have screened at top film festivals all over the world, such as the New York Film Festival, the Sundance Film Festival, the Telluride Film Festival, the San Francisco International Film Festival, the Chicago International Film Festival, Taos Talking Pictures, the Black Maria Film and Video Festival and the International Tournee of Animation, just to name a few. In addition to her festival screenings and retrospectives at venues such as MoMa New York and the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, California, her work has screened on both PBS and the BBC.
In addition to her own animated films, Priestley has also created animation for wide variety of projects, ranging from SESAME STREET to music videos for Tears for Fears (Sowing the Seeds of Love) and Joni Mitchell (Good Friends).
Priestley is the founding president of ASIFA-Northwest, and she runs an apprenticeship program through her studio in Portland, Oregon. Her teaching credentials include stints at the Art Institute of Portland, Pacific Northwest College of Art, Northwest Film Center/Portland Art Museum and Volda College (Norway). She has received fellowships from many prestigious foundations, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the American Film Institute, and Creative Capital.
