Clockwise from top left: Fireworks, Should We See It From the Side or the Bottom; Mutafukaz; Night Is Short, Walk on Girl; Son of Jaguar and Sonaria.
The inaugural Animation Is Film festival has announced its full slate of films from Asia, Europe, South America and North America, with both juried and audience prizes, with filmmakers attending for most screenings.
The festival will also feature studio events, special screenings, short film programs, and VR lounge.
Animation Is Film will take place at TCL Chinese 6 Theater from October 22-24.
ANIMATION IS FILM FULL SLATE ANNOUNCED
***TICKETS ON SALE NOW***
NEW LA FESTIVAL PRESENTING 12 FEATURE FILMS IN COMPETITION PLUS DIRECTOR Q&A’S, SPECIAL EVENTS, SHORT FILM PROGRAMS, VR LOUNGE
UPDATED PROGRAM DETAILS, SPONSORS AND JURY ANNOUNCED FOR INAUGURAL EDITION TAKING PLACE OCTOBER 20-22, 2017 AT TCL CHINESE 6 THEATER
LOS ANGELES (September 20, 2017) – ANIMATION IS FILM (AIF) announced today tickets are now available for its inaugural edition. The festival will present a selection of new animated feature films from Asia, Europe, South America and North America, with both juried and audience prizes, with filmmakers attending for most screenings. Additionally, the festival will feature studio events, special screenings, short film programs, and VR lounge. AIF is presented by GKIDS, Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Variety, and ASIFA-Hollywood.
The inaugural edition of ANIMATION IS FILM launches October 20-22 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theater in Hollywood. For tickets and a full schedule of events, please visit www.AnimationIsFilm.com.
AIF 2017 FILMS IN COMPETITION
For full synopses of each title, please visit AnimationIsFilm.com.
(*asterisk indicates new films added to the competition slate)
“THE BIG BAD FOX & OTHER TALES”
US Premiere
Saturday, October 21st at 1:30PM
Followed by Q&A with directors Patrick Imbert and Benjamin Renner
d. Patrick Imbert, Benjamin Renner, France, 2017
Recommended for ages 8+
Benjamin Renner received an Oscar® nomination for “Ernest & Celestine”
“BIG FISH AND BEGONIA”
World Premiere – English Language Version
Sunday, October 22nd at 11:00AM
d. Liang Xua, Zhang Chun, China, 2016
Recommended for ages 8+
“BIRDBOY: THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN”
West Coast Premiere
Saturday, October 21st at 4:15PM
Followed by Q&A with directorsAlberto Vázquez and Pedro Rivero
d. Alberto Vázquez, Pedro Rivero, Spain, 2015
Recommended for ages 14+
Best Animated Feature 2017 Goya Awards
“THE BREADWINNER”
US Premiere – Opening Night Film
Friday, October 20th at 7:00PM
Followed by Q&A with director Nora Twomey
d. Nora Twomey, Ireland/Canada/Luxembourg, 2017
Recommended for ages 11+
Nora Twomey was co-director of the Oscar®-nominated “The Secret of Kells”
(*) “FIREWORKS, SHOULD WE SEE IT FROM THE SIDE OR THE BOTTOM”
North American Premiere – Opening Night Film
Friday, October 20th at 9:30PM
d. Noboyuki Takeuchi, Akiyuki Shinbo, Japan, 2017
Recommended for ages 8+
“LU OVER THE WALL”
US Premiere
Sunday, October 22nd at 2:15PM
d. Masaaki Yuasa, Japan, 2017
Recommended for ages 8+
Cristal Award (Grand Prize) Winner Annecy International Animation Film Festival
“MARY AND THE WITCH’S FLOWER”
North American Premiere – English Language Version
Sunday, October 22nd at 5:15PM
Followed by Q&A with director Hiromasa Yonebayashi
d. Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Japan, 2017
Recommended for ages 6+
Hiromasa Yonebayashi received an Oscar® nomination for “When Marnie Was There”
(*) “MUTAFUKAZ”
West Coast Premiere
Saturday, October 21st at 7:00PM
d. Guillaume Renard and Shoujirou Nishimi, France/Japan, 2017
Recommended for ages 17+
(*) “NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL”
US Premiere
Sunday, October 22nd at 8:00PM
d. Masaaki Yuasa, Japan, 2017
Recommended for ages 14+
“TEHRAN TABOO”
North American Premiere
Sunday, October 22nd at 5:15PM
Followed by Q&A with director Ali Soozandeh
d. Ali Soozandeh, Germany, 2017
Recommended for ages 17+
Official Selection 2017 Cannes Film Festival
(*) “TROPICAL VIRUS”
World Premiere
Saturday, October 21st at 7:00PM
Followed by Q&A with director Santiago Caicedo
d. Santiago Caicedo, Colombia, 2017
Recommended for ages 14+
“ZOMBILLENIUM”
North American Premiere
Saturday, October 21st at 4:15PM
Followed by Q&A with director Alexis Ducord
d. Arthur de Pins & Alexis Ducord, France, 2017
Recommended for ages 8+
Special Screening 2017 Cannes Film Festival
AIF SPECIAL SCREENINGS AND EVENTS
All titles and programs are new additions to the AIF line-up.
OUTLANDISH LANDS:
SURREAL STUDIO SHORTS FROM THE 1930’s
Saturday, October 21st at 11:00AM
Various Directors, USA, 75 min
Recommended for ages 8+
“SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS” 80TH ANNIVERSARY SCREENING
Saturday, October 21st at 11:00AM
d. David Hand, USA, 1937
Recommended for ages 5+
“MIND GAME”
Saturday, October 21st at 9:30PM
d. Masaaki Yuasa, Japan, 2004
Recommended for ages 17+
DISNEY * PIXAR’S “THE INCREDIBLES,” PLUS SNEAK PEEK OF UPCOMING DISNEY * PIXAR RELEASE, “COCO”
Sunday, October 22nd at 11:00AM
Followed by Q&A with Producer John Walker
d. Brad Bird, USA, 2004
Recommended for ages 5+
“THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE”
Sunday, October 22nd at 2:15PM
Followed by Q&A with Filmmakers
d. Chris McKay, USA, 2017
Recommended for ages 5+
VR FLICKER LOUNGE
Saturday & Sunday, October 21st & 22nd from 12:00pm to 7:00pm
Various titles including the LA premieres of the latest Google Spotlights Stories, Jorge Gutierrez’s SON OF JAGUAR and Scot Stafford and Chromosphere’s SONARIA
Programmed and presented by ANIMATION IS FILM and GOOGLE SPOTLIGHT STORIES
Recommended for all ages
AIF 2017 JURY
(*asterisk indicates new additions)
Peter Debruge, Chief film critic, Variety, jury chair
Allison Abbate, EVP Theatrical Animation, Warner Brothers Pictures; Producer of The Iron Giant, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Lego Movie
Bonnie Arnold, DreamWorks Animation; Producer of Toy Story, How to Train Your Dragon; (*) Brenda Chapman, Oscar®-winning director of Brave; (*) Carolyn Giardina, Tech Editor, The Hollywood Reporter;
Jorge R. Gutiérrez, Director of Book of Life; Mabel Tam, Head film buyer, Landmark Cinemas; Charles Solomon, Film critic and historian; (*) Anne Thompson, Editor-At-Large, IndieWire
ANIMATION IS FILM aims to fill a gap in the market by establishing the first world class animation festival in the US, with its home in the world capital of filmmaking. The festival embraces the highest aspirations of animation as a cinematic art form on par with live action filmmaking and will be vocal advocate for filmmakers who push the boundaries of their work to the fullest range of expression that the medium is capable of.
ANIMATION IS FILM is produced by GKIDS in partnership with Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Variety and ASIFA-Hollywood, with sponsors Google, Fathom Events, Loews Hollywood Hotel, Cartoon Brew and IndieWire. Industry partners and supporters include Sony Pictures Animation; Warner Animation Group; Shout! Factory; Visual Effects Society; Unifrance; ELMA; Women In Animation; Women In Film; Animation Magazine; Animation World Network; Art Center; CalArts; Chapman University; Ireland Week;MovieMaker Magazine; Tiki Night benefitting the National MS Society; UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and the USC School of Cinematic Arts.