Special Event

23rd Annual Animation Show of Shows

(96 min)

Friday Oct 30 - Wednesday Nov 4
FRI: 4:004, 10:001
SAT: 12:004, 2:004, 4:004, 6:104, 8:104, 10:004
SUN: 12:004, 2:004, 4:104, 6:004, 8:004
MON-TUE: 4:104, 6:104, 8:004
WED: 4:101

 

THE 23RD ANNUAL ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS
FEATURES 14 AWARD WINNING ANIMATIONS

The ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS – the premier North American showcase for animated short films – is proud to present its 23rd annual edition, with screenings at over 100 theaters and campuses in the U.S. and Canada. Featuring 14 award-winning films by some of the most acclaimed directors in the world of animation, the program offers the rare opportunity to see 11 rarely screened classic masterpieces that have won Grand Prizes at international festivals around the world. From Michaël Dudok de Wit’s poignant Oscar-winning Father and Daughter, to a hidden gem by the “King of Indie Animation,” Bill Plympton, to three all-new shorts from Croatia, Switzerland, and the U.S., the 23rd ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS is an incredible retrospective of some of the best animated shorts of the last 30 years, as well as a peek at a new generation of filmmakers.

For those used to streaming animated series or watching animation online, the exquisite craft and deeply felt concerns of the filmmakers represented here – and the experience of seeing their work projected in a theater on a large screen – will come as a revelation. Whether utilizing drawings, stop-motion, CG or – as in the case of renowned experimental filmmaker Steven Woloshen – painting directly onto a three-hundred-foot-long piece of negative film, all of the works in the show reflect the uncompromising vision of their makers.

Before the world discovered Wes Anderson, Anthony Hodgson explored a similar kind of endlessly inventive and whimsical narrative style in his multiple-award-winning 1994 short Hilary. And 16 years before Disney released Pixar's Coco, René Castillo’s Hasta los huesos used the same song to evoke the Day of the Dead, because it's the perfect song to express our sadness at having lost someone we loved. In recognition of their singular artistry and visual achievements, Hillary and Hasta los huesos will be presented in newly restored 2K and 4K digital remastered versions, respectively.

Notably, both Hillary and Hasta los huesos – along with the multi-award-winning Overtime and Bill Plympton’s Santa, The Fascist Years – will be presented in newly restored digitally remastered versions. Undertaken both as a labor of love and in recognition of their singular artistry, the restoration and enhancement of these films was made possible by the tireless work of many inidividuals.

“Animation is a natural medium for dealing with abstract ideas and deeply felt concerns – as well as the absurdity of the human condition – and the ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS has always strived to scour the world for the most affecting and engaging films,” says founder and curator Ron Diamond.

With films from a diversity of countries – including Croatia, Germany, the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, Mexico, the UK, and Switzerland – this retrospective of the first 16 years of the Animation Show of Shows reveals empathetic narratives dealing with death, love, fear, passion, loss, reverence, denial, and joy. It’s a cinematic journey well worth taking.

The 14 animated short films will be presented in the following order:

• XI – Vuk Jevremovic (Croatia/Germany)
  
• Volgens de vogels (According to Birds) – Linde Faas (Netherlands)
  
• Cameras Take Five – Steven Woloshen (Canada)
  
• Hillary† – Anthony Hodgson (UK)
  
• The Record – Jonathan Laskar (Switzerland)
  
• John and Karen – Matthew Walker (UK)
  
• I'm Hip – John Musker (USA)
  
• Santa, The Fascist Years † – Bill Plympton (USA)
• The Centrifuge Brain Project – Till Nowak (Germany)
  
• Hasta los huesos (Down to the Bone) † – René Castillo (Mexico)
• Requiem for Romance – Jonathan Ng (Canada)
  
• When the Day Breaks – Wendy Tilby & Amanda Forbis (Canada)
  
• Overtime † – Oury Atlan, Breakbot & Damien Ferrié (France)
• Father and Daughter – Michaël Dudok de Wit (Netherlands)

† 2K & 4K restorations never before seen

Funny, moving, engaging, and thought-provoking, the ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS not only has something for everyone, but is a remarkable and insightful microcosm of our world.

For 25 years, the ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS has been presenting new and innovative short films to appreciative audiences at animation studios, schools and, since 2015, theaters around the world. Over the years, 41 of the films showcased in the ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS went on to receive Academy Award® nominations, with 11 films winning the Oscar®. Founded and curated by producer Ron Diamond, the ANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS is funded by major studios, companies, schools and hundreds of animation lovers around the world