This year’s Animation is Film Festival aims to foster the growth of the animation medium in the filmmaking capital of the world.
The three-day event, to be held Friday through Sunday at Hollywood’s TCL Chinese Theater, will program and honor new films from around the world, including the opening day premiere of Mamoru Hosoda’s Scarlett, short films with exclusive introductions from directors Chris Butler and Anna Kendrick, the world premiere of Leica’s ParaNorman: The Thrifting, and Li Wenyu’s A Story. “About Fire” follows a monkey and a dog through dangerous forests, tundra, and jungles to reach a sacred mountain.
Organized by GKIDS in collaboration with the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Variety, the event, which started in 2017, will be moderated by Variety’s chief film critic Peter Debrugge and will also feature a panel with the creators and animators of Netflix’s sold-out Kpop Demon Hunters.
“In the case of ‘Kpop Demon Hunters,’ you’re dealing with a cultural phenomenon,” says festival director Matt Kazanek. “That’s always one of the difficult things when you’re programming, because the movie is out and everyone’s watching it. We came up with this really innovative idea of having a conversation with the two directors, the producers, the character designers, and the head of animation to have a deep conversation about this moment that the movie is experiencing right now. We’re really excited about it.”
Kazanek hopes the additional program recognizing student animators from around the world will give young animators the opportunity to connect with future collaborators and industry veterans and see their work on the big screen. “During just one weekend in Los Angeles, we aimed to be the first to screen these films that are so important in shaping the future of animation,” Kazanek reveals. “The fact that the next generation of animators and animation fans in Los Angeles will have the opportunity to see these films for the first time is exciting and something we are truly proud of.”
The goal of “Animation Is Film” is to break down barriers in animation. “Animation is Film is a little different than other festivals because we have a very purposeful mission to celebrate animation and make sure it’s talked about in a respectful way,” Kazanek said.
“Animation is a word that people use as a qualifier when they talk about the best movies of the year, so people say, ‘That was the best animated movie of the year.’ I don’t like using animation as a qualifier. We want to continue to see that conversation evolve.”
