New England Animation Film Festival [05/10/14]

Since its inception in 1998, this acclaimed biennial event celebrates the vibrant talent among New England filmmakers. Larger than ever this year, the 2014 New England Animation Film Festival showcases nineteen renowned and emerging artists whose work employs a variety of animation techniques—including full cell animation, collage, stop-motion, and digital technologies.

Among those featured this year is Daniel Sousa, whose work Feral was among the nominees for Best Short Film in Animation at the 2014 Academy Awards. Also featured are works by filmmakers Steven Subotnick, Luke Jaeger, Lorelei Pepi, Ruth Lingford, Gina Kamentsky, Jake Fried, Steve Gentile, Joel Frenzer, Norah Solorzano, Alexander Horan, Michael Ribeiro, Oliver Luo, Leah Artwick, Lily Featherson, Africanus Okokon, Sonnye Lim, Eric Ko, and Phillip Ahn.

Breathtakingly beautiful, emotive, and at times humorous, the films explore universal and relatable themes of childhood memory, sexual identity, interpersonal relationships, and more. Distinctly fresh, creative, and spirited, this year’s festival will leave you feeling moved and inspired.

A Q+A with filmmakers will follow the screening on May 10, hosted by Amy Kravitz, Professor of Animation at RISD.

This program contains material that may not be suitable for children. Parental discretion advised.

FEATURED FILMS

Daniel Sousa, Feral
A wild boy is found in the woods by a solitary hunter and brought back to civilization. Alienated by a strange new environment, the boy tries to adapt by using the same strategies that kept him safe in the forest. (2013, 13 min.)

Steven Subotnick, Lake
A burial on a frozen lake. (2013, 4 min.)

Gina Kamentsky, Jiro Visits the Dentist
Jiro has a dream about the artist formerly known as Prince and visits the dentist with his friend the lighthouse-phone man. There is sushi along the way. (2014, 1:33 min.)

Lorelei Pepi, Happy & Gay
Two couples go out for a night on the town in this “revisionist history” 1930’s black-and-white cartoon musical. The film examines historical issues regarding stereotype, representation, censorship and homophobia. (2014, 10:26 min.)

Luke Jaeger, Fishwife
An enigmatic dancing man and a dog-headed woman celebrate the birth of a fish-child, then watch as it takes flight. This bittersweet animated short evokes parenthood’s complex emotional landscape. (2014, 3:30 min.)

Jake Fried, Raw Data
Originally known for his paintings, Fried has spent recent years working on a series of hand-drawn, experimental animations or "moving paintings". (2013, 1 min.)

Ruth Lingford, Ladies Tree
A song by Brian King, lead singer of "What Time is it Mr. Fox," based on the text of the trial of Joan of Arc. Joan’s admission of dancing round the “Ladies Tree” with the other village girls was construed as proof that she was a witch. (2013, 2:30 min.)

Steve Gentile, A Pirate Named Ned
Through humor and abstraction, A Pirate Named Ned challenges the accepted understanding of a character that existed on the fringe of society by questioning the validity of the historical record. (2014, 8:16 min.)

Norah Solorzano, Harem 66
This film represents the joining of twelve powerful, fascinating women from various religious histories through song and animation, using the iconic Route 66 as musical inspiration. (2014, 6:53 min.)

Joel Frenzer, SMFAces
Students at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts get caught in a time loop while displaying their artwork. (2014, 1 min.)

Michael Ribeiro, Pedro dos Porcos (Peter of the Pigs)
Peter watches the pigs. But who watches Peter? (2013, 3:45 min.)

Alexander Horan, Wolf Within
A father prepares his son for a world without him. (2013, 9:45 min.)

Oliver Luo, Revisit/Reconciliation
The film examines the artist's turbulent relationship with his immigrant history and the significance in one's affinity to a place of his or her own past, relating the experience of re-encountering the same location and architecture through its cyclical narration of the shifts in inner identification and emotion. (2012, 4:47 min.)

Lily Featherson, Shortcomings
Deep in the woods a small bird is asking for one thing, and one thing only. (2012, 4:45 min.)

Eric Ko, Our Son
Celestial bodies and the fragility of happiness. (2013, 4:30 min.)

Leah Artwick, Khorwa
“Khorwa” is the Tibetan term for "samsara," a Buddhist term referring to the cycle of birth, life, death, and reincarnation. (2013, 1:43 min.)

Africanus Okokon, Passenger
Passenger driving, night… (2011, 3:51 min.)

Sonnye Lim, Peak
Why do you climb mountains, little dog? (2013, 4:19 min.)

Phillip Ahn, Lynns Cleaners
This autobiographical film explores Ahn’s experience working in his family’s dry cleaning shop in a neighborhood outside Chicago. (2013, 5:08 min.)

New England Animation Film Festival

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