In the fall of 2000, I got to attend the International Animation Feastival in Ottawa at the NAC (National Arts Centre), and me being an animator, I got to get in any film for free...with a catch; I had to vollenteer for ten hours in the span of a few days, and if all the seats were full at the certain showing I went to, I couldn't get in.
Fortunately, that didn't happen, but there were instances where my volenteer pass and I had to wait while the others, who payed $180 dollars for their passes, to go first. It wasn't all bad, cause a friend of mine couldn't do the volenteer gig so he bought his pass and went in to save some seats.
The festival was nothing I've ever seen before. It's hard to describe.
There are about five different locations that are showing films all at the same time, so as you would guess, there were multiple showings. There was a whole range of different types, from Disney to anime, stop motion to computer CGI. The companies that came were ones like WB Bros., CINAR, Nickalodian, Cartoon Network, Dynamite and many others.
Unfortunately Mainframe Entertainment, my favourite studio that I wanted to be there, wasn't. I found out later that they were unable to attend because they were so busy with their new shows going on the air in the fall with the new season, so it's understandable. Mairi said that they would be coming to the International Student's Feastival coming next fall; I look forward to it.
Now with all the different animations at the festival, of course I'd have my favourites. It's only natural. But at some of these little shorts, I don't think I've ever laughed harder at a cartoon. It was refreshing to hear the rest of the audience roar along with me.
Here are some of my selections and what I thought about them.
Traditional Animation
The Boy Who Saw the Iceburg, Paul Driessen, Canada, 10:00
When The Day Breaks, Wendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis, Canada, 9:33
Father and Daughter, Michael Dudok de Wit, UK/Netherlands, 8:04
Truth, Bernard Roddy, USA, 3:30
3 Misses, Paul Driessen, Netherlands, 10:30
Crime and Punishment, dir. Piotr Dumala, Poland, 30:00
At The Ends of The Earth, Konstantin Bronzit, France/Russia, 7:00
John Henery (Disney)
Stop Motion
Hooves of Fire, dir. Richard Goleszowski, UK
Robots: The Animated Docu-Soap, John Williams, UK, 7:00
Periwig Maker, Stefan Schaeffler, Germany, 15:00
Angry Kid, dir. Darren Walsh, UK (Aardman)
Animes
X (1999)
Perfect Blue
Hotaru no Haka (Grave of the Fireflies)
Good but Stange and Twisted
Ring of Fire, Andreas Hykade, Germany, 15:00
Daddy and I, You-jin jung and others, Korea
Off Ya Trolley, Anna Beckman, Australia, 6:00