London International Film Festival

The official opening of the 2009 London International Film Festival is on Monday 31 August 6pm at the Renoir Cinema.

However tonight is party night for the festival goers at the Roxy, The Brothers McLeod join with animation and film night organisers Paperbag with DJs and musicians.

The Monday night even will be no-less special with a special preview of Mary and Max by Adam Elliot and the results of the POOP Golden Poo Awards.



http://www.liaf.org.uk/

LIAF and Poo Productions launch a new animated film competition

The London International Animation Festival 2009 announces a joint competition with Poo Productions.



"How many people wash their hands before preparing food? And how many people, particularly men, wash their hands after going to the toilet? 80% DON'T!!

LIAF and Poo Productions are launching a competition to find short animated films that deal with the serious subject matter of sanitation and hygiene but in an edgy, irreverent and humorous way.

The winning films will form part of an awareness-raising campaign with a global reach to publicise the importance of adequate sanitation and good hygiene practice - both of which are inextricably linked to clean water.

The best films will screen at LIAF 2009 and other high-profile events, and the winning film, as chosen by a professional jury, will win a prize of £1,000.

Entry is open to all animated films dealing with this subject matter, entry is free and we need to receive your films by May 15th 2009.

You can read more about the competition here and download the entry form."

London International Animation Festival Winners

From the London International Animation Festival Newsletter.

The best films as voted by the judges were:
International Programme 1: The Tiny Fish - Gregory Malshev (Russia)
International Programme 2: Skhizein - Jeremy Clapin (France)
International Programme 3: The Life Size Zoetrope - Mark Simon Hewis (UK)
International Programme 4: The Irresistible Smile - Ami Lindholm (Finland)
International Programme 5: Sundance 'Forgetfulness' - Julian Grey (Canada)
Digital Panorama: Drift - Max Hattler (UK)
Abstract Panorama: As They Pass/Mnemosyne 01 - B.Bodenauer (Austria)
Puppet Panorama: Pecatum Parvum - Asya Lukin (UK) AND Madame Tutli-Putli - C.Lavis,
M.Szczerbowski (Canada)
Long Shorts: Three Love Stories - Svetlana Filippova (Russia)
Best British film: Stand Up - Joseph Pierce (UK)
Best Overall film: The Life Size Zoetrope - Mark Simon Hewis (UK)
The audience votes were:
International Programme 1: I Met The Walrus - Josh Raskin (Canada)
International Programme 2: Skhizein - Jeremy Clapin (France)
International Programme 3: Oktapodi - J.Bocabelle, F.Chanioux, O.Delabarre, T.Marchand,
E.Mokheberi (France)
International Programme 4: Procrastination - Johnny Kelly AND The Irresistible Smile
- Ami Lindholm (Finland)
International Programme 5: A Mouse's Tale - Benjamin Renner (France)
Digital Panorama: Lifeline - Tomek Duckl (Hungary)
Abstract Panorama: Material - Boran Richard (Canada)
Puppet Panorama 1: Madame Tutli-Putli - C..Lavis, M.Szczerbowski (Canada)
Puppet Panorama 2: L'Animateur - Nick Hilligoss (Australia)
Long Shorts: Animal - Tatu Pohjavirta (Finland)
British Panorama: The Reason I Collect - Emma Curtis (UK)

5th London International Animation Festival

Next week sees the start of the 5th London International Animation Festival. 220 films from 28 countries will be shown from 1st September till 7th at the Curzon Soho, the Renoir, the Horse Hospital and the Rio Cinema.

The full programme will contain sessions on Digital film, Puppet Films, Documentaries, British Films, International Films, Swiss Films and Abstract Films. In addition to all this will be Q & A sessions from special guests Jonathan Hodgson and Josh Raskin and even more. If previous years are anything to go by then this will be an excellent event. For those with time to spare you can save money by buying a festival pass.

Midnight Movies at the Curzon Soho

The Curzon Soho is providing a sneak preview of the London International Animation Festival. Their Midnight Movies animation night is on Friday August 29th with two films and a very special surprise film introduced by special guest host: Nag Vladermersky (LIAF director).

The evening kicks off with a specially selected short film followed by an amazing animated feature. Choose between classic SciFi animation 'Fantastic Planet', the mesmerising award-winning sci-fi with sumptuous soundtrack, or 'Paprika', the 2006 anime from the director of Perfect Blue.

There will be a DJ in the pre-screening party from 9:30pm.



Curzon Midnight Movies Animation Night

London International Animation Festival

The dates for the London International Animation Festival LIAF 2008 have now been set and they are Tuesday September the 2nd to Sunday September the 7th, one week later than last year.

Persepolis + 6 short animations

This sunday at the Curzon Soho Cinema, London at 6pm the showing of Persepolis will be joined by 6 other short animations thanks to colaboration with the London International Animation Festival (LIAF).

The additional Animated Shorts: Celebrating Persepolis are:

THE OLD, OLD, VERY OLD MAN Director: Elizabeth Hobbs, UK

SON OF SATAN Director: J J Villard, USA

AND LIFE WENT ON Director: Maryam Mohajer, UK

MY FIRST TASTE OF DEATH? Director: Laurie Hill, UK

CHESTNUTS ICELOLLY? Director: JJ Villard, USA

NEVER LIKE THE FIRST TIME!? Director: Jonas Odell, Sweden

The London Animation Festival will be shown in Steptember with a more comprehensive programme.

LIAF 2007

The London International Animation Festival started yesterday with an excellent and varied selection of animations. There was a slight bias towards hand drawn animations but there were also some very creative pixilation and CGI examples with a couple of mixed media films too.

Carlitopolis' experiments with a marsupial was really a short spoof documentary with a very convincing CGI animal and raises the question of is this animation or simple a short film with animation used as a special effect.

Robin King's "Ten Thousand Pictures Of You" took pixilation to it's absolute limits with a story of troubled relationships and screwed up paper. Its a bit of a shame it felt the need to use the rather cliched going for a drive in an office chair. Otherwise it was very creative with some new effects I've not seen in pixilation before such as a person being pushed across a room and into a painting.

Joanna Quinn and Aardman both had excellent longer shorts but not quite long enough to make the Long Shorts session on thursday.

If you missed last nights showings then you have the oppertunity to see them again on Friday at 9pm at Renoir. The festival continues till Sunday. For more details see the LIAF website.

London International Animation Festival

http://www.liaf.org.uk/

The London International Animation Festival is back this year at the Curzon Soho and the dates have been set for 21st August to 26th August. Over the six days 200 films will be shown from 28 countries. The programme has not yet been finalised but I'm sure it will soon be appearing one their website.

Love of the Game

Here's a short film by a talented chap called Paul Smith. I saw this back last year at the London International Animation Festival and it's now up on MySpace for you all to watch. According to my source, it was all shot in his garage and did not have the big budgets of some of his contemporaries at the festival.

Love of the Game

"Football is a game enjoyed by many different people. This short film is a series of interviews exploring the reasons WHY?...or WHY NOT?..."

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1816825677