RomânăGoCritic! x Animest 2024
GoCritic! 2024: Video Interviews Take Center Stage at Animest
The 2024 edition of GoCritic!, a workshop designed to nurture emerging voices in film criticism, brought a fresh twist to its format by focusing primarily on video interviews. Held during the 19th edition of Animest, this year’s edition offered participants the chance to engage directly with industry professionals, honing their interviewing and storytelling skills while exploring the world of animated film.
Here’s the overview of this year’s participants and their work:
Sergiu Inizian
Sergiu Inizian, a journalist with extensive experience in covering international festivals, interviewed José Luis Ágreda, the art director of Robot Dreams. This heartwarming animated film follows a dog and a robot navigating friendship in 1980s New York City. In the interview, Ágreda discussed adapting Sara Varon’s graphic novel for the screen and how director Pablo Berger conveyed emotion through the characters' eyes.
Sergiu also interviewed Máté Horesnyi, the storyboard artist of Pelikan Blue. The Hungarian animated documentary explores the adventures of three young men forging train tickets in 1990s Hungary. Horesnyi shared his process of designing characters inspired by photography and collaborating with director László Csáki.
Arsène Rosenmann
Arsène Rosenmann, a newcomer to the professional field with a background in cinematographic studies, interviewed Pierre-Luc Granjon, a French stop-motion director. In their discussion, Granjon shared his passion for hands-on animation techniques, his journey from puppet-making at Folimage studio, and his innovative use of cutout paper and pinscreen methods. Granjon’s works, including The Four Seasons of Leon and The Inventor, were also showcased at Animest.
Andreea Vraja
Andreea Vraja, a passionate film enthusiast and seasoned social media manager, conducted two insightful interviews.
- Peter Dodd, animation director of Kensuke’s Kingdom, shared the artistry behind the film’s emotional storytelling. He emphasized how subtle gestures and expressive details conveyed deep bonds between characters, transcending language barriers.
- Ligia Soare, co-founder and programmer of Animest, discussed the festival’s growing impact on Romanian animation. She highlighted how the festival’s expanded status offers local creators greater visibility and access to the global film industry, a milestone for the Romanian animation scene.
With its innovative focus on video interviews, the 2024 edition of GoCritic! has pushed the boundaries of film criticism, offering a fresh, dynamic approach to engaging with animated films and their creators.