Highlights of the 11th edition

Cinema lovers, animation aficionados and avid consumers of entertainment are awaited at CinemaPRO, Cinema Elvire Popesco and Cinemateca Eforie, this fall: between October 7th and 16th, Anim’est International Animation Film Festival, the only local festival exclusively dedicated to animation films, returns with its 11th edition.

Cats take center stage this year

The programme of the festival will include a series of special screenings, showing fantastic micro-universes created around the best loved felines: from iconic feature films like Gay Purr-ee or The AristoCats to more recent productions, such as A Cat in Paris by Jean-Loup Felicioli and Alain Gagnol, a film that was nominated for the Oscar in 2012. A highlight of the programme is the selection of short animation films featuring Felix the Cat, the famous anthropomorphic black cat drawn by Otto Messmer during the era of the silent cinema. Cats will make appearances in all the sections of this year’s edition, from children’s animation films like Pim and Pom, the Big Adventure, to those meant exclusively for adults, such as Fritz the Cat, the first animated film to receive an X rating in the U.S. More details on http://www.animest.ro/sophisticat-edition-1.aspx.

The best animated films of the year, shown in premiere in Romania

This edition of the festival opens with the most important animated feature of the year: La Tortue Rouge / The Red Turtle, directed by Michael Dudok de Wit, who previously earned an Oscar and a BAFTA for Best Animated Short Film (Father and Daughter, 2000). Details on http://www.animest.ro/the-red-turtle-.aspx.

Another feature film that will be have its Romanian preview screening at Anim’est is  Kubo and the Two Strings – the latest production of the famous American stop-motion studio LAIKA and the directing debut of its CEO Travis Knight. Details on http://www.animest.ro/kubo-and-the-two-strings-.aspx

Special screenings

From Doodles to Pixels: over one hundred years of Spanish animation: a selection of films that represent highlights of Spanish animation. An anthology presented by Carolina Lopez, a curator, editor and film festival director, and Emilio de la Rosa, theorist and historian of animation film. Details on http://www.animest.ro/from-doodles-to-pixels-1-2.aspx

OSCAR animation: the public aged 14+ will have the chance to watch a selection of short animated films that have been nominated to the Oscars, a programme presented by Shorts TV television channel. Details: http://www.animest.ro/oscar-shorts-1.aspx

CARTOON D’OR 2016: Cartoon d’Or is the pan-European trophy for the best short animated film of the year. Offered by CARTOON, the European Association of Animated Films, with support from the MEDIA Programme, this trophy is awarded to the best film among the winners of the most important European film festivals. This year the prize went to the short film Yul and the snake, the winner of Anim’est 2015 edition. The six nominated films, on http://www.animest.ro/cartoon-d-or-2016-1.aspx

Belgium, Guest Country

Belgium is the special guest country at Anim’est 2016, thanks to support from the Delegation Wallonie-Bruxelles. The public will be able to watch a retrospective of Belgian animation, provided by Anima Bruxelles International Animation Film Festival. Also present in Bucharest will be Vincet Gilot, head of the animation department of La Cambre school, one of the most important institutions of art and design in Belgium. In addition to this, the activity of one of the most important animation studios in Belgium,Walking The Dog, will be presented by one its founders, Eric Goossens. Details here: http://www.animest.ro/guest-country-belgium.aspx

Minimest – the section dedicated to children

In an age of digital boom, the special programme Minimest encourages children’s interest for animation by inviting them to see the best recent films and to take part in a series of interactive activities. For 6 days, during the two weekends of the festival, children are awaited at Cinema Pro and Cinema Elvire Popesco (October 7th to 9th) and at Cinemateca Eforie (October 14th to 16th)with a selection of animated films meant to cater to their appetite for storytelling and entertainment. In addition to this, the young viewers will get the opportunity to take part in workshops which will offer them access into the backstage of animation.Details: http://www.animest.ro/animation-for-children-minimest-2016.aspx

Workshops and masterclasses

A number of animation makers renowned internationally will be present at the 11th edition of Anim’est International Animation Film Festival, to reveal to the lovers of animation a few of the secrets behind this complex and fascinating branch of cinematography. The host of the educational endeavours of Anim’est – a series of presentations, masterclasses and workshops – is the International Center for Research and Education in Creative Technologies – CINETic, a project of I.L. Caragiale National University of Theatre and Cinematographic Arts.

A highlight of the guest list of the festival this year is the presence of Shelley Page, one of the longest-living members of the famous animation studio DreamWorks Animation, who will teach a masterclass on Character Design & Development for Animation. She has worked for a lot of famous features, such as Shrek, Shark Tale, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda or How to Train Your Dragon. 

An event worth attending for whoever wishes to discover the process behind the production of a stop-motion animation feature is the meeting with Anthony Farquar-Smith, key-animator for celebrated features such as Corpse Bride (d. Tim Burton) or Fantastic Mr. Fox (d. Wes Anderson). Anthony will give a must-see presentation: Stop Motion, Roald Dahl and Wes Anderson. How three very different things combined to make ‘The Fantastic Mr. Fox’. More details at : http://www.animest.ro/how-animated-films-are-made-a-peek-behind-the-scenes-at-dreamworks-and-fantastic-mr-fox-at-anim-est-2016.aspx

Special events at the festival

Creepy Animation Night, at its eighth edition: Likely the most expected event in the Anim’est schedule, Creepy Animation Night will take place on the first weekend of the festival, at Cinema Pro, on Saturday from 23.00. The public hooked on adrenaline will be offered three servings of horror/dark/gore animated short films, peppered with a surprise dose of erotic creepy and interspersed with two musical acts. Details at http://www.animest.ro/creepy-animation-night-2016-1-2-3.aspx

Trippy Animation Night, the fifth edition: Friday, on the second weekend of the festival, from 22.00, DESCHIS Gastrobar will host Trippy Animation Night Vol. 3. Michael Helmerhorst, the traditional curator and host of this event, returns this year with a brand new selection of original and charming animated films for the uninhibited, films handpicked either from rare, hard to access archives or from the vast virtual archive to which we are all connected non-stop - two hours of kitsch, artistic and psychedelic experiments, followed by the DJ set ARME. Details at http://www.animest.ro/trippy-animation-night-2016-1-2-3.aspx

Animusic Night: The best recent animated videos are the focus of a special night in the Anim’est programme: Animusic Night takes place on October 13th, at Club Fabrica, the programme of the night including concerts, premiere screenings and the lively atmosphere that our public is accustomed to. 32 videos are in this year’s competition, and the selection includes the latest work by well-known artists like Beck, David Gilmour, Marylin Manson, Fever Ray or Todd Terje. Animusic Night is also premiere night for the video to the song „From one World to Another”/“Dintr-o lume în altă lume” by the band Subcarpați, created during the 7th edition of the Animation Worksheep workshop. After the screenings, the night will continue with an Orkid concert (opening band: ELEVEN). Details: http://www.animest.ro/animusic-night-music-and-animation-at-anim-est-2016.aspx 

Cine-Concert Felix the Cat with original music composed and performed by Simona Strungaru Symphonics, on October 16th, for the closing of the festival:  Simona Strungaru Symphonics is an original modern music concept, performing music and orchestration signed Simona Strungaru. SSS was launched in 2015, during Bucharest White Night, interpreting for the first time Symphony I „Gaston” for orchestra and live visuals. The event featured a guest, the visual artist Alexandru Ciubotariu (Pisica Pătrată / Square Cat). The cine-concert „Felix the Cat” is made up of 8 films in which the protagonist faces various situations and the music supports the brave feline. Details:  http://www.animest.ro/felix-the-cat-cine-concert-.aspx

The eleventh edition of Anim’est International Animation Film Festival will take place between October 7th and 16th, 2016, at Cinema Pro, Cinema Elvire Popesco, Cinemateca Eforie, The Cervantes Institute, CINETic Center, Club Fabrica and Club Control. Tickets are available on the website www.eventbook.ro and also at Cinema Pro, Cinema Elvire Popesco and Cinemateca Eforie throughout the festival.