Animated Feature Films Find a Welcome Home at ATLFF
Animated features have become a staple in recent years at ATLFF, signifying a healthy and growing animation industry in Atlanta and beyond.
Animated features have become a staple in recent years at the Atlanta Film Festival, signifying a healthy and growing animation industry in Atlanta and beyond. Animation studios pump out family-friendly blockbusters every few weeks at your local cinemas, but the indie animated scene is working hard to produce beautiful and complex features and short films and ATLFF is pleased to showcase as much as we can.
In 2014, two-time Academy Award-nominee Bill Plympton brought his latest feature film "Cheatin'" to the Atlanta Film Festival. A dialogue free film, the rapturous artistry and beautiful music propels the film into a league of its own. Earlier this year, ATLFF helped spread the word about Plympton's efforts to crowd fund his next feature film, "Revengeance." We hope that whenever he wraps work on that, we will be among the first to screen it!
Ari Folman's "The Congress" was another example of feature animation at ATLFF '14 and became one of the most attended screenings that year. Folman previously directed the Israeli animated documentary film "Waltz With Bashir," which received an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film. "The Congress" is a live action/animation hybrid, starring Robin Wright, Jon Hamm and Paul Giamatti. Having also screened at the Cannes Film Festival, "The Congress" was one of 2014's art house hits, playing several festivals and select theaters across the globe.
At ATLFF '15, it was stop-motion animation that held the spotlight. In the Spanish film "Possessed (Pos Eso)," a retired flamenco dancer and a disillusioned priest deal with death and demon possession. The Buried Alive Film Festival partnered with us to present "Possessed," directed by Sam, on the first night of the festival.
Do you have an animated feature or short film that you are ready for the world to see? We are ready to watch it!
We are now accepting submissions for the Animated Feature category and all other categories for the 2016 Atlanta Film Festival. The Regular Deadline is September 18.
ASIFA Highlights Bill Plympton's "Cheatin' " and Other Animated Films at 2014 ATLFF
Bill Plympton's coming to town and he's bringing his feature film Cheatin' with him. Geek out with ASIFA-Atlanta and the Atlanta Film Festival for an animation celebration.
ASIFA-Atlanta, writing on their blog:
For the seventh consecutive year, Atlanta’s International Animated Film Association (ASIFA-Atlanta) is proud to join the 2014 Atlanta Film Festival for three days of animation! Renowned animator, Bill Plympton, will be in attendance to present a Master Class along with his newest critically acclaimed feature, Cheatin,’ on Tuesday, April 1st at 7 Stages in Little Five Points. No Joke.
It does our hearts good to see an entire organization of people geeking out about the way their preferred art form is represented at our event. If you know anything about the evolution of animation over the past few decades, you know that Plympton's visit is no small thing. He's a heavy-hitter, and we're thrilled to have him in town for the fest.
Check out ASIFA-Atlanta's rundown of all the animation events at ATLFF 2014.