Animation Is Film sets ninth edition with Knights of Guinevere opener
Animation Is Film will open its ninth edition with the world-first cinema showing of the first two episodes of Dana Terrace's “Knights of Guinevere,” organisers have announced.
The Los Angeles animation festival runs October 16 through 19, with main programming at TCL Chinese 6 Theaters in Hollywood, Calif., according to Variety.
The opening sets the tone. A television series launching a film festival is unusual. Here it arrives as a theatrical premiere, made for the big screen first.
The competition slate brings together new features from Europe, Asia and the Americas. It includes Louis Clichy's “Iron Boy,” Leah Nelson's “Tangles” and “The Violinist” from Ervin Han and Raúl García, as reported by Variety.
The same lineup adds Masanao Kawajiri's “Cherry and Virgin” and Shingo Natsume's “Ghost – End of Night” from Japan. France is represented by Nicolas Athané and Marco Nguyen's “Jim Queen” and Sébastien Laudenbach's “Viva Carmen!” Ireland's entry is Louise Bagnall's “Julián.” Brazil completes the list with “O filho da Puta (Son of a Bitch)” from Otto Guerra, Érica Maradona, Tânia Anaya and Sávio Leite.
Festival director is Matt Kaszanek, according to Variety.
Beyond competition, the festival will host a behind-the-scenes look at “Hexed,” the upcoming feature from Walt Disney Animation. That kind of session is a process showcase, with artists explaining how drawings, models and effects become finished shots.
The wider programme, listed by Animation Is Film, leans into anniversaries and craft. It includes The Art of Cartoon Saloon: 25 Years and “Wolfwalkers” with Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, plus a work-in-progress presentation of “Clara and the Below,” meaning footage shown before the film is finished.
Two spotlight screenings bring creators into the room. One centres on “Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender” with Lauren Montgomery, Steve Ahn and William Mata. The other revisits “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust” with director Yoshiaki Kawajiri.
Short films get substantial space. The festival lists Short Films Program 01, Short Films Program 02, a Student Showcase and New Voices in Animation, alongside a Best of Annecy shorts presentation in partnership with WIA, the non-profit Women in Animation. A free RSVP panel titled Inside Animation: The Talent, Trends & Opportunities Shaping the Industry is also on the schedule, according to Animation Is Film.
What makes this stand out is range. Big-studio previews sit next to independent features and student shorts. For fans, this means four days to catch new work early and hear directly from the people who made it.
