This Sunday, April 29 at 1pm, The Dill Pickle Club presents an animation-themed installment of A Place Called Home, their monthly lecture series on Portland’s film heritage.  Held at roving venues the last Sunday of each month, these presentations aim to orient people to our city’s lineage of film and how it informs our sense of place. The April installment highlights the expertise of Portland-based animation legends Rose Bond, Joan Gratz, and Joanna Priestley, who will screen and talk about some of their work. Film historian and archivist Dennis Nyback, of the Oregon Cartoon Institute, speaks about the event here. It’s at the Hollywood Theater, with General Admission tickets running $10.

It’s not cheap ($499) and it’s not exactly on the MAX line (Seattle), but still, this is an opportunity worth weighing. This summer, you can participate in a two-day masterclass taught by Pixar artists Andrew Gordon (animator) and Matthew Luhn (head of story). From the event’s website:

“Geared toward experienced animators, students and animation enthusiasts alike, the skill sets covered are not software-specific. Lectures are organized with visuals, including live-action and animated clips, supplemented by a printed workbook. This masterclass provides you with the tools needed to help create your own stories and feature-quality animation, plus offers a great opportunity to meet and network with others in the industry.”

The event happens on June 29 and 30 at Seattle Center. Full details and registration info are here. For those of us who can’t make it or are on the fence about going, Luhn discusses the masterclass in this podcast.

Sat, April 14th, come to our first zoo sketch outing of the year!  Meet up near the ticket lines at 10:30 to get your special ASIFA members-only price of $5, then we’ll draw from 11-4 and meet up at the cafe at the end to share sketchbooks. Rain or shine, the zoo is great for drawing, so bring your umbrellas just in case.

Beginning May 4th, the Northwest Film Center presents a month-long retrospective of Studio Ghibli. Since 1985, this legendary Japanese studio has been drawing us into rich, hidden worlds.  On the big screen especially, this is staggering work. The NWFC calendar includes the Ghibli canon along with some of their lesser-seen features, showing off the creative breadth of directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata. Screenings will take place at the Northwest Film Center’s Whitsell Auditorium, downstairs at the Portland Art Museum.

Missed your chance to see Chico and Rita last year? Beginning March 30, it’s playing for a one-week engagement at the Fox Tower downtown. Directed by Oscar-winner Fernando Trueba (Belle Epoque, Calle 54) and renowned Spanish illustrator Javier Mariscal, the film is an exhaustively researched love letter to a time, a country, and its music. Well worth catching on the big screen.

April 1 is the final submission deadline for the 2012 Northwest Animation Festival, so get those films in! Full information is here

On Friday, March 2nd, bring your sketchbook to Suki’s Bar & Grill and draw everything in sight, especially humans in the throes of karaoke singing. It should be a strange, loud, drawy, singy evening. Suki’s is at 2401 SW 4th Avenue in Portland, and the fun starts at 8pm.