Portland Animation Now!

Coming up on January 27 and 28, Portland Animation Now! showcases 20+ short films from local independent animators. Including both masters and remarkable amateurs, this is a line-up of new works and seldom-seen gems you won’t find anywhere else.  Highlights include:

Eyeliner by Joanna Priestley (dubbed “the queen of independent animation” by Bill Plympton): A playful exploration of the organic geometry and archetypes of the human face. Ursula 1000 – Rocket by Eric Kilkenny: A love story told as a fever dream involving stolen works of art, dualistic robot terminators, and a giant floating head who seriously needs his moustache trimmed. Ruby Rocket, Private Detective by Sam Niemann & Stacey Hallal: It had been a long night and Ruby Rocket, Private Detective needed a stiff one—then HE walked in. Missionary by Mike A. Smith: Geopolitical allegory as cartoon slapstick, featuring eggs and fearsome hand-on-stick technology. Old-Time Film by Barbara Tetenbaum & Marilyn Zornado: Handset type, printer’s ornaments and antique engraving come to life in the first film created entirely through letterpress printing. Operation: Fish by Jeff Riley: After a series of goldfish abductions, a secret agent is dispatched to bring the fishnappers to justice, and possibly save the world!

Presented by the Northwest Animation Festival as part of the Fertile Ground Festival, the show costs $8. Advance tickets are available here, and more info is at www.nwanimationfest.com

Barton Damer Demos Cinema4D

At 6pm on January 26, 3DPDX and AEPDX welcome digital artist Barton Damer to the PCC Moriarty Arts & Humanities Building. Damer will show you what Maxon Cinema4D can do. There’s refreshments and a raffle– check the flyer here.

Saturday Morning Cartoons at the Hollywood

Saturday Morning Cartoons at Night is exactly what it sounds like. This Monday, January 23rd, the Hollywood Theater presents ninety minutes of retro (1940s-1980s) cartoon goodness on the big screen, complete with bizarre commercials for the Mattel toys that you wish your mom hadn’t yard-saled.  This promises to be a mighty fun time. The Hollywood sells beer.

An Evening with Joanna Priestley

That last weekend in January is a busy one… On Saturday, January 28, the Northwest Film Center hosts an evening with Portland’s queen of independent animation, Joanna Priestley. Starting at 7pm at the Whitsell Auditorium, the program includes three world premieres, an interactive animation and three new short films.  Joanna herself will be presenting an Exposé Slideshow and a few surprises.
Tickets are $9 ($8 Students/Seniors/PAM Members; $6 Children/NWFC Friends). General seating. You can buy tickets online here.

Collaborative Stop-Mo Night at the Radio Room

On Saturday, January 28th, Grand Detour is hosting a collaborative stop-motion animation event at the Radio Room. Bring your friends and your friends’ friends– they aim to make this collaborative animation project as big as possible. Animator/teacher Ben Popp (www.benpoppfilms.com) will be there to walk everyone through the art of stop motion. The organizers say, “Come down to Radio Room and make some art, learn about our organization, make some new friends and support arts and sciences education for all!” The evening is kid-friendly from 6:30 to 9pm, then for ages 21+ from 9pm onward.

Don Hertzfeldt in Person

On Saturday Feb. 4th at 7:00pm, the Academy Award-nominated, computer-eschewing independent animation icon Don Hertzfeldt brings his films and his generous Q&A skills to the Hollywood Theater. He’ll screen a selection of his work on 35mm, culminating in the exclusive regional premiere of It’s Such A Beautiful Day, the third and final chapter in a trilogy about a mysterious man named Bill.  Not to be missed, the show is $12 unless you’re a member of the Hollywood Theater, which will save you two bucks. More info is here.

NW Animation Fest 2012: Call For Entries

After a successful launch this past spring, the NW Animation Festival is now accepting entries for 2012. Films from anywhere in the world are welcome. The fest will be held here in Portland on the weekend of May 18-19. Early deadline for submissions is December 15, final deadline April 1. See website for details: www.nwanimationfest.com

Floating World Animation Festival presents DMTV2

DMTV2 is a collection of experimental and psychedelic animation from around the world. The emphasis is on non-commercial work; we seek pure vision. Some of the films push visual noise and glitch to the limit
while others reach a peak of ambient degaussed bliss. Highlights include David O’Reilly’s latest award winning film, The External World, and new films from James Mercer and Yoshi Sodeoka. We are also pleased to collaborate with artists like Alexandra Gorczynski, Duncan Malashock and local artist Brenna Murphy for the first time. Opening act, Goodnight Billygoat, is a live music duo that performs in front of a projected backdrop of  their gorgeous stop motion animation.

DMTV2 trailer – 11/21 Hollywood Theater from Floating World Comics on Vimeo.

The Floating World Festival will take place at the Hollywood Theater on Monday, Nov. 21 at 7:30 pm. Tickets will be available for $7.