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
On Sunday, February 12th, the Oregon Cartoon Institute is holding a public meeting at 5th Avenue Cinema. Starting at 2pm, the event’s centerpiece is a screening and discussion of the earliest Portland-made animation on record, The Little Baker, a stop-motion piece shot in the 1920s by Lewis Clark Cook. Cited as an inspiration by Will Vinton, this rarely-seen film gives a look into the early days of the medium. Included in the afternoon is Jim Blashfield’s ten-minute documentary profile of Cook. For more info, click here. The event is free.
