Bradford Animation Festival 2014 Programme Announced – Tickets on Sale!
Skwigly
Today the Bradford Animation Festival (BAF) has announced an unrivalled line-up of pioneers from the worlds of animation, gaming and visual effects who will be attending the 21st Festival from 17 – 22 November. The National Media Museum hosts the annual event which attracts industry leaders, fans, students and families to a packed programme of talks, master-classes and screenings.
Including centenary celebrations for Joy Batchelor, one of Britain’s foremost female animators; a screening of the oldest surviving animated feature and the presentation of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, the Festival also welcomes back Bradford College as the principal sponsor. Programme highlights include:
Monday 17 November
- Keynote speaker and ‘industry legend’ Charles Cecil MBE kicks off proceedings. A trailblazer in gaming for more than 30 years, Cecil will shed light on his far-reaching experience, from founding York-based adventure game company ‘Revolution’ to the company’s success with game-changing ‘Broken Sword 5’, completed using crowdsourced funding.
Tuesday 18 November
- From LAIKA, the Oregon-based studio that made the critically acclaimed stop-motion animated features ‘Coraline’ and ‘ParaNorman’ comes new release ‘The Boxtrolls’ which will be screened during the festival. LAIKA’s Head of Entertainment Brand Marketing Mark Shapiro will give delegates a personal, behind-the-scenes insight into the animated film-making process and a chance to see some of the puppets, followed by Q&A.
Wednesday 19 November
- Huddersfield-based Fee Stewart – Managing Director for multi award-winning studio Formerdroid – will bring her personal insight into making fun and iconic mobile gaming to the Festival. A former Bradford student of fine art and printing in the early ‘00s, Stewart now makes games, including critically acclaimed platformer Splemy, for clients including the BBC and Microsoft.
- Marking 100 years since the birth of Joy Batchelor who, along with her husband and partner John Halas produced Britain’s first animated feature ‘Animal Farm’, daughter Vivien Halas will shed light on her mother’s remarkable life and work.
- Screening of ‘The Adventures of Prince Achmed’, the world’s oldest-surviving animated feature, created by pioneer of silhouette animation Lotte Reiniger in 1926 and accompanied here with a live music score.
Thursday 20 November
- Ubisoft Montreal’s videogame ‘Watch Dogs’ broke sales records on the day of its release in May and Animation Director Colin Graham will be in Bradford to reveal the secrets behind its phenomenal appeal.
- Tracing the issues surrounding the careers of women in animation, from the 1930s – 1980s, will be Jez Stewart Curator at the BFI National Archive.
- Animation, sport and the McLaren F1 series ‘Tooned’ will be the subject of discussion between Professor Paul Wells, Director of the Animation Academy at Loughborough University and Henry Trotter, award winning director, writer and producer of the animated series that features Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.
Friday 21 November
- Celebrated French director and writer Michel Ocelot will be in conversation with Professor Paul Wells. Best known for his award winning films ‘Azur and Asmar:The Princes’ Quest’,’ Tales of the Night’ and ‘Kirikou and the Sorceress’, Ocelot will talk about his career, influences and creative process.
- The significant annual BAF 2014 Awards event will take place in the presence of VIPs, industry stalwarts and rising talent, recognising the best new animation from around the world
Saturday 22 November – BAF Kids
- Free animation workshops and special screenings of classic and contemporary animated feature films, including a sing-a-long of Disney’s ‘Frozen’ and Michel Ocelot’s ‘Kirikou and the Sorceress’. There will also be the chance to see the work of budding filmmakers nominated for the Young Animators Award.
Festival Director Deb Singleton comments: “It is fantastic that we continue to attract some of the biggest names from the ever-merging worlds of animation, gaming and visual effects to the Bradford Animation Festival and this year’s programme includes a number of ground-breaking figures. A key part of the 2014 Festival is a celebration of women in the industry and we have speakers and presentations highlighting how the role of women is changing, both on and off screen.
“The Festival creates a brilliant atmosphere around the National Media Museum, where the whole six-day event takes place, offering the chance for industry greats, fans and students to meet and be inspired by a shared passion. For anyone interested in animation, the Festival also is a great time to visit Bradford, UNESCO’s first City of Film, to make new discoveries and enjoy old favourites in an unrivalled setting.”
For the next generation of film and game makers the Festival presents a valuable opportunity to hear from and question those who have succeeded in the industry. Events designed with a new wave of talent in mind include a panel discussion (17 November) with representatives from independent Irish companies. On 18 November Bradford University lecturer Kaye Elling, a proud Girl Geek, who is committed to raising awareness of game development as a viable, creative career for everyone, will present her essential compilation ‘100 Things Every Game Student Should Know’.
The Festival is the UK’s longest-running animation event of its kind. Tickets go on sale TODAY 17 September. For more details visit: www.baf.org.uk or call 0844 856 3797.