The 42nd annual ASIFA-East Animation Festival (Review)
As a first time attendee to the ASIFA East Animation Film Festival, I really did not know what to expect. To be honest I figured it would be like many other festivals here in New York with the occasional filmmaker present in the audience, along with a crowd of animation enthusiasts and appreciators of independent films.
However, once I stepped into the theatre I found that I was very wrong. This festival was more than I anticipated, and you could feel the buzz of excitement in the room. It slowly washed over the auditorium as we waited for the films to begin. As I looked around, I found myself surrounded by young filmmakers such as myself all the way up to revered animation veterans such as Doug Compton, Greg Ford, Howard Beckerman, Bill Plympton and Linda Simensky. ASIFA East is a family of independent animators and artists alike paying respects to not only the art form of animation, but also to the people who have worked so hard to create such great pieces of work.
As stated in the opening speech, the festival is here to celebrate “the values of tradition and to honour it.” This sole statement not only exemplifies why this festival has been 42 years strong, but the importance of the animation medium and its continuous presence in our lives.
There were several categories all touching upon various genres ranging from student to independent films. There was something for everybody at this screening, from the absurd humour of David Chai’s ‘Enrique Wrecks the World’ to the moving tale of the Rauch Brothers’ ‘Danny and Annie’. Even young children would have enjoyed Mo Willems’ book to film adaptation of ‘The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog’ and ‘Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed’. The student films of Jessica Polaniecki, Jane Wu, and Dustin Grella all gave us a preview of the many great films to come from the next generation of animators.
The well-deserved best in show was ‘Accumulonimbus’, a film by Andy Kennedy took on a whole new perspective of creation and destruction. This stop motion piece toyed with the idea of the infinite recycling and recreation of the world around us.
The stunning visuals and ambient music created this rhythmic progression that kept the audience not only amused, but also reflective.
This festival really embraced the many shapes and forms that animation comes in. No viewer is ever too young or too old to enjoy the gifts that are given by such talented people. So if you missed it this year there is always next. For more on the ASIFA EAST chapter visit http://asifaeast.com for upcoming events and animation information.