Have a great summer everyone!!  As always, stay tuned to our calendar updates on our regular website, and our periodic email newsletter.

Our pals at Rooftop Films present Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then from Director Brent Green.  The film will be performed with a live soundtrack, featuring members of punk idols Fugazi.

Rooftop Films presents around 45 films all summer along, on rooftops throughout the five boroughs.  Director Dan Nuxoll has generously offered ASIFA members a discount on tickets for this show and July 29th’s.   Look for this code in our next email newsletter blast!  If you did not receive this code, please contact me and I will send it to you.

On Thursday, July 29, a program called Capucine and Other Filmmaking Renegades which includes a film by animation renegade Nieto: http://rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/31-capucine-filmmaking-monkeys-and-other-renegades

These are not the only shows featuring animation so I suggest you check out the site to see the entire festival schedule!

Still from "Coney"

Article by Emmett Goodman.

In the past few years, I have become aware of both the different types of animation styles and animators there are (and can be). Frank and Caroline Mouris are the kind of independent animators who work with (in a manner of speaking) a patented animation style of their own. Both their own films and their commercial work are defined either by its collage-animation, idiosyncratic narrations, or both. Their 1973 short film, Frank Film, won the Academy Award for Best Short Subject Animated Film, and is a perfect demonstration of their style. However, a recent ASFIA-East tribute to the Mouris’s work gave even more than what they are known for.

On Tuesday night, ASIFA-East held its last event until September, with the honor being handed to Frank and Caroline Mouris. I arrived early enough to make Mr. Mouris’ acquaintance. Before the show officially started, I overheard Frank discussing Caroline’s absence having to do with their side-business in dog-breeding. I found it both amusing and fascinating that the Mouris’ second career is animal breeding. Finally more people arrived, and the show got started pretty quickly. And of course, the show started with Frank introducing himself and his background, which included his discovery of animation through an impromptu college course. The first film shown was Frank Film, which while being their best known, is also their earliest. It was my first time seeing it (I’m ashamed to say, sort of), and was blown away by the wealth of visuals there were to keep track of. After that, Frank discussed his film experiments in the mid to late 1970’s.

Frank showed a film called Coney, which of course refers to Coney Island. The film is a work of pixilation (animating in real-life). The stand outs of the film are the camera tricks Frank produces as the images race around the sites of Coney Island. I was taken in by the film’s score, as it seemed that parts of the film were cut to match it, particularly a scene where the soundtrack gets very bass-like and heavy sounding, and the image turns to that of a heavy-set woman on the beach. That got a particularly noticeable laugh. After that film, Frank showed Screen Test, a group of random interviews with a troupe of drag performers Frank happened to know. These were interviews only in audio. The speaker was always shown either posing for or being manipulated by Frank’s camera.

We got back to animation with Frankly Caroline (1998). The film is similar to Frank Film in a lot of ways, but what primarily defines it is Caroline Mouris’ narration, with Frank’s humorous interruptions. Something else that defines this film is whereas Frank Film is visuals set to a narration, Frankly Caroline is a narration set to visuals. I was much more familiar with this film than everything else. And wrapping up the show was a collection of the Mouris’ commissioned work. I couldn’t define most of the pieces, as they seemed to link together pretty seamlessly. The one that stood out to me (with little surprise) was their music video for Toad the Wet Sprocket’s “Good Intentions,” which is a pleasant piece that probably wasn’t shown enough on MTV.

I have to admit, before this night, I was unfamiliar with the majority of the Mouris’ work. In fact, I was largely unfamiliar with Frank Film. The most I had seen was Frankly Caroline in a class. I remembered their style based on that. To see the rest of their collage-style work makes me wonder just how many subjects Frank is thinking in a single minute. A single minute of any one of their films is full of too many objects to keep track of. It’s inspiring to see such a daunting task of a style done so fluidly, and with so much information maintained. I wonder if there’s any connection between how they approach their films, and dog-breeding.

It feels like a nice way to end this past season of ASIFA-East, as everyone heads out with some last minute inspiration from Frank and Caroline’s films.

I was a little nervous when I got out of the cab. The facade of 543 Union Street did not exactly scream “gallery.” I wondered for a moment if this was some sort of practical joke. Or maybe, it was like a page out of “Harry Potter” and I had to knock on the brick wall in a certain way to find the entrance. To my relief, two other guests soon arrived for this same event and were also puzzled as to how to get in. Following the suggestion of a stranger and a note on the door, we turned the corner, went up an alley-way and there we found Observatory.

We were greeted by the kind smile of Joanna Ebenstein – a key figure in the creation of Observatory. As we waited for the presentation to begin, we made our introductions and looked around the space. The entrance area was thoughtfully covered with artwork of varying mediums. Among some of the most memorable pieces was a long orange knitted scarf hung across the ceiling and extending down into a bundle on the floor, with pictures of its’ many contributing knitters in a glass case to the right of the heap.

After some chatting with John Dilworth and by my second helping of wine, the presentation began. Dilworth talked us through “The Dirdy Birdy,” “Chicken from Outer Space,” “Hector the Get Over Cat,” “The Mousochist,” “Life in Transition,” and “Rinky Dink.” On the theme at hand (Animators as God) Dilworth vividly expressed his opinions to us in a manner so fluid, so stream-of-consciousness, that no summary would do it justice. Simply put, show up to his next presentation and it will not disappoint; you have to experience Dilworth’s presence to understand. The event also provided the opportunity to see (and buy) some hand-drawn frames of “Courage the Cowardly Dog” with all the original notes written in the margins!

Following the presentation, we all voyaged to Canal, a local bar with a great backyard and get this – unlimited free popcorn! While there, I had the great opportunity to speak further with Ebenstein and another key figure at Observatory: animator and illustrator G.F. Newland. The two have planned many more interesting events for this summer at Observatory. For more on Observatory, check out: www.observatoryroom.org. It is a promising new gallery space as part of the Proteus Gowanus art complex and located in a safe, beautiful and somewhat quaint part of Brooklyn.

Without it being imposed on us, the theme of “Animators as God” lingered in the air through-out the group discussion. Newland expressed his interest in sequential art as Robert Lyons discussed his recent findings on the subject of monsters. Emmet Goodman discussed his revived love of playing bass guitar and Pilar Newton reminisced about her impromptu harmonica performance. In response to me wishing I was half-robot (a result of my recurrent and painful battle with knee dislocation) Dilworth reminded me that the sensation of “raindrops on bare skin” far outweighs any temporary pain we as humans experience. If you accept the notion that God is the ultimate designer, we were all mini-Gods that night – whether it be through the creation of an animated film, or the creation of a gallery space to honor art, or the creation of music, or of thought provoking conversation and advice.

The night ended with the ironic and pleasant twist of most of us being walking distance from home (as opposed to the usual hour and a half trip from the city that we Brooklynites so often endure.) If for nothing else than the close proximity, put Observatory on your list of places to check out this summer. Reasonably priced and visually compelling, this intelligent collective of artists will certainly stimulate your minds. Both Ebenstein and Newland expressed interest in hosting more animation presentations; submissions and ideas for events are welcomed!

ASIFA-East and Women In Animation presents – The Films of Frank and Caroline Mouris

ASIFA-East and Women In Animation are proud to present a special screening of the films of Oscar-winning animators, Frank and Caroline Mouris.

Admission: FREE!

SVA
School Of Visual Arts
209 East 23rd Street
(Bet. 2nd & 3rd Ave)
3rd Fl, Amphitheater
5th floor, Room 502. NYC
www.schoolofvisualarts.edu

On Friday, May 28, Rooftop Films presented  a series of short films with the theme “Dark Toons“.    This intriguing mix of films ranged from the chaotic train ride that is Cordell Barker’s Runaway to a short treatise on big, juicy, tasty hot dogs appropriately titled Sam’s Hot Dogs by David Lopez Retamero.  New York’s own Jake Armstrong’s, The Terrible Thing of Alpha 9, was also featured.  His wonderfully ugly yet adorable monster got a lot of laughs.  About a dozen animated films were presented, and although not all were my cup of tea, the majority were really interesting takes on a dark or disturbing subject.   I had not seen the majority of them and it was a very international mix.  The event took place at an amazing venue at the Open Road Rooftop above New Design High School in the Lower East Side.  The space is huge and covered in graffiti murals all painted by the students who attend that high school.  Those same students were cooking hot dogs and hamburgers, the proceeds of the sale of which was going directly to the school to fund activities.  The students are quite the artists and I really enjoyed looking at all the murals and watching films in such a colorful space.  The films were preceded by a performance from a fun Canadian band called Braids.

Rooftop Films presents around 45 films all summer along, on rooftops throughout the five boroughs.  Director Dan Nuxoll has generously offered ASIFA members a discount on tickets for the following shows.   Look for this code in our next email newsletter blast!  If you did not receive this code, please contact me and I will send it to you.  (Select Events Blogger.)

On June 26, a screening of Brent Green’s Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, with a live score performed by musicians, including members of Fugazi: http://rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/20-gravity-was-everywhere-back-then

On Thursday, July 29, a program called Capucine and Other Filmmaking Renegades which includes a film by animation renegade Nieto: http://rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/31-capucine-filmmaking-monkeys-and-other-renegades

These are not the only shows featuring animation so I suggest you check out the site to see the entire festival schedule!

Next show:  Saturday, June 5th
FEARS AND FANTASIES (short films)

The 2010 Summer Series of Rooftop Films has begun, and to promote this exciting run, Program Director Dan Nuxoll has generously offered ASIFA members a discount on tickets for the following shows.   Look for this code in our next email newsletter blast!

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From Dan:

Next Friday, May 28, we have a show called Dark Toons with some really great animation from the dark side: http://rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/7-dark-toons

Then on June 26 we have a screening of Brent Green’s Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, with a live score performed by musicians, including members of Fugazi: http://rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/20-gravity-was-everywhere-back-then

Then on Thursday, July 29, we have a program called Capucine and Other Filmmaking Renegades which includes a film by animation renegade Nieto: http://rooftopfilms.com/2010/schedule/31-capucine-filmmaking-monkeys-and-other-renegades

______________

These are not the only shows featuring animation so I suggest you check out the site to see the entire festival schedule!

Rooftop Films is a New York based non-profit whose mission is to engage diverse communities by showing independent movies in outdoor locations, producing new films, coordinating youth media education, and renting equipment at low cost to artists.

The Rooftop Films 2010 Summer Series, our 14th year of “Underground Movies Outdoors,” will run every weekend from May 14-August 15.

Programming for the 2010 Summer Series includes feature-length films and programs of shorts, all new, all independent. Most of the feature films are either New York, US or World Premieres. Most screenings will include a filmmaker Q & A. Films represent a diverse range of documentaries, fiction, drama, comedy animation and more.