ASIFA-East Exposure Sheet

Article by Dayna Gonzalez.

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, … Continue Reading

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, … Continue Reading

Article by Heidi Marie Campbell.

The 41st Annual ASIFA-East Animation Festival was a wonderful display of talent, art and humor. The 29 films showcased on Sunday, May 9, 2010, were a mixture of industry veterans, studios, students and newcomers. The works of Bill Plympton (Plymptoons), Mo Willems (Weston Woods Studio), Elliot Cowan, and David B. Levy, all established animation artists, stood alongside many animators who are less well known, but all were well deserved prize winners.

The Festival began with a film, Topi, whose break from the traditional genre of animation comedy was a pleasure to watch. The captivating … Continue Reading

Bill Plympton with Caresse Singh

I wasn’t sure what to expect for my first attendance at the ASIFA-East Animation Festival held on Sunday, May 9th at the Tishman Auditorium of The New School. I arrived just in time, barely escaping the Mother’s Day festivities mandated by my large family. The show ran smoothly, with only one technical glitch which most people used as their moment to take a bathroom break.

Some highlights included Backwards, the Best in Show by Aaron Hughes and Lisa LaBracio. The film, revealed entirely backwards … Continue Reading

Article by Emmett Goodman.

Still from "Distraxion" by Michael Stern

It is good to know that there’s always room to start up a new animation festival. When you get right down to it, there aren’t as many as there are general film festivals. Animazing Spotlight appears to be a new festival, having had its first annual screening last November in Hollywood. In our unique world of invisible celebrities, Animazing attracted some notable names to its first festival, such as Eric Goldberg, Bob Kurtz, and rising stars from Pixar. However, … Continue Reading

A Worldwide Showcase of International Short Films, Videos, and Digital Works
Curated by Microcinema International and Bill … Continue Reading

Article by Dayna Gonzalez.

UPDATE: Shortly after writing this, I came across this article, “Film Festival Fraud”, purporting the festival to be a major scam operation.  Not surprising, given the experience I and others had.  Fair warning.

I’m not really sure where to start with this review.  All I can think, is that the festival must have suffered from a severe lack of funding.  It still doesn’t explain everything, but something went very wrong with the planning of this festival.  Someone dropped the ball big time.   If you want my true feelings, I would say that for … Continue Reading