On Februatry 19th, MAGIC welcomes back The Animation Show of Shows, with an increadible line up of short animated films from eight different countries.
“An exceptional program that starts off strong and only gets better as it goes, the 19th Annual Animation Show of Shows overflows with charm while containing more provocative observations about the nature of existence than most prestige feature films do.” – John DeFore, The Hollywood Reporter
The 19th edition features 16 incredible shorts, including Niki Lindroth von Bahr’s melancholy and humorous Annecy Grand Prix winner, The Burden, and a beautiful 4K restoration from the original camera negatives of Paul Julian’s and Les Goldman’s Hangman, which explores themes of injustice and personal responsibility.
My Burden (2017) – Niki Lindroth von Bahr’s melancholy and humorous Annecy Grand Prix winner
“The Burden” was inspired by the classical Hollywood musicals that I loved to watch when I was growing up. The theme is darker, however, dealing with boredom, loneliness and existential anxiety. I mainly wanted to shed light on the kind of pointless, underpaid labor that exists everywhere, but is seldom paid attention to – straightening groceries at a supermarket or working the night shift as a cleaner at a hamburger restaurant. If these employees were to suddenly find themselves in a musical, what would they sing about?
Perhaps themost relevant film in the show is a 50-year-old short that was restored by The ANIMATIONSHOW OF SHOWS with grants from ASIFA-Hollywood and The National Film Preservation Foundation.“Hangman,” by Paul Julian and Les Goldman, and based on a poem by MauriceOgden, explores themes ofinjustice and personal responsibility in its tale of a town whose residents, afraid to speak up, aremethodically executed by the title character.
“Because animation is such a natural medium for dealing with abstract ideas and existential concerns, theANIMATION SHOW OF SHOWS has always included a number of thoughtful and engaging films,” saysfounder and curator Ron Diamond. “However, more than in previous years, I believe that this year’s programreally offers contemporary animation that expresses deeply felt issues in our own country and around theworld.”
The 19th Annual Animation Show of Shows – February 19th at 1pm – Room 8106 – MAGIC, Building 8, Wolfson Campus – For more information, please click here. This event is FREE and open to the community.