Canterbury Anifest 2012: Day 1
The South East’s only annual animation festival, Canterbury Anifest, now in its 6th year began at 6 o’clock on Friday the 5th October. Whilst Canterbury’s large student population stirred the clubs and bars. Families, Enthusiasts, budding animators and filmmaking geeks sat down in Augusta Hall, Canterbury Christ Church collage and began the 2 day festival.
Anifest organisers have planned relentless Animation bonanza this year, offering visitors all things animated; With talks from Pixar, Aardman, Dreamworks and Double Negative, all dominating Saturday in one long string of talks. elsewhere, Master classes with production crew from Pixar, Dreamwork and Aardman are taking place over weeks this month, both for children and aspiring filmmakers alike.
However it was Friday that Tony Dalton, curator of the Ray Harryhausen Trust, began the festival with warm reception. ‘Ray Harryhausen: The Godfather of stop-motion’ chronicled Rays lustrous life with fond personal stories from Tony, with slides, rare photographs and actual sets from Ray vast collection of loveable Creatures. Tony is not only Rays biggest fan and trustee, but also the author of five books about ‘The Godfathers’ long career.
‘Jason and the Argonauts’, perhaps one of Rays most famous films, Tony explained, has always been described by Ray as his “most complete” piece of work, featuring one of his best complex fight scenes involving the 7 warrior skeletons all animated solely by Ray. Tony Joked that Ray couldn’t just have one or two skeletons, but seven! a feat for any animator even today to master. Some animation theorists even view the sequence as one of the most complex ever, having at least one Hundred and eighty thousand separate movements for the whole sequence. Gosh.
Once Tony was finally coaxed off the stage to allow other events a chance (we could have listened to him all night!), he left to answer questions in the foyer whilst International films began its screening. With a wide range of films from all over the globe, the audience where treated to films such as Christian Beving-Andersons, “Ride of Passage” a loveable 3D film, all the way to the Harsh landscapes of Daniel Sousa’s ‘Feral’ an absolutely beautiful film that takes a feral child from a snarling pack of wolves to the harsh society of normal life, animated fluidly with stark contrasts. Kasia Wilk’s ‘Bear Me’ received the most laughs from the audience, as the main female character tells her story of her ‘take and take’ relationship with her Bear; The flat animated world, with bold black outlines upon a brown washed colours, translated the ‘feel’ of her own memories to the audience.
But it was Emma De Sweaf and Marc James Roels, “OH WILLY” that stole the category and the top international Prize, with their acceptance Video as funny and bizarre as the actual film! The Stop-motion felt laced characters follows the son of a nude-colonist to finding his own roots in naturism and the role of being a Son. However, as one audience member behind added, the film can also be described as, What the F*ck.
Lastly, the Category of British films, a separate award and screening for home brewed talent, most dominated by the graduate films of the Royal Collage of art and other universities. Films Including, “My Mothers Coat” by Maria-Margaux Tskiri-Scanatoits, told the story of, her mother’s coat and the relationship she had with her children, her husband and being in different culture and country. The animation being the most experimental, animated lined silhouettes layered complexly over each other, suggesting more than showing made this an incredibly bold artistic film. ‘Tosh’ by Daisy Jacobs picked up the raising talent category, with her take of British upper-class society, using both Character and screen-print animated cut-out style, it was witty, bold and stark, deserving the award and a Jolly Good show. The audience was also treated to two great characters in the form of Stop-motion senior’s John and Betty, a film of that name by Alex Hancock and Luke George, proving a small film can rival any large production with good enough characters.
The winner of Best British Film was awarded to Ana Stefaniak for her emotional short film Dreamlands. Dark, Grainy and emotional. Dreamlands presented the viewer with a character, broken and devastated amongst the backdrop of a beating heart, ghoulish creatures and a fate you cannot change. The graphics, style and composition alone made this a deserving winner. With the Artist herself humbled by her applause and trophy.
Dreamworlds director Ana Stefaniak. Winner of Best Britsh Film
With the first day over, we await the 2nd with anticipation as the evening felt as though it went far too quickly. However the second day is so jammed packed with more events and goodies. We almost cannot wait.