Festival Stop Motion Montreal Unveils Program of 11th Edition
Skwigly
Festival Stop Motion Montreal is pleased to unveil the program of its 11th edition! A unique event and first of its kind globally for this filmmaking genre, the Festival offers a week dedicated entirely to the art of stop-motion animation on September 20, 21 and 22 at Concordia University as well as at Cinéma Moderne. Professional workshops will be organized upstream, from September 16 to 19.
Launched under the theme of stop motion in the digital age, this edition will be an opportunity for festival-goers to venture into the world of stop motion and its modern components, such as virtual reality and video games. The Festival is proud and honoured to receive new distinguished guests this year and delighted to showcase guest speakers from Canada, Denmark and the United States, along with an abundance of festival activities on the action-packed program! Not to be missed: a program of 80 films including 57 short films competing in 6 international competitions, two new thematic programs, all-public programs, the documentary Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams and Monsters, a gaming and virtual reality zone and free workshops to explore stop motion animation techniques.
COMPETING FILMS
57 stop-motion animated films from 36 countries will be screened in two theatres at Concordia University. A jury of three members from the film and television industry will choose a winner for three of the four official categories of the Festival. A public vote will determine the winner of the youth film competition, as well as a “public choice” award among all the films presented during the weekend.
* Some movies may not be suitable for young children. Please consult the complete calendar online.
* Movies presented in the original version other than English and French are presented with English subtitles.
- Emerging talent Saturday, September 21 – 12:30 p.m (13 and +)
Second screening Sunday, September 22 – 4:30 p.m - Youth films (FR) Saturday, September 21 – 12:30 p.m (General Admission)
- Professional films Saturday, September 21 – 4:30 p.m (13 and +)
Second screening Sunday, September 22 – 7:30 p.m (13 and +) - Independent films 2 Saturday, September 21 – 7:30 p.m (13 and +)
Second screening Sunday, September 22 – 2:30 p.m - Youth films (EN) Sunday, September 22 – 12:30 p.m (General Admission)
- Independent films 1 Sunday, September 22 – 12:30 p.m (13 and +)
Second screening Sunday, September 22 – 7:30 p.m
The Kite by Martin Smatana
Heatwave by Fokion Xenos
FESTIVAL EXCLUSIVES
Among the 57 films in competition this year, 37 works will be presented for the first time in Quebec. Festival Stop Motion Montreal offers unique programming and an exceptional opportunity to see international works rare to North America on the big screen. Canadian film premieres on the roster include the world premiere of Disco Still Sucks, directed by Alexanne Desrosiers presented in the Emerging talent program, and Deady Freddy by filmmaker Alicia Eisen, which will have its Quebec premiere in the Independent Film program 1.
NON OFFICIAL SELECTION
Discovery screening (FREE ADMISSION)
The Festival offers a short film program crafted with care to introduce audiences of all ages to the exciting world of stop motion animation. The films presented are without dialogue and show a diverse selection of films from auteur films and musicals to television series episodes.
➤ Saturday, September 21 at 10:30 a.m at Cinéma Moderne, second screening on Sunday, September 22 at 10:30 a.m. at Cinéma Moderne
Special screening – TNT; Terrifying, Naked & Twisted (NEW)
This series of uninhibited short films brimming with chills, thrills, horrors and humour invites the film buff to react to the evils of the modern world. Expect to laugh, wince and jump out of your skin!
Mature content, for informed public. Some subjects or visuals may shock some viewers.
➤ Saturday, September 21 at 9:30 p.m at Cinéma J.A De Sève of Concordia University, 13 and +
Special screening – Hybrid short films (NEW)
The diversity and originality of frame-by-frame animated works are celebrated in this program of short films of all types. Cleverly marrying materials and mixing various art forms, the films presented in this program explore every corner of stop motion.
➤ Saturday, September 21 at 2:30 p.m in the EV 1.615 room of Concordia University, 13 and +
Carte blanche at Thessaloniki Animation Festival (TAF) – Greece
The Thessaloniki Animation Festival will transport festival-goers to Greece for a screening. The program will feature short films selected from past editions of this Mediterranean festival of stop motion, as well as some that will be presented at its next edition, in October.
➤ Sunday, September 22 at 3 p.m. at Cinéma Moderne
Carte blanche at BIT BANG Festival (BBF) – Argentina
The BIT BANG Festival, dedicated to animation, video games and digital arts, hits Montreal to present works from the pride of Argentina and its expanding stop motion scene. The screening will show films by Rodolfo Pastor, Santiago Bou Grasso and Juan Pablo Zaramella, Guinness World Record holder of the most awarded short film for Luminaris (2011), with 324 awards.
This program was curated by Bárbara Cerro, festival director.
➤ Sunday, September 22 at 2:30 p.m. in the EV 1.615 room of Concordia University, General admission
MASTERCLASSES
Festival guests are professionals in the field of stop motion offering lectures where the public can get an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes. Friday, September 20, Philippe Tardif, Quebec animator living his passion in the United States with a dream job at LAIKA studios, will introduce the public to the many digital tools that influence and support his work in stop motion. On Saturday, September 21, legendary director and special effects supervisor Phil Tippett will screen 3 parts in the Mad God series and lead a master class that will plunge festival goers into the process behind it. Wiredfly studio founder Johan Oettinger, specializing in animated short films, puppet fabrication and video games, will present a conference on Saturday, September 21 discussing the challenges on the production of the independent video game Vokabulantis, made mostly with stop motion techniques.
Masterclass: Hybrid Animation – Behind the Scenes of LAIKA studios (Oregon, United States)
Special Guest: Philippe Tardif
➤ Opening night – Friday, September 20 at 7 p.m (Presentation in English)
Masterclass: Behind the scenes of the series Mad God by Phil Tippett Studio (San Francisco, United States)
Special Guest: Phil Tippett
Presented with the financial support of the Daniel Langlois Foundation for Art, Science and Technology.
➤ Saturday, September 21 at 7 p.m (Presentation in English)
Masterclass: Behind the scenes of the independent video game Vokabulantis (Aarhus, Denmark)
Special Guest: Johan Oettinger
➤ Saturday, September 21 at 4:30 p.m. (Presentation in English)
PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOPS
*September 16 to 19
*Registration required : info@stopmotionmontreal.com | More information at stopmotionmontreal.com
Puppet fabrication – “Stop Motion on a Shoestring”
With Mary Murphy, senior lecturer at the Department of Art and Design of the University of the West of England and puppet fabricator (Bristol, United Kingdom)
Group 1: September 16 and 17 from 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m | Group 2: September 18 and 19 from 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m
At the Maison internationale des arts de la marionnette (Outremont) | Workshop in English
Character animation
With Peggy Arel, animator
Group 1: September 16 and 17 from 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m | Group 2: September 18 and 19 from 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m
At the Maison internationale des arts de la marionnette (Outremont) | Workshop in English
In-camera effects; combining live action and stop motion
With artistic director Salman Sajun and animator Anna Berezowsky from Salman Sajun Studio
Group 1: September 17 from 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m | Group 2: September 18 from 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m
At Salman Sajun Studio (Saint-Henri) | Workshop in English
OTHER ACTIVITIES
Gaming and Virtual Reality Zone
The Festival is pleased to offer a virtual reality garden for a second consecutive edition, highlighting recent and rare stop motion works created using this relatively new and evolving art form. A new addition to the Festival this year; try your hand at independent video games created using frame-by-frame techniques from paper cut-outs and puppets to modeling clay and more, in our stop motion gaming zone! Our brand-new play area, specially created for this edition, showcases the creativity of animators who have gone beyond the usual boundaries of animated filmmaking and enabled us to appreciate our beloved form of animation in a different medium.
Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams and Monsters by Alexandre Poncet and Gilles Penso
Documentary, Canadian premiere. 85 min. In its original English version.
Enjoying unlimited access to Tippett Studio’s collections and archives, this documentary looks at Phil Tippett’s legacy, from his collaboration with George Lucas, Steven Spielberg and Paul Verhoeven to more personal works such as Prehistoric Beast and Mad God.
➤ Friday, September 20 at 9 p.m at Concordia University’s J.A. De Sève Theatre as well as at Cinéma Moderne on Saturday, September 21 at 3:00 p.m.
Stop motion animation workshops
Free stop motion workshops are offered for all ages during the Festival with our hands-on animation stations. These activities allow to discover the basics of frame-by-frame filmmaking under the supervision of local animators, or to perfect your skills with the expertise of the on-site staff who will be happy to answer any questions and help with your creative goals. All participants will have the chance to experiment for an average of 20 minutes, or longer, depending on the volume of participants at time of arrival.
TICKETING
- Adults: $ 10.44+tx per screening1
- Children (12 y.o. and younger) : $ 5.22$+tx per screening
- VIP Pass – Regular Rate – $ 70+tx
- VIP Pass – Student Rate – $ 65+tx
- VIP Pass – PRO (Unique price) $ 120+tx
*Additional charge for online purchases
1With the exception of Phil Tippett’s Mad God masterclass and screening at $20 + tx, as well as for the documentary Phil Tippett: Mad Dreams and Monsters and the Sunday night professional film competition which will be sold at $13.05 + tx