Leeds Young Film Festival announces animation & digital focus for 2016 edition
Skwigly
- 10,000 expected to attended country’s biggest family film event
- Top British animation talent will run new Animation Central programme, with workshops from Clangers, Bob the BuilderTM, Peppa Pig, and Mr Bean artists
- Digital workshops utilising platforms including Google Cardboard and Blender mark first UK festival event of its kind for young people
- Festival to partner with BAFTA Kids and ASIFA
- Opening preview of Zootropolis and closing preview of Selma Hayek-produced compilation The Prophet announced with segment director Tomm Moore (Song of the Sea) Skype Q&A
Leeds Young Film Festival (LYFF) has revealed the full programme for its 17th edition including headline event Animation Central: a new programme of animation and digital storytelling activity for young people, and the inaugural Children’s Cinema Day on Easter Sunday 27th March.
Running from 24th-31st March, an expected audience of 10,000 will attend what is now the biggest family film event in England. New for 2016 is the Arts Council funded Animation Central, a four-day programme of hands-on activity for young people aged 5-19 which forms the UK’s only dedicated event for young people and their families to create animation and digital projects using the latest technology, led by world class experts in the fields of animation and digital.
The event sees Carriageworks Theatre repurposed as a multi-room creation space with a packed schedule of workshops and screenings. Leading talent in UK animation are set to attend with featured talks and workshops including Stuart Evans, director of Bob the Builder, animator and writer of Mr Bean Alex Collier, and Clangers animator John Ashton. Attendees will have the chance to learn directly from top UK talent with animation workshop leaders including Paul Couvela (Pingu, Noddy, Chuggington, Postman Pat), and voice actor Sarah Ann Kennedy, voice of Mrs Rabbit in the phenomenon that is Peppa Pig. LYFF continues their partnership with BAFTA Kids who will present a preview event of Adventure Time with a UK exclusive screening of three brand new episodes. Situating digital alongside animation for the first time, hands-on opportunities include workshops utilising Google Cardboard VR, Minecraft, 3D modelling with the open source Blender platform, offering digital storytelling and creation skills to young people for the first time.
The programme has been co-curated by animator David Bunting, whose credits include Thunderbirds, The Tigger Movie, Shaun the Sheep and Bob the Builder. David will lead on LYFF’s 24-hour Animation Challenge which marks the Festival’s first partnership with ASIFA: Association Internationale du Film d’Animation. Founded in 1960 with Norman Mclaren as the organisation’s first president, ASIFA now has more than 30 worldwide chapters. Joining workshops around the world, aspiring animators aged 11-15 will create a 2-minute sequence around the theme of Metamorphasis. A 2 Day Composing Workshop led by composer David Dunn-Birch will see young musicians create a music score for the animated film using professional software and techniques. The film will premiere at the 16th International Animation Festival in Hiroshima in August. LYFF is now seeking applications from young people aged 11-15 to participate in either workshop: please email leedsyoungfilm@gmail.com for full details.
Another first for the 2016 edition of LYFF is Children’s Cinema Day, taking place on Easter Sunday 27th March. Young people and their families are invited to participate in a shared viewing experience on social media, viewing a film they have never seen before whether that is online, on their phone or tablet, or at the cinema. Viewers are encouraged to tweet or Instagram a picture of themselves watching their chosen film with a three word review to @leedsyoungfilm using #cinemaday. Entries will be featured on www.leedsyoungfilm.com and participants will be in with a chance of winning a prize for the best picture and the best review.
LYFF is keen to partner with exhibitors across the country on Children’s Cinema Day, and is actively seeking cinema screenings to promote which target young people on Sunday 27th March. Interested exhibitors can tag their listings with #cinemaday, and should contact leedsyoungfilm@gmail.com for further information and support on participating.
Alongside the expanded programme, the Festival will present the very best in new and classic cinema from around the world for young people, with films from 60 different countries, including an opening night preview of Disney’s Zootropolis at the 900 person capacity Leeds Town Hall, and a closing Yorkshire Premiere of Selma Hayek-produced The Prophet at the Hyde Park Picture House, the city’s iconic Edwardian cinema which will feature a whole week of films. Based on the popular poem anthology, selling 100 million copies worldwide, the anticipated anthology film from Lion King director Roger Allers will screen on Thursday 31st March with a live Skype Q&A from segment director Tomm Moore, Oscar-nominated in 2015 for both Secret of the Kells and Song of the Sea.
Debbie Martin, Director of Leeds Young Film Festival said:
This year’s Leeds Young Film Festival is our most ambitious event yet, sharing the wonders of film and animation with young people of all ages, from our screenings of films from across the world to our innovative new programme Animation Central. We are delighted to be supported by both the British Film Institute and Arts Council England this year, showing that the development of skills in animation is essential alongside the chance to celebrate the amazing work of top British talent with the next generation.
The full Leeds Young Film Festival 2016 programme plus tickets and workshop booking are available now at www.leedsyoungfilm.com.