{"id":542,"date":"2020-06-24T09:01:55","date_gmt":"2020-06-24T08:01:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/?p=542"},"modified":"2020-06-24T21:47:39","modified_gmt":"2020-06-24T20:47:39","slug":"annecy-festival-2020-my-best-of-the-fest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/blog\/annecy-festival-2020-my-best-of-the-fest\/","title":{"rendered":"Annecy festival 2020 &#8211; My Best of the Fest"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Going to a short-film festival in a new city is one of my favourite things: it\u2019s the most efficient mind-broadening experience I\u2019ve found. (I previously wrote about that in the context of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/blog\/anilogue-in-budapest-2018-my-best-of-the-fest-and-the-city\/\">Anilogue film festival in Budapest<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With the world in lockdown, the annual festival of animation at Annecy pivoted to take place <a href=\"https:\/\/online.annecy.org\/\">entirely online<\/a>. On the one hand, this removes the joy of travel-based adventures \u2013 staying in a new place, eating different food, navigating a new public transport system and so on. On the other hand, free from the constraints of scheduling, the scope to consume an incredible range of animations in a short space of time is huge!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-overview-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><figcaption>One part of the full Annecy online offering<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The offer of \u20ac15 for access to all of this content from 15<sup>th<\/sup>-30<sup>th<\/sup> June 2020 is a <a href=\"https:\/\/online.annecy.org\/\">great deal<\/a>. Writing this on the 20<sup>th<\/sup>, I\u2019ve already consumed over 24+ hours of it. Here\u2019s the highlights of what I\u2019ve seen so far, split into three categories for the shorts (Story, Personal, and Abstract) and then the features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-Maestro-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>But first, a sublime highlight from the \u2018best of 2019\u2019 selection: Maestro, also known more prosaically as \u201cOpera sung by animals\u201d. Two minutes of exactly that; perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-vimeo\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/378325262\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3>Undone: The Hospital<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-Undone-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Computer-assisted rotoscoping could be viewed as a form of \u2018cheating\u2019 in animation, but what really matters is what you do with it. In <em>Undone<\/em> things start out fairly simple, but once the mind-bending segues and loops start up, the medium really comes into its own. We got to see the first episode, which ended as many such shorts do with a tantalising choice. Unlike other shorts, Undone has 7 more episodes to explore that choice, although it unfortunately requires Amazon Prime to view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you like films about the nature of reality but don\u2019t like supporting a monopolistic digital behemoth, this leaves you in a tough spot. I\u2019m adding it to my list of such content to attempt to binge in the course of a free trial at some point in the future!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trailer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/6uWCNHQgfnc?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>L&#8217;Odyss\u00e9e de Choum<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-Chooom-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Superficially similar to rotoscoping, I\u2019ve seen ever-more impressive animations that appear to take CG as a base, and then through a combination of textures, filters, and techniques beyond my understanding, render each frame as if it were lovingly painted for a picture-book of some sort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This seems to be the method in L&#8217;Odyss\u00e9e de Choum, possibly hybridised with more traditional 2D animation \u2013 it\u2019s delightfully hard to be sure. Perfect if you like nice stories about animals with a beautiful aesthetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trailer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vWP9orbO8vI?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>The Zillas have a picnic<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-zillas-bubble-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At the shorter end of the spectrum, Christian Schmidt gets some excellent mileage out of the image of cute roaring kaiju with a translation in a speech bubble. Would be perfect without the uncomfortable moment of horribly-suffering-animal-as-humour near the end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Rebooted<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-Rebooted-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;Rebooted&#8221; by Michael Shanks is a fun and affectionate homage to the techniques of animation in film through the decades. Although it mostly revels in putting stop-motion in a live-action setting, it\u2019s fun (and much rarer) to see cel animation in that context! Happily you can watch the whole thing right here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1Rkn6rnsgc4?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Personal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A category for animations that are the singular idiosyncratic vision of one person, or at least feel that way to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Genius Loci<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-Genius-Loci-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>My favourite kind of short film to discover &#8211; really beautiful painterly animation, sliding between representation, abstraction and metaphor, with an empathetic core that leaves a lasting impression. I felt like the entry price of the festival was worth it for this 16-minute film alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trailer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MlEh9zsbaj0?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>Sweet Night<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-Nuit-Cherie-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Lia Bertel&#8217;s <em>Sweet Night<\/em> is a beautifully transportive animation: a cerulean, warm-feeling night, the howls of a yeti(?) in the distance, and animal companionship on a dream-like journey. The animation is not as showy as some others in this list, but it excels in that essential aspect of the form: the perfect combination of pictures and sound to create a strong, fascinating impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trailer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EYItRn2WmlA?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>Something to Remember<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-Something-to-Remember-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>An animation by Niki Lindroth von Bahr that feels like a strange, vaguely disturbing dream: animals in slightly disconcerting settings sing some sort of lullaby (presumably in Swedish?). Reminds me of the kind of strange thing I might happen upon on Channel 4 late at night in the 90\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trailer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WdsrZqId8IE?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>My Galactic Twin Galaction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-Galaction-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the ways a personal animation can convey a distinctive \u2018voice\u2019 is with a\u2026 distinctive voice. That\u2019s what works for <em>My Galactic Twin Galaction<\/em> by Sasha Svirsky, starring Sasha Svirsky. Rather than tell a story, it\u2019s more like an animated stream-of-consciousness thought-process on how an animation might go. The (I guess) na\u00efve animation style would usually be off-putting, but actually fits well with the idea. The trailer just shows the part in which Svirsky suddenly gets excited about being called upon to fight evil forces and starts singing about it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4rZI3q5eRjU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>Midnight Gospel: Mouse of Silver<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-Midnight-Gospel-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It turns out this is a whole 8-episode series <a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/80987903\">available on Netflix right now<\/a>, and it makes me very disappointed that their algorithm only seems interested in repeatedly putting the same anime and genre B-movies in front of me every time I browse it, when there must be all sorts of amazing stuff like this hidden in their catalogue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pendleton Ward (creator of <em>Adventure Time<\/em>) teams up with Duncan Trussell (who I only knew as the guy who told the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3gOR91oentQ\">story of Tesla vs. Edison while drunk<\/a>) to produce a\u2026 er\u2026 very hard to describe, amazing thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The format of the series seems to be that they take one of Trussell\u2019s podcast interviews from the past decade, then with some deft editing and in some cases bringing back the interviewee for some scripted lines, weave it into a sort of trippy universe-hopping animation filled with ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The festival showed the episode \u201cMouse of Silver\u201d, which from what I\u2019ve seen so far is probably the most affecting, concerning as it does an incredibly personal interview of Trussell\u2019s mother Deneen Fendig, when they both know she is close to death after a long battle with cancer. Perhaps that sounds depressing, but it is deeply moving to hear Fendig and Trussell discussing her mindful approach to life, while facing death with clarity, lightness and humour \u2013 all while a surreal range of (I assume) Ward\u2019s animation ideas take place as part of the discussion in their own right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can get a slight flavour of the thing from this teaser, but it doesn\u2019t really do it justice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/kQJQ3i9HafY?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>Abstract<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3>4:3 by Ross Hogg<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I do enjoy a nice synaesthetic abstract animation; <em>4:3<\/em> by Ross Hogg gets there with treated film and a playful approach, and you can watch it in full here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-vimeo wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-vimeo wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"embed-vimeo\" style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/407060700\" width=\"474\" height=\"267\" frameborder=\"0\" webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>A similar technique (I suspect), but a looser connection to the music, was used in Jodie Mack&#8217;s 2008 animation to Four Tet&#8217;s &#8220;A Joy&#8221;:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ckZitHl4P_0?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>Dune<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-Dune-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The excellently curated <a href=\"https:\/\/www.edfilmfest.org.uk\/index.php\/strands\/black-box\">Black Box strand<\/a> at the Edinburgh Film Festival was my introduction to purely abstract film. The Annecy equivalent is the \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/online.annecy.org\/product\/off-limits\">off limits<\/a>\u2019 selection, and G\u00e1bor Ulrich\u2019s <em>Dune<\/em> is a great example of this kind of thing \u2013 a top-down view of what appears to be animated white-on-black dune grass, blowing in strange hypnotic patterns in the wind, with a slightly unnerving soundtrack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This does not appear to be viewable anywhere even in part. However, many of the animators made videos introducing\/discussing their work for the festival, and Ulrich\u2019s version perfectly matched the tone of the work:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WCmIHKidZ_w?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>A Mind Sang \/ A M\u00e3e De Sangue<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-A-Mind-Sang-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The optical illusion of an ambigious image is a very old idea; I haven\u2019t seen a serious attempt to explore that idea in an animated form before though. Vier Nev tries out all sorts of ideas in this short film, and while not all are successful, some are really impressive. You can get a taste of it from the trailer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fqYFKbEKKgU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1>Feature-length animations<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h3>True North<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-True-North-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Animation can be used to cover some very difficult topics, portraying uncomfortable scenes with the slight remove from reality that the animated form affords.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using a form of CG that appears to be inspired by stop-motion models, <em>True North<\/em> tells a story inspired by testimonies from survivors of North Korea\u2019s political prison camps, and would be a very hard watch indeed were it told using live action. Nonetheless it conveys the harsh reality, taking place right now, in a way that the occasionally glimpsed newspaper headline can barely begin to evoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More information: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.truenorth.watch\/\">https:\/\/www.truenorth.watch\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/z341tVVrsmY?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>Ginger\u2019s Tale<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-Gingers-Tale-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Traditional 2D animation is now very rarely seen at feature length, so it\u2019s always lovely to see something pop up. A Russian production, <em>Ginger\u2019s Tale<\/em> has some fun and distinctive character designs animated beautifully. That said, the storytelling is rather flawed, and feels like it needed a few more drafts: some (important) characters are rather too thinly drawn, and the plot takes some fairly abrupt turns that aren\u2019t really driven by believable character choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also a musical! In the Annecy \u2018masterclass\u2019 session, John Clements and Ron Musker (directors of <em>The Little Mermaid<\/em>, <em>Aladdin<\/em> and <em>Moana<\/em> among others) shared something they were taught: if you can take a song out of the movie and the story still makes sense, then the song isn\u2019t doing what it should. Unfortunately, that is rather the case with the songs in <em>Ginger\u2019s Tale<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I can\u2019t be too down on it though \u2013 as a fan of 2D animation, it was genuinely a joy to watch, and has a memorably plucky and energetic female protagonist in the form of Ginger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>More information: <a href=\"https:\/\/ogonekfilm.ru\/en\/\">https:\/\/ogonekfilm.ru\/en\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trailer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8bZOEVLlq1I?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3>Lava<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img src=\"http:\/\/mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/images\/Annecy-Lava-800.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Like the shorts listed in the \u2018personal\u2019 section above, <em>Lava<\/em> is the singular vision of Argentinian Ayar Blasco. A sub-genre I have a soft-spot for is \u201cspecific and unusual profession saves the world\u201d (made famous by the Dan Brown\u2019s novels in which the world is saved and\/or mysteries solved by a professor of history and art); in the case of <em>Lava<\/em>, it falls to Tattoo artists to save the world from a fascinatingly off-kilter global threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A consistently engaging watch, it is only really undermined by a (mercifully somewhat brief) crass racial caricature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Trailer:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe class='youtube-player' width='474' height='267' src='https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/OX1ZXj2Qqt0?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;fs=1&#038;autohide=2&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;wmode=transparent' allowfullscreen='true' style='border:0;'><\/iframe><\/span>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1>Wrapping up<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p>One thread that came through in several of the masterclasses and discussions was that this is actually a kind of new golden age for animation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Through the internet and digital tools, animation has never been so accessible<\/li><li>The content wars in streaming services are leading to all sorts of new animation being commissioned \u2013 especially now Disney has taken their huge archive over to their own platform<\/li><li>With the world in lockdown, animation seems to be the best-placed form of video that can carry on being produced almost unhindered!<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m very excited to be able to follow up on the work of some of the artists listed above, and am very grateful to the Annecy festival organisers for the remarkably fast and effective work involved in putting a festival online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><em>&nbsp;Tim Mannveille tweets as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/metatim\">@metatim<\/a>&nbsp;and also wrote about <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/blog\/anilogue-in-budapest-2018-my-best-of-the-fest-and-the-city\/\">Anilogue 2018<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/blog\/idfa-amsterdam-2016-my-best-of-the-fest\/\">IDFA 2016<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/blog\/tricky-women-2011\/\">Tricky Women 2011<\/a>.<\/em><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Going to a short-film festival in a new city is one of my favourite things: it\u2019s the most efficient mind-broadening experience I\u2019ve found. (I previously wrote about that in the context of the Anilogue film festival in Budapest). With the world in lockdown, the annual festival of animation at Annecy pivoted to take place entirely &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/blog\/annecy-festival-2020-my-best-of-the-fest\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Annecy festival 2020 &#8211; My Best of the Fest<\/span> <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[47,62,53,73],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4ie0C-8K","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=542"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":549,"href":"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542\/revisions\/549"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mannveille.com\/tim\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}