There is so much animation at the Edinburgh International Film Festival this year!
There's my programming remit which focuses on short-form animation with 45 short titles spread across the McLaren Award 1 & 2, International Animation, Red White & Blue Animation and Polish Shorts: Perspectives screenings.
On top of that, we have a focus on René Laloux within senior programmer Niall Greig Fulton’s #TheFutureIsHistory retrospective. There’s been a lots of interest to see René Laloux’s Fantastic Planet tonight, and Gandahar, with tickets already selling well.
We also have other animated features receiving their UK Premiere.
The sold out Cars 3 screened yesterday, but you can still get tickets for My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea in the American Dreams strand. From Japan we presented In This Corner of the World, which has just picked up the Jury Award for Feature Film at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Talking of Japan, the animation director on the seminal cult Anime film Akira (1988) Takashi Nakamura has directed his own CGI short film, which we are screening in International Animation on the 27th June. Due to the generosity of Scotland Loves Anime, Nakamura will be here for his screening and will be participating in a special BAFTA Scotland event that evening, for EIFF Passholders only.
Other guests will include Scott Morse, Head of Story for Pixar, who is due to give an inspirational presentation for those lucky 15-25 year olds signed up for the Youth Hub. The Youth Hub also plays host to Steve McDermott, a VFX animator who has worked on Mulan, Lilo & Stitch, and The Emperor's New Groove.
Open for all is our annual Animator’s Walk over Arthur’s Seat on the 29th of June, where you can rub shoulders with our visiting animation talent – pending good weather and hangovers on the day!
I’m also particularly excited to see a specially made animation celebrating the distinguished guests who have visited our Festival over its 70 year history which will pop up at various events. I wonder who did that…?
Iain Gardner,
Animation Programmer