STUDENT SCREENINGS, CLASSICS ON THE BIG SCREEN and much more...

Hi ,

Welcome to our first LOS ANGELES ANIMATION FESTIVAL Newsletter. Every month we’ll be covering LAAF projects, updates on past winners, the state of student animation, special screenings and most things (and much more) you’ll need to know leading up to LAAF 2024, Dec 7-8.

So without further ado, on with the show…

 STUDENT SCREENINGS RECAP 

CalArts Character Animation Show - Geffen Theater, Motion Picture Academy

Happy June, animation filmmakers and film lovers. 

May was the month when all the film school animation programs presented student work in end of the year screenings. Up to the last minute, filmmakers scramble to get it all done! Over the course of the month we saw a number of shows. 

First came the CalArts Character Animation show in the Geffen Theater at the Motion Picture Academy Museum, a great selection out of the many films produced this past year. We can’t help loving Ofre Sparrow Vaknin’s GIRLS IN REAL LIFE SITUATIONS. But it’s just one of many great films that can be seen by all at the CalArts Character Animation Channel on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/@CalArtsCharAnim

Ofre Sparrow Vaknin’s Girls in Real Life Situations

Next was the CalArts Experimental Animation program screening at the REDCAT (Roy and Edna Disney Cal Arts Theater) in Disney Hall. We’d like to brag that one of the highlights was Rika Nakayama’s UNDER A SHOOTING CONTRAIL which was the winner of LAAF's Best of the Fest in 2022.

Rika just finished her third year of the Masters program.

A highlight for lovers of the “sick and twisted” was third year undergraduate Jonah Linz’s MEET THE JONNYS. 

Rika Nakayama’s Under a Shooting Contrail

We also saw the promising work of Greg Garay’s class Production One from the USC Expanded Animation Program. Professor Garay is a wonderful filmmaker himself and LAAF co-director John Andrews had the pleasure of working with him on recent festival favorite A COW IN THE SKY for which Greg served as designer and animation director and Andrews was the animation executive producer. It played Whoopi Goldberg’s Animation Showcase at the 2023 Trivia Film Festival and recently won Best Animated Film at the Harlem International Film Festival.

LAAF Co-founder John Andrews and Greg Garay at 2023 Tribeca Festival

Cal State Long Beach’s screening event in DTLA was introduced by filmmaker and professor Aubrey Mintz. We were glad to see these inventive films presented in a convenient downtown LA location where commissioners and animation producers could easily attend.

Next up was the thesis film screenings of students from the Animation and Visual Effects program at Chapman University. The show was introduced by program head Ruth Daly and featured a wonderful array of well-constructed films with high production values. In attendance at the packed house was renowned director and retired head of the program Bill Kroyer and his wife and partner Sue. Many of the filmmakers had parents and siblings in the audience, creating a wonderful, almost graduation-like atmosphere.

Chapman filmmakers Q&A

We also saw the work of USC's Expanded Animation Graduation program. This was the first screening of this new Masters program and the work of these directors showed a tremendous maturity, indicative of the vision of its director Kathy Smith and its faculty including long-time friends of LAAF professors Sheila Sofian and Lisa Mann. A favorite selection was Tianyun Lyu's film WILD ANIMAL The after-screening reception sponsored by Sony was a bountiful feast of food and drink. This screening wins best food of 2024 in our book.

Tianyun Lyu's film Wild Animal

Thanks for reading and good luck with school, life and your careers at every stage.

 BIG SCREEN ROUND UP - LOS ANGELES 

LA has so many great cinemas and a constant flow of repertory screenings that we thought we should highlight some of the best every month. Here are four great animated classics that are playing throughout June on the BIG SCREEN. Click on the artwork for full details.

 LAAF FILM DISTRIBUTION 

We firmly believe in all our festival entrants and winners. So much so that we began a film distribution arm of LAAF - releasing shorts and features on Blu-ray, DVD, Theatrically and Streaming.

This month let's celebrate past LAAF winners with our special compilation THE BEST OF LAAF: VOL ONE. Currently streaming for FREE on TUBI. Catch it while you can. Click on the image below to watch. Your viewing supports everything we do at LAAF.

 ENTER LAAF 2024 NOW 

Don't forget to enter your films to LAAF 2024 (Dec 7-8) at filmfreeway.com. You can expect a festival with great screenings, a super cool Awards Night and unique panels (like the cartoon voice talent panel we had in 2023). This year’s festival is once again in Hollywood, at the former Jaxx Theater, now newly renovated and reopened as The Eastwood Performing Arts Center, 1089 N. Oxford St., Los Angeles, CA 90029.

ENTER Your Film Here!

 SPONSORS/AD BANNERS 

Email for ad. rates. And check out the outstanding Iranian Anime Epic THE LAST FICTION on TUBI (Distributed through LAAF).

 AND FINALLY... 

That's it for now. Not too bad for our first newsletter. We've been meaning to put together a monthly newsletter for a long time now, so glad we finally got round to it. Hope you found it as fun and entertaining as we did.

Speak to you all in July.

If you have any feedback or questions, just reach out.

Cheers,

John and Miles

Festival Founders/Directors

laafest.com

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