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Cinefamily’s Animation Breakdown 2011 will open Thursday night with three screenings of the new short by Don Hertzfeldt, who some people refer to as the David Lynch of animation. Screenings begin at 7:30pm, 10:15pm and . The short, It’s Such a Beautiful Day, is the third and final installment of a three-part series that started with the much-lauded and award-winning Everything Will be OK. The entire trilogy wil be shown in its entirety.
It’s Such A Beautiful Day is [his] longest and most ambitious piece to date, the 23-minute conclusion to his “Bill Trilogy”. [It] has been nearly two years in the making — blending traditional animation, experimental optical effects, trick photography, and new digital hyrbids printed out one frame at a time, captured entirely on an antique 35mm animation stand (one of the last remaining cameras of its kind left in America!) In addition to a selection of Don’s classic shorts, the entire Bill Trilogy will be screened together for the first time in Los Angeles via new 35mm prints, immediately followed by a live on-stage interview and audience chat with Don!
Known for his simplified stick figures, dark humor, gore, goofy voices, non-sequiters, audio loops and choice of subject (“My anus is bleeding!”), Hertzfeldt’s animation is credited with influencing animators of the 2000s, particularly Adult Swim. The stylistic influence can clearly be seen in his flying pig character.
The Bill Trilogy is a takeoff from the intensity of many of the other shorts, reflecting on the ennui of everyday activities. “Before he knew it, Bill had eaten the entire box of crackers.” Surrealism slowly creeps into dreams and random observations “The guy at the bus stop had the head of a cow, but Bill pretended not to notice.”
Cinefamily is co-presenting the six-day Animation Breakdown with Cartoon Brew and Animation Block Party. Other exciting animation events include claymation artist and Frank Zappa collaborator (Baby Snakes, A Token of His Extreme concert video) Bruce Bickford, and a 35mm retrospective of Polish animation. I know, Polish animation may not immediately sound like a must-do event, but they are some of the best animators out there. Cinefamily will also be hosting parties, a brunch with LA animators, autograph signings, and a gallery show at Synchronicity Space.
The opening event tonight at Synchronicity Space on Heliotrope is open to the public. An all-festival pass starts at $90 with individual screenings a steal at around $12.
