On the Workbench

The Brothers Quay film “Maska” was one of the highlights of Animated Films in Competition last night at the Ann Arbor Film Festival. This film was the dark apex of a beautifully curated selection of animation, some of the best I’ve ever seen. An adaptation of a story by Stanislaw Lem, a Polish science fiction writer, Maska addresses cybernetics in a feudal word. It is a dark fairy tale and terrifying story of technology. The lighting and puppets were amazing! Here is the teaser.

After the screening there was a interesting question and answer session.

To my left is Bryan Boyce, creater of Walt Disney’s “Taxi Driver”, a hilarious mash-up of Scorsese’s film and Disney movies. To my right; Meejin  Hong, creator of Soil ( I loved the surface in this ), Juan Camilo Gonzolez, who’s film SISISISISISISISISISISI worked with cycles in four quadrants, building on sucessive drawings. Tianran Duan, creator of In Between Shadows, who’s work reminded me of the pinscreen animation of Alexandre Alexeieff; Shadows and light move slowly across a structure. To my far right is Ben Popp from Portland. His film Lázslo Lassú uses primitive looking black and white cut out images which marry beutifuklly to the Balkan folk music of Hawk and a Hacksaw.

This week, I’m giving my sore hands a break and attending the Ann Arbor Film Festival, one of the longest running events focusing on underground and experimental film and video.

The Michigan Theater, where the screenings take place features a lovingly preserved theater organ. Music starts 20 minutes before the screening, as the lights go down, the organ slowly lowers into the orchestra pit! An added bonus, there are a couple of really interesting installations in the theater lobby including a very cool pedal-powered Zoetrope By Jodie Mack.

Tonight, my film Secret Bee will be part of the animation competition along with films by the Brothers Quay and Steven Woloshen.