The Animation is Film Festival returned to host its 8th annual celebration of all things animation. The three day festival (October 17–19) hosted numerous sold out screenings, premieres and programs at the TCL Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood. This is a festival we look forward to every year and the line up did not disappoint!
The opening night red carpet kicked off the festivities with the return of director Mamoru Hosoda and the North American premiere of his new film Scarlet. When asked about what it means to be back at AiFF Hosoda said, “I am very honored and flattered to be here…There are very few festivals that treat animation with the type of prestige that Animation is Film does.”
Another highlight of the event included the world premiere of LAIKA’s new short Paranoman: The Thrifting along with the newly remastered 3D presentation of Paranorman for its thirteen anniversary.
The Animation is Film Festival also hosted the West Coast Premiere of Chainsaw Man: The Movie – Reze Arc from Sony Pictures Entertainment. All attendees received their own Pochita and a Pochita mascot walked the red carpet with cosplayer fans joining in for photos before the film.
Lucky for us, we spoke with Ryan Colt Levy, the English voice of Denji, on our recent episode of Nighttime at the Nerd Bar.
Additionally, we also spoke with the director of ARCO, Ugo Bienvenu, whose film was awarded the Audience Award. “This imaginative, inventive and tender time-travel adventure, which weaves together themes of friendship, collective memory, and the forces of a shifting planet, resonated strongly with the AIF audience.”
Check out the rest of our festival interviews.
More about AiFF
ANIMATION IS FILM (AIF) is a world-class animation festival on par with major events in Europe and Asia, and based in the world capital of filmmaking — Los Angeles. By embracing the highest aspirations of animation as a cinematic art form, AIF is an international advocate for filmmakers from around the world who push the boundaries of their work to the fullest range of the medium’s artistic expression. Now in its eighth edition, AIF is produced by GKIDS in partnership with the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival.
Industry Partners included ASIFA-Hollywood, Crunchyroll, DreamWorks Animation, ELMA, LAIKA, Locksmith Animation, Netflix, Nickelodeon, Paramount Animation, Pixar Animation Studios, Shout! Studios, Sony Pictures Animation, UniFrance, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, and WIA.
See more at AnimationIsFilm.com.
— Kari Lane