online catalogueCrazy Techniques

Crazy Techniques in Czech Animation II.

různí / various | 66 min

Also our showcase refl ecting the newer work by Czech animators who didn't settle for traditional techniques and materials, deliberately focuses on less known films. But we can still see some names that ring a bell.

The Water of Freshness
Director Zdeněk Smetana, Czechoslovakia, 1966, 14 min

The Backbiters
Director Josef Kluge, Czechoslovakia, 1967, 3 min

White Dreams
Director Blanka šperková, Czechoslovakia, 1987, 9 min

The Shooting Gallery
Director Miroslav Štěpánek, Czechoslovakia, 1969, 5 min

April Fools Day
Director Jana Olexová, Czechoslovakia, 1965, 3 min

The Clayman
Director Jaroslav Zahradník, Czechoslovakia, 1972, 4 min

A Ballad about Green Wood
Director Jiří Barta, Czechoslovakia, 1983, 10 min

Bloodthirsty Hugo – an Eastern
Director Aurel Klimt, Czech Republic, 1997, 5 min

Gilgamesh
Director Pavel Aujezský, Czechoslovakia, 1987, 13 min

Endless Possibilities of Animation I.

různí / various | 74 min

This programme brings you a preview of unusual animation techniques that have played their role in the history of animation. It was during the first decades of the 20th century that filmmakers were coming up with new innovative methods. For example the bizarre idea of animating a screen with tens of thousands of pins in it originates from the 1930s. And even though this programme focuses on films made from the 1980s until now, this rare, almost hundred-year-old technique, is represented by Canadian animator Jacques Drouin. Also the technique of animation without a camera – by scratching directly into the film stock – is quite old. Atypical techniques are often used by prominent authors (Will Vinton, Regina Pessoa and from our country e.g. Jan Švankmajer). The ideas of innovative animators often cross boundaries of traditional materials so you will have a chance to see sand animation, snow animation, two-dimensional claymation and a film shot using flipbooks.

Polska kronika non-camerowa nr. 6, 1983. Wydanie B
Director Julian Antonisz, Poland, 1983, 10 min

Traverser
Director Hugo Frassetto, France, 2009, 5 min

Tragic Story with Happy Ending
Director Regina Pessoa, Portugal, 2007, 8 min

Bitzbutz
Director Gil Alkabetz, Israel, 1984, 3 min

The Black Dog’s Progress
Director Stephen Irwin, UK, 2008, 3 min

The Great Cognito
Director Will Vinton, USA, 1983, 4 min

The End
Director Ülo Pikkov, Estonia, 2013, 6 min

The Landscape Painter
Director Jacques Drouin, Canada, 1976, 8 min

Bottle
Director Kirsten Lepore, USA, 2011, 5 min

Johann Sebastian Bach: Fantasia G-moll
Director Jan Švankmajer, Czechoslovakia, 1965, 9 min

G-AAAH
Director Elisabeth Hobbs, UK, 2016, 2 min

Fast Film
Director Virgil Widrich, Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, France, 2003, 13 min

Endless Possibilities of Animation II.

různí / various | 79 min

Our programme Endless Possibilities of Animation II. builds up on its first part but it focuses on more contemporary filmmakers and films. Some non-traditional techniques are still used until this day – a successor to the classic pinscreen animation of Jacques Drouin is his student Michèle Lemieux who is keeping the tradition of this demanding technique alive. Another not so typical animation type, which is close to live action, is rotoscoping. A live actor is also used in pixilation. Currently, we can see a new trend in the world of animation – light animation – that enables the authors to simulate not only movement, but also create an impressive spectacle. Another unique technique is puppet animation, which in combination with drawing merges with the background in the internationally acclaimed Czech film The Bigger Picture. The programme will also introduce photograph
animation by the Austrian experimenter Nikki Schuster and the method of time-lapse animation of sugar water.

In the Frame / Im Rahmen
Director Evgenia Gostrer, Germany, 2013, 5 min

Some Actions Which Haven't Been Defined Yet in the Revolution
Director Sun Xun, China, 2011, 12 min

Videogame / Videogioco
Director Donato Sansone, Italy, 2010, 2 min

Ms Stubnitz
Director Nikki Schuster, Austria, 2015, 5 min

When I Was a Child
Director Maryam Kashkoolinia, Iran, 2014, 8 min

Ink Eraser
Director Veronika Schubert, Austria, 2009, 4 min

Track
Director Takeshi Nagata, Kazue Monno, Japan, 2015, 4 min

Squame
Director Nicolas Brault, Canada, 2015, 4 min

Dialogue
Director Judith Poirier, Canada, 2008, 4 min

Out on a Limb
Director Falk Schuster, Germany, 2011, 5 min

The Bigger Picture
Director Daisy Jacobs, UK, 2014, 8 min

Oren Lavie: Her Morning Elegance
Director Oren Lavie, Yuval, Merav Nathan, Israel, 2007, 4 min

Here and the Great Elsewhere
Director Michèle Lemieux, Canada, 2012, 14 min

And We Were Young

Andy Smetanka | United States | 2016 | 75 min

The feature debut of American experimenter Andy Smetanka is an utter revelation in the world of contemporary animation. Not only was it shot by a classical Super 8 camera from the Soviet era, but it also connects the “extinct” technique of silhouette stop-motion with the principles of modern animated documentaries. Smetanka has been using silhouette animation since 2004.
And We Were Young is the oral history of American soldiers, ‘Doughboys,’ in the last months of the First World War. The director cut thousands of paper figures and coloured backgrounds and filmed them one frame at a time, over the course of three years, to produce a brutal, hauntingly beautiful, and thoroughly original vision of America’s war, narrated entirely in the words of the ones who were there.
The film is characteristic for its original retro style, well-crafted animation and the touching fates of its protagonists. Black silhouettes illustrate the story in an unexpectedly authentic way and add a touch of tragedy without needless emotions and pathos.

Obsessed with Food and Zoetrope

různí / various | 63 min

Hardly any of the prehistoric and pre-film animation techniques have recently been experiencing a return to grace like the zoetrope system has. If we take into account a number of its predecessors, it dates back more than 5,000 years. It consists of a cylinder, or anything that can be spun, for that matter, with a band with images on its inner surface. If spun at a certain speed and viewed from a certain angle, it produces an illusion of motion. Contemporary animation makes use mainly of a technique using LP records (which are also experiencing a renaissance) and gramophones. But at the same time, the authors are open to new and sophisticated methods such as 3D printing. Another popular “pastime” is creating various “zoetrope cakes” and other eatables. And that brings us to food, which (since the times of Jan Švankmajer) occupies a privileged position in animation.

Zoetropes from the collections of the National Technical Museum Prague
Director uknown, Austria-Hungary, 1 min 

Fresh Guacamole
Director PES, USA, 2013, 2 min 

Octomadness Zoetrope
Director Klaas-Harm de Boer, Netherlands, 2014, 1 min 

Sweet Dreams
Director Kirsten Lepore, USA, 2007, 10 min 

McLean’s Optical Illusions or Magic Panorama
Director uknown, UK, 1833, 4 min 

The Caketrope of Burton’s Team
Director Alexandre Dubosc, France, 2012, 2 min 

Food
Director Siqi Song, China, 2014, 4 min 

Milton Bradley Co. – “Zoetrope Series No. 1”
Director uknown, UK, 1867, 1 min 

Melting Pop
Director Alexandre Dubosc, France, 2015, 1 min 

Game Over
Director PES, USA, 2006, 1 min 37 sec 

Stuck in Groove
Director Klemens Cogler, Austria, 2010, 4 min 

Flavour of the Month
Director Samantha Palmer, UK, 2014, 1 min 

Elif Çağlar: Circus Love
Director Akile Nazli Kaya, Czech Republic, Turkey, 2012, 4 min 

Meat Love
Director Jan Švankmajer, UK, USA, Germany, 1989, 1 min 

Pumpkintrope – A Halloween Zoetrope
Director Picturesmith, UK, 2015, 1 min

Michael Pollan’s Food Rules
Director Marija Jaćimović, Benoit Detalle, Serbia, 2012, 2 min 

Demoni
Director Theodore Ushev, Canada, 2012, 4 min 

Joseph Plateau and Jean-Baptiste Madou – Fantascope
Director uknown, Belgium circa 1835, 1 min 

Western Spagetti
Director PES, USA, 2009, 1 min 42 sec 

Panta Rhei
Director Martin Pertlíček, Czech Republic, 2016, 4 min

Embroidered Zoetrope
Director Elliot Schultz, Australia, 2013, 2 min 

Sourdough Starter
Director Gail Noonan, Canada, 2016, 3 min

One Tough Cookie
Director Veronyka Jelinek, Nizozemí, 2015, 1 min 

Alimation
Director Alexandre Dubosc, France, 2011, 3 min 

Flora
Director Jan Švankmajer, Czechoslovakia, 1989, 30 sec

Toki-ballet
Director Akinori Goto, Japan, 2016, 3 min

New Worlds of Stop-Motion

různí / various | 61 min

In connection with this year’s festival theme, another one of the leitmotifs is the fact that 3D animation may dominate the mainstream cinema, but it is still far from being the main tool in animation. On the contrary, we can observe a return to the roots and traditional techniques which emphasize the physical connection of the animator and the animated material. The filmmakers animate puppets, everyday objects and virtually anything you can (or cannot) imagine – frame after frame in a technique which will quite possibly outlast all technological innovations. However, modern technologies such as available high-quality film equipment, quite paradoxically breathe new life into stop-motion animation and challenge the authors to experiment with unprecedented new things.

Gulp
Director Aardman Studios, UK, 2012, 2 min

But Milk is Important
Director Eirik Grønmo Bjørnsen, Anna Mantzaris, Norway, 2012, 10 min

Shift
Director Max Hattler, Germany, 2012, 3 min

Lavazza Fairy Tale My Way
Director Dodomani Studio, Italy, 2011, 2 min

Dan Sultan: Magnetic
Director Jonathan Chong, Australia, 2016, 4 min

Mend and Make Do
Director Bexie Bush, UK, 2014, 8 min

A Girl Named Elastika
Director Guillaume Blanchet, Canada, 2013, 4 min

Lovestory
Director Anushka Kishani Naanayakkara, UK, 2016, 7 min

Tinamv 1
Director Adnan Popović, Austria 2011, 5 min

Shugo Tokumaru: Katachi
Director Kijek/Adamski, Poland 2013, 3 min

Absent
Director Nikki Schuster, Austria 2015, 7 min

Stick Out
Director Anthony Farquhar-Smith, UK, 2013, 1 min

James: Moving On
Director Ainslie Henderson, UK, 2014, 4 min

Chateau au Go Go
Director Steve Gentile, USA, 2016, 4 min

Teclópolis
Director Javier Mrad, Argentina, 2009, 12 min

Crazy Techniques in Czech Animation I.

různí / various | 66 min

The history of Czech animation is unusually rich in non-traditional materials and animation techniques. Legendary filmmakers such as Karel Zeman, Hermína Týrlová, Jan Švankmajer and Jiří Barta were tireless seekers of new elements.

Inspiration
Director Karel Zeman, Czechoslovakia, 1948, 10 min

Metamorphoses
Director Václav Mergl, Czechoslovakia, 1964, 4 min

Stone and life
Director Garik Seko, Czechoslovakia, 1965, 8 min

A Women, a Rose, a Goblin and Anger
Director Antonín Horák, Czechoslovakia, 1969, 14 min

How They Met at Kolin
Director Břetislav Pojar, Czechoslovakia, 1965, 14 min

Johanes doctor Faust
Director Emil Radok, Czechoslovakia, 1958, 17 min

Analogue Strikes Back: Prejection Apparatus & Return of the Dinosaurs

Jan Kulka, František Týmal | Czech Republic | 90 min

From the beginning, animation was shown “live.” A similar experience, which is not likely to be repeated, awaits visitors of this year’s Anifilm. Jak Kulka and František Týmal will present their unique work and special projection equipment in Třeboň. Kulka’s Prejection Apparatus is a special optical-mechanical projection apparatus created for the purpose of getting our hands on and exploring spheres of film that were hitherto technically unattainable. It is equipped by four lights and optical systems and capable of projecting in a wide spectrum of frequencies that can be combined. Apart from projecting all classical film formats, the prejection apparatus is capable of projecting a wide range of other materials including a roll of bandage, adhesive tape, lace, bubble wrap and more. It opens a treasure chest of unsuspected artistic and animation techniques to be used in filmmaking. Anifilm will also screen a showcase of several prefilm studies and present the apparatus itself with a focus on specific animation techniques. František Týmal will screen two episodes of a prepared trilogy of his hand-made films. The End of the Dinosaurs is a film created by etching a 35mm film stock and visualises the end of the dinosaur era. The used base material is a developed black film representing everything that could have been captured on film, which is etched and transformed into see-through blank – emptiness. Return of the Dinosaurs, portraying the repopulation of the biosphere with primitive life forms, uses 70mm film stock and the author screens it via a modified projection apparatus operated by a handle.

The End of the Dinosaurs
Director František Týmal, Czech Republic, 2012, 4 min

Return of the Dinosaurs
Director František Týmal, Czech Republic, 2015, 10-15 min

(Pre)film
Director Jan Kulka, Czech Republic, 2016, 20 min

Preparatory Exercises
Director Jan Kulka, Czech Republic, 2016, 25 min

Petr Skala – Hidden Experimenter + live music UFAJR

Petr Skala | Czechoslovakia | 90 min

Petr Skala’s work defies everything that happened in the Czechoslovak film industry between the 1960s and the 1980s. While
experimenting with the medium of film, he ventured out of the main stream into the sphere of artistically oriented abstract film. He adopted the techniques of direct animation and manual alterations of the film stock, and in many cases, he did so without using a camera. He perceived each and every frame as a distinct work of art. During a twenty-year period of his career, which this year’s Anifilm will introduce, Petr Skala made more than eighty films and countless variations of them. In these films, he tried to uncover the basic dimensions of the human existence, to ask questions on creation and extinction and to explore the relation between humans, their world and its place in the universe. He connected film with the principles of ancient alchemy, which is for many of us a thing of the past. But for some, it may still represent an everlasting spiritual journey unchanged through centuries.

Informal Structures
   Structure, Czechoslovakia, 1969, 5 min

Colour as an Emanation of Light
   Obrazy duše, Czechoslovakia, 1970, 3 min
   Krev na zdi, Czechoslovakia, 1972, 6 min
   Dies Irae, Czechoslovakia, 1972, 2 min
   Pomatená noc, Czechoslovakia, 1973, 3

From Abstraction to Figuration
   Target, Czechoslovakia, 1972, 3 min
   Stardust, Czechoslovakia, 1974, 3 min
   Dead Star, Czechoslovakia, 1974, 4 min
   Shadows on the Wall, Czechoslovakia, 1975, 4 min
   Figures in Us, Czechoslovakia, 1977, 3 min

Spiritual Expression
   Isolation, Czechoslovakia, 1977, 5 min
   Disturbed Peace, Czechoslovakia, 1978, 3 min

Figurative Composition
   Goddes Arrives, Czechoslovakia, 1980, 3 min

Images of Cosmogonic Visions
   Closed Infinity, Czechoslovakia, 1984, 2 min