The 12th edition of Anim’est conquers Bucharest by October 8

The 12^th edition of the Anim’est International Animation Film Festival, the only local festival exclusively destined to the animation movies, is kicking off in Bucharest today, September 29 and will run until October 8.

Screenings will be hosted by six venues in the Capital: Eforie Cinema, Elvira Popescu Cinema, CINETic Center, Expirat Halele Carol, Apollo111 and Carol 53.

The edition this year – “The Comics Edition” – is celebrating one of the most significant and consistent sources of inspiration for the animation film, namely the comic strips.

Canadian Dave Cooper will be the special guest of this edition. He is one of the most praised comics creators, who is also signing the Anim’est 2017 visual. He entitled the edition’s poster “Raluca Descends on Bucharest”.

Organizers inform that some of the most beloved feature animation films inspired by comics will be screened at this edition, such as “Persepolis”, awarded at Cannes, winner of two Cesar awards and nominated at Oscars and Bafta; “Tintin et le temple du soleil” / “Tintin and the Temple of the Sun”, the 1969 updated version, or “Chico & Rita”, nominated for Oscar and awarded as the best animation film at the European Film Academy in 2011.

At the same time, the 2017 edition of Anim’est will celebrate 60 years since the Romanian filmmaker Ion Popescu-Gopo has been awarded the Palme d’Or at Cannes within the special project, Gopo ReAnimation Night. The programme will include a programme of Cannes-awarded animation shorts mixed with video mapping sessions and live music.

The short film programme is scheduled on October 1, as of 18:30h and on October 7, as of 16:30h at Eforie Cinema, when the public will travel through a history tour of the animation shorts for 100 minutes, starting with Palme d’Or awarded films from 1995 up the present: “A short history” by Gopo, who received a Palme d’Or prize in 1957, next to “Blinkity Blank”, directed by Norman McLaren, “Balablok”, by Czech director Bretislav Pojar, or “La Traversée de l’Atlantique a la rame”, by Jean-François Laguionie, whose feature film “Louise en hiver” is also competing at Anim’est this year. “Waves ’98”, directed by Ely Dagher, who is in the jury this year, will also be screened.

The event combining live music with video mapping is scheduled on October 4, at 22:00h, when the famous Gopo’s character will become a kind of master of ceremonies, but also the protagonist of a visual and musical show featuring spheres that turn into planets or cubes that change their shape and function.

“Loving Vincent” animation film will open the festival

„Loving Vincent” movie, directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, will open the Anim’est today at Eforie Cinema (2 Eforie street), at 19:00h. Over 100 painters have worked in Poland to make the movie featuring the life of Vincent van Gogh.

“Loving Vincent” is the first animation feature film which has been entirely painted. It tells about the famous painter’s turbulent fate and about his tragic end, while also referring to the events the artist had described in those over 800 letters sent to his brother Theo.

The movie is made of 66,000 frames painted in oil on canvas, made by over 100 Polish and foreign painters in two years, through an impressive technique which is trustily imitating van Gogh’s works. O second of film contains 12 frames.

The animated characters who tell the story of the artist’s life are at the same time his paintings’ heroes, among whom over 120 have been integrated in the animation. The film was produced in several studios in Gdańsk and partially in Wrocław and UK.

The script is signed by female director Dorota Kobiela in collaboration with Polish poet and novelist Jacek Dehnel.

Dorota Kobiela is a Poland-based director and painter, while Hugh Welchman – an English-born film producer, whose animation film “Peter and the Wolf” was awarded the Oscar for the best animation short in 2007.

The Polish Institute in Bucharest is financially supporting the festival.