Fifteenth annual ABP to screen nearly 100 short films in competition.
Animation Block Party 2018 to include the New York City premiere of ‘MFKZ,’ directed by Shōjirō Nishimi and Guillaume Renard.
Our friends at Animation Block Party have announced the full lineup for the 2018 edition, offering four full days and nights jam-packed with screenings, parties, Q&As and more.
Running July 26-29, 2018 in Brooklyn, NY, the 15th annual Animation Block Party’s Opening Night celebration will be highlighted by the appearance of Pingu the Penguin in a brand-new film titled, Babysitting is No Piece of Cake. In addition to Pingu, Opening Night will include new shows from DreamWorks Television, tasty treats from My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream, and a commemorative t-shirt launch from Brooklyn Cloth, plus live animated comedy from Picture This! The festival’s opening night celebration will take place at Littlefield, located at 635 Sackett St, Brooklyn, NY 11217.
Animation Block Party will continue all weekend long at BAMcinématek, located at 30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217, with nearly 100 animated short films in festival competition, retrospective screenings of feature-length classics such as Akira, Mad Monster Party and Pokémon Heroes, and the NYC premiere of MFKZ.
Directed by Shōjirō Nishimi and Guillaume Renard, and produced by Ankama, the makers of 2006 animated feature Tekkoninkreet, MFKZ (also known as Mutafukaz) had its worldwide debut at the 2017 Annecy Festival. The 2D-animated feature went on to screen on the festival circuit, including the inaugural ANIMATION IS FILM Festival, but has yet to work its way into theatrical release.
Based on the 2003 Sundance-nominated short film and graphic novel of the same name, MFKZ is a stirring tribute to Los Angeles, or, as it’s called in the film, Dark Meat City. It tells the origin story of Angelino, following him as he runs the streets of the city delivering pizzas, living in a seedy hotel room with his homie Vinz (a living skeleton with a flaming skull) and an army of cockroaches:
Following a scooter accident caused by the heavenly vision of a girl with jet-black hair, Angelino starts experiencing violent headaches doubled with strange hallucinations. Inadvertently summoning super-human powers “from deep within his burning heart,” Angelino must learn of his long-hidden heredity, the source of his powers and the real cosmic purpose of Mexican luchadores.
Programs at BAMcinématek will include Animation For Kids showcases, a Female Animators screening on Saturday evening, Experimental Films, Graphic Design and Music Videos on Sunday night, and filmmaker Q&As after each short film program.
The entire lineup to the 15th annual Animation Block Party can be viewed at: www.animationblock.com/summerfest2018.
Source: Animation Block Party
Formerly Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network, Jennifer Wolfe has worked in the Media & Entertainment industry as a writer and PR professional since 2003.
