Manchester Animation Festival 2023 Reveals Keynote and Program Updates

Manchester Animation Festival (MAF) kicks off Sunday, November 12, showcasing over 100 events ranging from screenings, panels, workshops, masterclasses, making of sessions, and studio talks, hosted across the city from HOME cinema to The Bridgewater Hall. The event runs through November 17, tickets are available here. The program offers both in-person and online sessions.

The 2023 program allows audiences to enjoy some of the world’s best animation. Highlights include the Manchester premiere screening of Netflix’s highly anticipated Aardman sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of The Nugget and an advanced three-episode screening of Netflix’s upcoming animated series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.

“Animation Nation Forum” (formerly Industry Day):

Orion Ross, vice president, International Animation, Disney Branded Television at The Walt Disney Company, delivers this year’s keynote. Orion and his UK-based team develop and produce animated series for Disney's global channels and platforms, including Disney+.  

Recent and upcoming projects include the Disney+ Originals Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire, Chip ’n’ Dale: Park Life, The Doomies, Magicampers, Dragon Striker, and The Sunnyridge 3, as well as the global co-productions Miraculous - Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, PJ Masks Power Heroes, and Kiya & the Kimoja Heroes.

Complete program information is available here, but here are some highlights:

Exclusive ‘Making Of..’ sessions

• Netflix’s Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget with senior animator Suzy Fagan Parr.
• Prolific comic book artist and animation producer ND Stevenson discusses the recently released Netflix fantasy adventure comedy Nimona.
• Producer Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster Jones shares a behind-the-scenes look at the production of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming animated feature, Wish.

Official feature film selection - includes award-winning and selected films from festivals such as the Toronto International Film Festival, Venice Film Festival and Annecy:

• Kensuke’s Kingdom - Based on Michael Morpurgo’s bestselling novel, the film tells the story of a boy swept overboard during a storm on a worldwide sailing trip with his family. It stars Cillian Murphy, Sally Hawkins, and Ken Watanabe and is produced by Lupus Films, last year’s MAF Fellowship Award recipient.
• White Plastic Sky - The film introduces a post-apocalyptic Budapest in 2123. A young man breaks every rule to save his wife in a future without animals and plants where the price of human survival is high.
• Mars Express - The futuristic thriller follows private detective Aline Ruby and her android partner, whom a wealthy businessman hires to track down a notorious hacker. On their journey, they uncover a secret that threatens to change the face of the universe.
• The Peasants – The hand-painted film is an adaptation of the Nobel Prize-winning novel about an early 20th-century Polish peasant woman who creates havoc by marrying an older rich man.
• A Chicken for Linda - The heartwarming comedy follows the story of mum Paulette, who has promised to cook chicken with peppers for her daughter Linda, even though she cannot cook at all. But how will she find a chicken on the day of a general strike?

Studio Sessions - Panel Discussions:

• Academy Award-winning studio PASSION Pictures with executive producer and head of production David Park.
• Pan-African Kugali, led by CEO, Hamid Ibrahim, discusses how the company defied conventional norms to make a mark in the digital landscape.

‘Magic Light Pictures at 20:’

• The special event celebrates 20 years of award-winning productions and features the team behind classics such as The Gruffalo and Stickman, who will share an in-depth look at some of their works.

Festival Spotlight - Croatia

Two screenings of Croatian animation include a contemporary and classic work - filmmaker Kata Gugić of Bonobostudio will deliver a talk about the Croatian-based studio.

MAF short film collections

The collection, curated by creatives, explores the themes of ‘Divert, Delight, Defy: Animating Trans Identities’, as well as ‘Animated Africa.’

Additional panels and sessions about:

• The Art of the Music Video
• BBC Children’s initiative, Inform, Educate, Animate
• Industry Excellence sessions on ‘Storyboarding’ and ‘Character Design’
• Skwigly Online Animation Magazine presents a selection of films from its animation community

MAF’s Family Day includes:

• BBC Box Set, dedicated family screenings and events
• Claymation and LEGO Stop-Motion workshops
• The Young Animator of the Year U.K. Awards, for U.K. animators aged 11-18

National Comedy Awards 2023:

• Hosted by nominee, comedian, and actor Amy Gledhill, MAF will hold the annual awards ceremony on November 17 at 8 pm at HOME Cinema, Manchester

Film Awards:

• This year’s international film competition includes categories: Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Student Film, Best Children’s Film, Best Commissioned Film, Best Immersive Film, and new for this year, Best British Film. As an Oscar-qualifying event, the winner of the Short Film category will automatically qualify for Academy Award consideration
• This year’s event boasts 103 different short films from 26 countries

Industry Excellence Awards, which recognizes individuals working in the industry in writing, storyboarding, character design, and character animation, takes place during the awards ceremony. A complete list of nominees is available here.

“It’s been a big, exciting year for MAF with news of our Oscar qualifying status and the momentum hasn’t stopped!” shared festival director Steve Henderson. “Myself and the team are delighted to be bringing the world of animation to Manchester this November, presenting some of the best films from across the world, and giving our audiences the chance to hear from the best people in the world of animation! We look forward to welcoming audiences to Manchester to see something amazing.”

MAF is presented with the support of the BFI (awarding funds from the National Lottery) and sponsored, partnered, and supported by HOME, University of Salford, Blue Zoo, BBC Children’s & Education, XP-Pen and Leonardo Hotels.

Complete program information is available here.  

Source: MAF

Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.