Bradford will be getting animated this November as Bradford Animation Festival (BAF) returns for its 18th year.
Press Release from Bradford Animation Festival
Bradford will be getting animated this November as Bradford Animation Festival (BAF) returns for its 18th year. Packed with legends from the world of animation and gaming and guests from top international studios, BAF will deliver screenings, workshops and the hotly contested BAF Awards, which celebrate the best in new animation from around the world.
Top talent attending the Festival at the National Media Museum between 8-12 November includes senior animator from Pixar Animation Studios, Andy Schmidt. Since he joined Pixar in 2000, he has animated some of the most recognised Pixar characters to date: Mike and Sully in Monster’s Inc., Marlin, Dory, and Bruce in Finding Nemo, and Bob and Helen in The Incredibles. He has also animated on Ratatouille, Wall-e, Up, Toy Story 3 and Cars 2 and will visit BAF to deliver a presentation about his work.
Richard McGuire will be in conversation with Paul Gravett as they discuss Richard’s career as a film maker, illustrator and writer, and screen a selection of his films. Richard designed and directed the animated film Micro Loup, which is the first part of the omnibus feature film, Loulou et autres Loups (Loulou and other Wolves, 2003). He also created the closing film of another omnibus feature, Peur(s) du Noir (Fears of the Dark, 2007).
Other festival guests include Pixar and Disney layout and set designer Scott Caple (The Incredibles, Tarzan, Mulan) who will join Fraser MacLean and Roy Naisbitt, who both worked on Who Framed Roger Rabbit, to deliver a masterclass on animation layout. Oscar and BAFTA-nominated animator and director Barry Purves will be in attendance to screen his two new films Plume and Tchaikovsky and to present the BAF Awards.
Award-winning film maker, illustrator and author Geoff Dunbar will collect the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Festival with a retrospective which will include early works Lautrec and Ubu Roi. These works led to a collaboration with Sir Paul McCartney on the BAFTA-winning musical short, Rupert and the Frog Song. Geoff’s new film The Tap will also be screened.
BAF 2011 will showcase over 120 films from countries all over the world including Australia, Canada, Poland, USA, Switzerland, Germany. The features showing include: Arrietty, George the Hedgehog and The Animated Century.
Atsushi Wada from new Japanese label CALF will present the work of four innovative and exciting directors and challenge the notion of what we understand by the terms ‘Japanese animation’. The Association of British Animation Collections (ABAC) will screen a programme of British animated shorts and there will be a retrospective of the work of Studio M.I.R, an award-winning Russian animation studio.
BAF Game takes place at the Museum on 8 November and the University of Bradford on 9 November. BAF Game showcases the best and most up-to-date computer games technology and animation. This year’s BAF Game special guests include Brendan McNamara, founder of Team Bondi the creators of L.A. Noire, and Nick Adams, design lead at Top 5 Independent European Developer of Video Games, Blitz Games. They join Matt Stephenson, Principal Animator on Kinect Disneyland Adventures for Frontier Developments and Olly Nicholson, Technical Developer, Unity 3D; there will also be presentations from Hand Circus, Six to Start, Play with Learning, Ten24 and Game Republic.
Deb Singleton, director of Bradford Animation Festival said: “We are delighted to bring such big names from the worlds of animation and gaming to Bradford. The programme offers something for everyone from fans of animated films and gaming to students and industry professionals.”
Tickets for BAF are on sale now from the National Media Museum Box Office (call 0844 856 3797 or visit www.baf.org.uk). Prices for BAF Animation passes start from £50 and for BAF Game passes from £35, day passes for either event from £25, and tickets for individual screenings from £3.
The principal sponsor of BAF 2011 is Bradford College. Bradford College provides facilities for Animation, Film, Games Technology and Photography in both Further and Higher Education. An extensive range of art, media and graphics programmes are on offer in the renowned Bradford School of Arts and Media which has been providing high quality art and design education for over 150 years. Contributing to a dynamic creative community in the heart of Bradford, the School encourages development of innovative ideas and students are encouraged to challenge existing conventions. Former students include David Hockney, Andy Goldsworthy and Tony Bevan. For more information visit www.bradfordcollege.ac.uk.
The Department of Creative Technology at the University of Bradford, development partner for BAF Game 2011, organises the festival strand in conjunction with BAF and provides venues for a selection of events and talks. Creative Technology offers a high quality student learning experience on dynamic, dedicated and industry focussed animation and games courses. Blending their extensive teaching experience as one of the earliest departments to offer courses in animation and games and working with an extended family of professional partners, Creative Technology are also members of the Yorkshire and Humberside Skillset Media Academy. Information on the Department and its courses can be found at www.scim.brad.ac.uk. For full BAF and BAF Game listings and prices visit www.baf.org.uk.
BAF 2011 Prices
BAF Animation PassesEarly bird (19th Sept – 21st Oct)Full Price - £75Concession Price - £55Group Price - £50Day passes - £40/£30/£25 (No early bird rate available)
Full Price Period (22nd Oct – 4th Nov)Full Price - £85Concession Price - £65Group Price - £60Day passes - £40/£30/£25
Single Tickets:Screentalks - £10/£7Feature Films, panels, awards - £6.75/£5.00Competition/Panorama Screenings - £4/£3Workshops - £15
BAF Game PassesEarly bird (19th Sept – 21st Oct)Full Price - £50Concession Price - £40Group Price - £35Day Pass: £40/30/25 (No early bird rate available)
Full Price Period (22nd Oct – 4th Nov)Full Price - £55Concession Price - £45Group Price - £40Day Pass: £40/30/25
Single Tickets: £6.75/£5.00Workshops - £15
The National Media Museum
The National Media Museum in Bradford, West Yorkshire, opened as the National Museum of Photography, Film & Television in Bradford in 1983 with the remit to explore the art and science behind images and image-making, and has since become one of the most visited UK museums outside London.
With the aim to be the best museum in the world for inspiring people to learn about, engage with and create media, it draws from more than 3.5 million objects in its National Photography, Television, Cinematography and New Media Collections to create special exhibitions, interactive galleries and activities for families and adults.
It also organises three major film festivals each year – Bradford International Film Festival, Bradford Animation Festival and Fantastic Films Weekend, and is home to Europe’s first IMAX cinema screen.
Entry to the Museum is free. www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
