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Pencils, Puppets and Pixels

Time
Feb 15th 2010
Location
HAU 1
Guests
Merlin Crossingham, Ben Gibson, Anita Killi, Mait Laas
Topics
#Europe #Directing

In cooperation with Robert Bosch Stiftung and Berlinale Generation.

The ability to show us practically anything, to delve into any world, to give voices to the voiceless, emotions to the emotionless, to go beyond the restrictions of live-action filmmaking – this is the world of animation filmmaking. A marvel of traditional craftsmanship, the animation industry is all the rage with young and old alike. On this panel, we have three path-breaking professionals: Mait Laas, author, animator and documentary filmmaker, has created an array of astonishing stop-over animations at the Nukufilm Studios in Estonia; Anita Killi, animator and founder of the animation studio Trollfilm AS, has directed the award-winning ANGRY MAN; and creative director of Wallace and Gromit at Aardman Animations, Merlin Crossingham is the key character animator in the feature film department and has worked on films such as CHICKEN RUN. These experts will reflect on the current popularity and the visibility of animation films. Presenting a range of excerpts from their respective film portfolios, they will provide an overview of the current state of animation making and discuss the mixing of craftsmanship and technology.

Merlin Crossingham

British animation director, he worked at Aardman Animations for the last 12 years on films such as CHICKEN RUN and WALLACE AND GRMOIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT. 
He was nominated for an Emmy for CREATURE COMFORTS in 2007.

Ben Gibson

Ben Gibson is the director of the DFFB film school in Berlin. He was previously director of degree programmes at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School and a visiting professor at Goldsmiths. From 2001 to 2014, he was director of the London Film School. He is a former independent producer and was head of production at the British Film Institute from 1988 to 1998. Before that he was a distributor, exhibitor, theatre director, film critic and journalist.

Anita Killi

Norwegian animation director, she established the animation studio Trollfilm AS and directed numerous short animated films. Her cache of films include THE DAUGHTER OF THE SUN and THE HEDGE OF THORNS, which was awarded a Crystal Bear for Best Short Film at the Berlinale in 2002. Her ANGRY MAN featured in the 2010 Berlinale Generation.

Mait Laas

Estonian animation artist, author and director of NukuFilm Studio, his film THE WAY TO NIRVANA won the Grand Prize at the 47th Oberhausen International Short Film Festival. His animation GENERATIO was shown at the 2005 Berlinale Forum and won a Burgas Municipality Award at the Sophia International Film Festival in 2005.