Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2016

Hey all, happy summer!
The International Animated Film Festival took place last week in Annecy, and yours truly got to attend!! (You can check out my blog post from the 2014 festival here).

The big difference for me this year was that my new cell plan allows me to use data abroad at no additional cost, so I was online and able to use the festival's official app to book screenings and keep track of my schedule throughout the day -- I absolutely loved it.  I spent barely any time in lines, wondering if I would get into a screening.  If I heard about something interesting while I was out, I could check and book a seat right then and there.

I spent most of the week hanging out with Boulet, Cy, and Erwann Surcouf. Boulet reviewed the festival with comics in 2014 and 2015, and this year Cy and Erwann were splitting review duties (Cy's comics are on her site, and you can read Erwann's in his twitter feed).

It was AWESOME to hear people talking after the Disney panel on Friday!  Brand-new animation was screened from Moana (titled "Vaiana" in a lot of European countries), as well as the new short film Inner Workings, which will screen before Moana in theaters this November.  Leo Matsuda's artwork is SO funny and charming; I was really happy to see his art style translated into a distinct look for the short and to see some creative integration of 2D animation in a 3D film.

Check out the beautiful new Moana/Vaiana poster released at the festival!

I loved having "Walt Disney Animation Studios" written on my badge (!!), but I was at the festival of my own volition, as a fan.  I wasn't working and I was free to walk around and do whatever I felt like. :)

One of my missions for the week was to pick up a BUNCH of new French comics.  I finally got my own copies of Fanfare and Transat by Aude Picault, and about a dozen other books. ^^ I spent a lot of time at BD Fugue and Momie/9eme Quai.

One thing the festival impressed upon me was the lack of non-commercial animation coming out of the US.  We don't seem to have the funding/grants/residencies/support for independent animation that a lot of other countries have.  There were strong American feature films, TV episodes, and commercial shorts at the festival, but very little experimental stuff from the US (The Dancing Line by Shelley Dodson was one fun exception).

Now I'm going to take the rest of this post to share links to the animations I thought were original or I really liked from the festival. I hope you find them interesting and inspiring! Some of these don't have links, or they only link to a trailer...because a lot of them are not online yet. :-/ You may be able to find them in a few months or next year if you search for them.

Here is the "Partners" trailer film which opened every screening:

And here are the 5 Gobelins films that also screened before screenings.  The theme of the 2016 festival was "France", so these shorts are particularly French-themed!  If I understood correctly, next year's festival will be about "China", so we have that to look forward to. :)

From special event screenings:
La Tortue rouge
Nerdland

Short films from the closing ceremony:
The Inspector and the Umbrella
Hootchu
Machine by Anna Vasof:

Remote by Andrew Lavery and Mathew Rees:


Shorts in competition:
Peripheria (This was my favorite film from the festival!)
Vaysha, l'aveugle
Stems by Ainslie Henderson
Il etait 3 fois
Decorado
La Soupe au caillou
Before Love
'n Gewone blou Maandagoggend
Le Bruit du gris
Babustempelstrasse
Mamie by Janice Nadeau
The Dancing Line by Shelley Dodson
Beer by Nerdo
Piano by Kaspar Jancis
Gaidot Jauno gadu
Waves '98
La Chambre vide
Linnugripp
A Coat Made Dark

Out of competition short films:
Ono by Genadzi Buto
Corpus by Marc Hericher
Trial & Error by Antje Heyn
Jailbreak by Aaron Sorenson (another favorite!)
Le futur sera chauve
Loss by YiZhao
Branded Dreams by Studio Smack
Three Little Ninjas Delivery Service
The Crossing by Marieka Walsh
Tres moscas a medida
Dota by Petra Zlonoga

Films for Television:
Les Animaux domestiques"Le Chien"

Commercial films:
Dan Deacon When I Was Done Dying
A.A. World Services, Inc. "Doors"
The Ethical Dilemma of Self-driving Cars
The New York Times "Modern Love - A Kiss Deferred"
Private Parts by Anna Ginsburg
Run the Jewels "Meowpurrdy"
James "To My Surprise" (another favorite!)
Barriers "Girl Effect"
A Self Compassion Exercise
De Staat "Witch Doctor"

Aaaand a few things I didn't see myself, but really want to see based on what I heard:
La Jeune Fille sans mains
Window Horses
Ma vie de Courgette
Moms on Fire

How to make long-distance relationships work

I try to keep things pretty highbrow around here. 
This comic features the lovely and talented Erika Moen and Ananth Panagariya!  Read all of their stuff if you haven't already; it is stellar. :3

Issue #3 of Tally Marks (my Eurotrip sketchbook series) comes out on October 1, and you can pre-order it now!  This issue covers Christmas and New Years in London, plus my trip to Picardy.  Coats and fur hats abound.  Here are a few previews:

I tabled at Rose City Comic Con this past weekend in Portland, and it was great!  In my head it was all a big post-Europe welcome-back party for me so I could see everyone and catch up all at once. :) I sold out of Husbands and a bunch of my prints, and got down to my last copies of Between Gears and A Boy & A Girl.  I am trying to minimize my boxes for my next move, and I may be selling off my remaining books in the near future with incentives like free watercolor sketches inside or free prints.  Stay tuned for that.

Annecy Film Festival

I had the immense pleasure of attending the Annecy Film Festival last month.  Le boyfriend was an invited guest, and I was lucky enough to tag along with a guest badge and my hotel costs covered.

The festival runs for 6 days and it's too immense to see everything, let alone blog about each aspect with the attention it deserves, so I'm just going to run through a few of my personal highlights from my first (and hopefully not last!) time at this amazing festival.  I linked to everything I could find online.  I really hope you get a chance to see all of these films!

My absolute favorites were almost all from the Shorts in Competition category:
The Dam Keeper - Do not miss this short film.  Everything about it is delightful and touching and tasteful.  It will give you ALL the feels.  Bonus: it's quite possibly the most beautiful digital animation I've ever seen; the lighting and textures give it the feel of Pixar's digital concept art.
Hasta Santiago - I got a little teary in this one.  Really nice traveler's story
Tempête sur anorak - what my French friends would call "hysterical".  They don't mean it as a compliment, but I do.  This film is fun and crazy.

Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 2 "Time"
Savages "Marshal Dear"
Timber - Cute animation and a horrifying story.  It walks that perfect line between comedy and sheer horror that has you bursting into shock-laughter.
Le Bien Chasser "Derrick et la Grosse Peche"
Les Kassos - This series shows beloved fictional characters revealing their major issues at the desk of a social worker
La Buche de Noel
La Faillite
Man on the Chair
La Petite Casserole d'Anatole
Cheatin' - the new Bill Plympton feature film
Moulton og meg
Grace Under Water
Histoires de bus
Rainy Days
Le Sens du toucher - Romantic!
The Missing Scarf

There were also a number of commercial shorts that I really liked.  Even if they were advertisements, and maybe more mainstream / derivative than the short films in competition, they often had REALLY high production values (no doubt from those sweet, sweet commercial budgets), plus more straightforward/logical stories.
The Lanskies "48 Hours"
Alber Elbaz Puts on a Show for Lancome!
La Guillotine
Sour "Life Is Music"
Doc Meets Dorf "Title Sequence"
Peau "Instant T"
Biomasse
The Paper Kites "Young"
China, IL "Get Your Ass Back to School!"
Aldebert "Les Amoureux"
Phantom Limb - I actually saw this aaaafter the festival online, but it's great!  And I'm amazed that it was animated in Photoshop....it REALLY makes me want to try making my own short film.
Poom "Big Bang"

I got to see the The Tale of Princess Kaguya with members of Studio Ghibli, including Takahata, in attendance just two rows in front of us (!!!).  I heard a lot of disappointment from people after the movie, but the more I think about it the more I like it.  I think the original tale is very strange, and has some weird messages, and Ghibli made a great adaptation given that material.  It's funny how I knew the story, but I couldn't help hoping for a happy ending.  It's like walking into Romeo and Juliet; you can't help but hope somehow, this time, things are going to work out differently, and the ending is always painful!
I loved the way that the "penciled" art style lent itself to certain scenes and moods.  And I LOVED the character of Kaguya.  It was incredible watching such an in-depth coming-of-age story for a young woman.  I particularly liked her battle against her female mentor, the scene after her menarche, and her complex relationship with societal norms and her own impulses.  She developed a lot of different kinds of strength throughout her life, and I really liked the way that she was able to use formality/customs to her advantage and outwit her suitors.

I also got to see The Wind Rises, which I'd been putting off because I wanted everything to be just right when I watched what might be my last new Miyazaki movie.  I was afraid to watch it in France, because there would be a Japanese language track and French subtitles, and I didn't want to miss anything.  That turned out to be fine!  Between my rusty Japanese, my intermediate French, and the movie's clear storytelling, it wasn't confusing.  I also knew I would have MAJOR FEELS, and wasn't sure I wanted to watch the movie in public.  That...turned out to be accurate.  I was sobbing at the end, and went back to the hotel to clean my mascara off of my chin before the next screening.  Guh, so good but SO SAD.

There are movies projected on the giant lawn next to Lake Annecy each night, and whether or not you have a pass for the festival you can go and have a great time.  We watched Paranorman (dubbed in French lololol) with little picnic snacks and loved it.  Bonus: there was a dry summer thunderstorm at the same time there was thunder and lightning in the movie!

One movie we missed that I want to make sure to see in the future is Boy and the World.  I heard nothing but good things and I love the artwork I've seen from it.

Rendez-Vous de la Bande Dessinee d'Amiens

June 7-8 I was a guest at Rendez-Vous de la BD d'Amiens, a large festival in Amiens, France, an hour north of Paris.  My friend Nico lives in Amiens, and he told me great things about the festival for years.  I was really looking forward to seeing it, and looking forward to returning to Amiens in June to see the difference from my visit in January.

The convention treated artists SO well.  I got a taste of the French convention model at St-Malo, Angouleme, and Bulles de Neige, but this was really special.  I felt pampered and informed from arrival to departure, ate fantastic food, and had plenty of time to meet the other guests and enjoy the city...it was amazing.  The festival volunteers and employees were phenomenal.

The city was gorgeous!  It was sunny and hot, tourist season was starting, and people were milling around the streets of downtown.  I got to visit the Cathedral with a group from the festival, and a couple of our dinners were on the river in areas I hadn't made it out to yet.  Each evening after the festival we had snacks and drinks on a big terrace of the university looking out over the old town and canals.

At the festival I adopted the French dédicace model of signing books for free with nice, 20-ish minute drawings, and letting the festival handle sales for me at their big bookstore at the entrance.  It was nice not having to sell my own work like I do in the US, where I have to be constantly engaging multiple people and dropping other conversations when someone wants to make a purchase.  I had a decent line of people patiently waiting for that time with me, and we sold out of books on Saturday!

Some engineering students were exhibiting 3D scanning and printing technology at the festival, and asked to scan my head and shoulders so they could make a bust from them!  I sat in a swivel chair and one person pointed the handheld scanner at me, while another slowly spun the chair around in a circle.  I tried not to move, but my eyes looked at different things as I spun, so the color version of the 3D image was hilariously cross-eyed.  But I was AMAZED at the accuracy of the scan, how quick it was, and what it could mean for product design, digital animation...you name it!

Result: mini me!

 

Monkeybrain Comics publishing my Amsterdam sketchbook! Also, meet me this summer in Spain, France, or New York!

WEDNESDAY JUNE 4 -- Monkeybrain Comics is publishing a 19-page collection of my sketches from Amsterdam!  Life drawings, doodles, and comics, all completed while on the trip, in one clean digital comic file.  If you like process and sketchbooks, I think you'll enjoy this.

Yes, the cover for this digital release is where my new banner for the blog came from! ^_^

Meet me in Spain, France, or New York!
I have quite a bit of travel ahead of me, and I wanted to list it out for any readers who might be interested in a meet-up in one of these cities.  I'll try to go to cafes (and maybe bars) to life draw in each city, and give some warning on Twitter before I do.  If you'd like to join me and chat or draw, I hope you will!

June 6-8 Amiens, FRANCE (I’m a guest at the BD festival, but I’ll be around town in the evenings)
June 9-14 Annecy, FRANCE (I’m attending the Film Festival, but should have lots of free time)
June 28-29 Granada, SPAIN
June 30-July 1 Madrid, SPAIN
July 2-4 Barcelona, SPAIN
July 16-21 New York City, USA

What's new?
I had a really nice mention on the Forbidden Planet blog last week.

I animated a thing I was very happy with.

Recently I've had a flurry of meet-ups with friends and readers in Paris.  It's been really fun!  I met a couple of American backpackers on their gap year in the Tuileries Garden for a picnic and a long talk about traveling in Europe.  A reader living in France introduced me to a fun bar with French slam poetry in Belleville.  My sorority sister Kayla and friend Alyssa are on a big Eurotrip together and we met up for dinner and drinks near the St-Martin Canal.  Author Isabelle Bauthian met me for a drink and a nice talk about language, comics, and American vs French styles of acting.

I was also lucky enough to attend my first two French concerts last month.  Both venues were beautiful, old concert halls with chandeliers and decorated ceilings.  And both had seating for this old fogey!  People stood up near the front, but it was possible to enjoy the show (and my drink) from a seat.
Manu, previously of Dolly, played an intimate show at the Resevoir.  She performed new material (including a song in Japanese off of her new album!!), but also a lot of big hits from Dolly.  I even knew some of them, thanks to Nico introducing me to the band back in January. 
I also got to see Renan Luce in concert at the Trianon.  We got to sit in the center of the balcony.  This show was really fun--Renan's music is playful, and I like trying to follow the stories he's telling.  Check out La Boite if you haven't yet!

I took the B2 DELF exam this month and that was...interesting.  The 2.5 hour written exam felt fine, actually, but the oral exam was terrifying.  We had 30 minutes to read an article and draft an argumentative speech meant to last 10 minutes.  I only had my introduction and bulletpoints for the rest of my speech when we ran out of time and had to go off to our examiners. @__@ I'll find out July 8 whether or not I passed; fingers crossed!

 I went to the Arts & Metiers museum for the first time last week.  It's free every Thursday night!  The museum is dedicated to scientific tools from the 1750s to the present (everything from telescopes to looms to computers).  I love the way the instruments are presented as artwork in addition to their scientific context.  Recommended!

I got to visit another French cartoonist studio in May.  That's such a pleasure for me--I love seeing how people work, especially groups of cartoonists.  It's surprising how much we all have in common!  This studio houses a lot of cartoonists I admire, and I felt a little like I was walking on hallowed ground.  I drew a little but I mostly walked around admiring the space. :)

I got to attend the Paris premiere of Godzilla with Boulet at the Grand REX Theater, and we made reaction comics after. :) On my movie review blog, I posted about 10 new reviews in the last 3 weeks for readers who requested movies for me.

I visited Bois de Vincennes again with some friends for a picnic.  It was PACKED; I couldn't believe it.  My friend Emilie took us back into downtown Paris on foot via La Coulée Verte: a 4.7km long park built on top of an obsolete elevated train track.  VERY pretty and a nice, green break from downtown.

Last but not least, I attended the Other Writers' Group at Shakespeare & Co last night, and that was a great time.  About 20 English-language authors met to share works-in-progress and give each other rigorous constructive feedback.  I couldn't believe the meeting really took place in the picturesque second-story front room over the bookstore.  Well worth the 6 Euros, and I'm sure I'll be back.  Maybe with print-outs of my next comic if I'm feeling brave!

 

Bulles de Neige 2014

Last weekend I was a guest at Bulles de Neige, a BD festival in the ski town of Valberg.  It was my first signing ("dédicace") in France, and one of the best times of my life!

↑ONE OF THESE FESTIVALS IS REAL.  Make your best guess and then click here.

I went to the festival thanks to Bannister (of car poster fame), and met a bunch of other amazing artists there, including but certainly not limited to: Frédéric Besson, Sophie Chaussade, Régis Donsimoni, Vincent Mallié, and Nicolas Poupon.

I took a train from Paris to Lyon, flew to Nice, and then took a shuttle bus 90 minutes up into the mountains to Valberg.  I spent the weekend eating French and Italian comfort foods (vin chaud, chocolat chaud, raclette...), skiing, and signing books for festival attendees.  I'm told this is not your average French festival, but I couldn't help thinking every 5 minutes or so, 'OMG French artists are so LUCKY!!'  If you EVER get the chance to do this show, take it!!! :D

 (The Lyon Saint Exupéry Airport has a slide!)

This is what winter looks like on the French Riviera.

I was so impressed with the festival's organization, from transportation to food to book shipping (thanks to BD Fugue!).  When I arrived, I received a packet with all of the information I might need, including contact info for the festival organizer and book sellers, some swag, and my ski pass.

 I saw the festival advertised everywhere -- even on the lift poles on the mountain!

All of the restaurants had festival advertisements, often as place-mats on the tables.

 

 

View out the hotel window!

Unharmed by the slopes!

I'm so grateful for this experience!