Rooftop Films: Dark 'toons 2008 (Event Over)

Sat., September 13, 2008

Dark Toons
Enjoyably evil animation.

Venue: On the roof of The Old American Can Factory
Address: 232 3rd Street at the corner of 3rd Avenue (Gowanus, Brooklyn)
Directions: F, G to Carroll Street or M, R to Union Street and read here for directions from the train| Map
Rain: In the event of rain the show will be held indoors at the same location
8:30PM: Sound Fix presents live music by Marissa Nadler
9:00PM: Films

11:00PM: After party in the courtyard with free wine courtesy of Brooklyn Oenology
Tickets: $9 at http://going.com
Preview: See short films from this and other programs at www.IFC.com
Presented in partnership with: IFC.com, New York magazine, and XØ Projects

PROGRAM NOTES:

Animation. Sweet, simple, innocent. Makes you think of cute little animals—that are either dead (Dog) or deadly (Princess). Fantasy romances—with torture dungeons (JoJo in the Stars) and vengeful, headless fuck-toys (Berni’s Doll). Peaceful, playful dreamworlds—where angels and devils battle (Recto Verso) and lonely ephemeral characters wander aimlessly, trapped by a confoundingly empty expanse of nothingness. It’s fun!

But really, it is fun. Because in this program, hard-boiled, misogynist crimefighters will battle outer space out-of-towners in a hilarious b-movie spoof (Rocket Science!), abusive dust-ups with local thugs will be set to catchy melodies with loquacious lyrics (I Have Seen the Future), and a lovable loser will save the day (Hot Dog). That’s the magic of animation: it can warp your mind and get under your skin, but great cartoons are complex, and the films in this program flip from comic to calamitous, from heartbreaking to hilarious, all with a unique agility available only in animation.


THE FILMS

Selections of RISD Animation: 

The 2008 RISD biennial is being hosted at our home base out here in the Old American Can Factory and so prior to the main program of films we are proud to present a selection of new animation by RISD filmmakers, including work by Fran Krause, Wyeth Hansen, and Meghan Petras

Dreaming of a Dream (Megan Petras | Brooklyn, NY | 3:00)
Animated portrait of a mannequin and her journey into the dreamlife. Animation by Meghan Petras, with sound by Jason Russo of the Brooklyn band Hopewell.

The Loving Sounds of Static (Wyeth Hansen | Brooklyn, NY | 4:00)
A Tron-like music video for the indie band Mobius, with the band disappearing into a ethereal geometric landscape.  

I Have Seen the Future (Cam Christiansen | Calgary | 6:00)
A boy is competing in a tennis match with his father when three young men approach and start to accost them rudely.

Rocket Science! (Sam Morrison | England | 14:00)
When mystery comes calling at Grime City captain Jack Hersey is forced to confront his darkest fear—people from out of town.

Hot Dog (Bill Plympton | New York, NY | 6:00)
Academy Award Winner Plympton returns to Rooftop with the third in the “Dog” series, and in this episode our plucky hero joins the fire company to save the world from house fires and gain his affection he so richly deserves. Typically, the results never turn out the way he planned.

Dog (Hermann Karlsson | Iceland | 1:00)
Remembering the death of a dog and the guilt of a boy that soon followed.

Princess (Ethan Clarke | San Francisco, CA | 7:00)
A likely story of an unbreakable friendship between a woman and her cat. We need them. Do they really need us?

Kleit (The Dress) (Jelena Girlin & Mari-Liis Bassovskaja | Estonia | 6:30)
A woman tried to remember the highlights of her life, or maybe dreams about them. Her phantom dress predicts beginnings and endings, through guillotine and kitchen knife.

INTERMISSION

Weiss (White) (Florian Grolig | Germany | 5:00)
A serene monochromatic world turns into a trap.

Recto Verso (Gabriel Jacquel | France | 8:00)
A classic comic animation pitting dark against light, good against evil, refigerator lights vs. magic broomsticks. Two characters battle each other and the physical laws of their universe in ways that are hilariously inventive and supremely significant.

JoJo in the Stars (Marc Caste | England | 12:00)
JoJo in the Stars has all the elements needed for a classic romantic tearjerker; freak shows, underground dungeons, pointy bras. This is a haunting tale set in a stark landscape where faceless crowds come to witness the freaks and wonders of Madame Pica’s Carnival. When a beautiful trapeze artist charms a carnival devotee, both must face the consequences of Madame Pica’s wrath.

Berni’s Doll (Yann Jouette | France | 11:30)
Berni buys a doll, part by part. The relation between Berni and his doll evolves while parts are added to the body. But is love for sale?

A Letter to Colleen (Carolyn & Andy London | New York, NY | 8:30)
Andy London has been haunted by the events of his 18th birthday for years. In this short animated film set in the early 90?s, he writes a letter to Colleen in an attempt to put his demons to rest.

Never Like the First Time (Jonas Odell | Sweden | 15:00)
An gorgeously animated film based on documentary interviews in which four people each tell the story of their first time, in stories that range from comedy to tragedy, stories from last year or from the 1920's, stories that are remembered with nostalgia, embarrassment or even horror.