Animation Is Film — a new toon event on the LA scene — has announced the preliminary feature competition lineup and jury for its inaugural edition. The selection will offer Stateside audiences an assortment of new films from Asia, Europe, South America and North America vying for both juried and audience prizes. The festival is set for Oct. 20-22 at the TCL Chinese 6 Theater in Hollywood.
Feature films in competition include:
The Big Bad Fox & Other Tales (US Premiere)
Directors: Patrick Imbert, Benjamin Renner, France, 2017
Benjamin Renner received an Oscar nomination for Ernest & Celestine
Big Fish and Begonia (North American Premiere)
Directors: Liang Xua, Zhang Chun, China, 2016
Birdboy: The Forgotten Children (Los Angeles Premiere)
Directors: Alberto Vázquez & Pedro Rivero, Spain, 2015
Best Animated Feature 2017 Goya Awards
The Breadwinner (US Premiere)
Directors: Nora Twomey, Ireland/Canada, 2017
Nora Twomey was co-director of the Oscar-nominated The Secret of Kells
Lu Over the Wall (North American Premiere)
Director: Masaaki Yuasa, Japan, 2017
Cristal Award Winner Annecy International Animation Film Festival
Mary and the Witch’s Flower (North American Premiere)
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Japan, 2017
Hiromasa Yonebayashi received an Oscar nomination for When Marnie Was There
Tehran Taboo (North American Premiere)
Director: Ali Soozandeh, Germany, 2017
Official Selection 2017 Cannes Film Festival
Zombillenium (North American Premiere)
Directors: Arthur de Pins & Alexis Ducord, France, 2017
Special Screening 2017 Cannes Film Festival
The jurists confirmed so far are jury chair Peter Debruge (chief film critic, Variety), Allison Abbate (EVP Theatrical Animation, Warner Bros. Pictures; producer, The Iron Giant, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The LEGO Movie), Bonnie Arnold (DreamWorks Animation; producer Toy Story, How to Train Your Dragon), Jorge R. Gutiérrez (director, Book of Life), Charles Solomon (film critic and historian), and Mabel Tam (head film buyer, Landmark Cinemas).
The full lineup will be announced and tickets will go on sale on September 20 at animationisfilm.com. Animation Is Film is produced by GKIDS in partnership with Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Variety, with Google and Fathom Events as additional sponsors and media partners.
