Top animated movie screenings

Prepare yourself for some of the most innovative and exciting animated films, some getting their first audience screenings, at this year’s Animex festival.  Animex is the annual celebration of animation organised by the University of Teesside, and now in its sixth year.

With over 140 different animated films shown in three venues (University of Teesside Cinema - Middlesbrough, UGC Cinema - Middlesbrough and ARC – Stockton-on-Tees), Animex Screen is a must for all animation fans.  These are all bona fide cult classics or off-the-wall originals – the kind of films which rarely receive North East cinema screenings. Animex Screen includes international shorts from 18 countries, retrospective programmes, special compilations and animated feature films.

And this year will see the world premiere of Dream On Silly Dreamer – a new documentary detailing the firing of 200 Disney artists at the company’s Burbank Feature Animation Department.  Directed by Dan Lund and first-time producer Tony West who worked for Burbank studios until the sackings in 2002 Dream On Silly Dreamer recounts the emotional end of the artistic era of the hand-drawn art form that was the cornerstone of Disney classic animations.

The film will first be shown at the ARC, in Stockton-on-Tees, on Monday 31 January at 8pm and shown again at the UGC Cinema, Middlesbrough, on Thursday 3 February at 4pm and 7pm – both screenings will be introduced by the director and producer.

Other feature films to be shown include Raining Cats and Frogs (France) Hair High (USA) P3K Pinocchio3000 (Canada/France/Spain) and the award-winning Strings (Denmark)

As well as films by professionals from around the world, people will also get the chance to see six programmes of the entries in the Animex Student Animation Awards competition.  

For more information, including a complete timetable of screenings, visit: www.animex.net

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