New Year

 

 I'm pleased to announce that The Man Who Was Afraid of Falling has been selected to screen at One Voice festival in Bournemouth and Animated Exeter in february and also Athens Animfest in March (details on the screenings page). I went to Animated Exeter back in 2008 with composer Kit Wilson after finishing Curiouser and Curiouser. That year the festival had a brilliant exhibition by the Brothers Quay entitled Dormitorium. The Quay's work has always been an inspiration to me and I have written about their work in several essays over the last few years. Here's a picture of a tailer puppet from Street of Crocodiles (1986) in one of the intricate sets.

Tailor puppet from Street of Crocodiles (Atelier Koninck, 1986)

This year the festival programme looks equally exciting and I'm particularly looking forward to seeing the talk 'Crossing the Celluloid Divide' by multi media theatre company Forkbeard Fantasy. I recently saw a brilliant exhibition of their work at the Southbank Centre in London, a rare chance to see the 37 year history of such a vibrant and experimental theatre company. On display were puppets, drawings and designs, interactive sculptures, costumes, videos of performances and photographs.

Theatre of Animation Exhibition, Southbank Centre 2011-12, Img: BBC

Animfest will mark the films first screening in Greece, I'm happy it's reaching all these different places. The last time I was in Athens I woke up on the roof of a building... I'd love to visit again.