FLIP in Wolverhampton

FLIP International Animation Festival is proud to announce that Oscar nominated animator Bill Plympton will be showcasing some of his award winning films and hosting a unique masterclass at this month’s festival.

FLIP International Animation Festival

FLIP International Animation Festival

Bill Plympton has been successful as an independent animator and filmmaker for over 40 years.  The ‘King of Indie Animation’ will be visiting FLIP this year to host a masterclass and to provide his top tips to help those wanting to get into the industry.

The masterclass will take place on Friday 28 October at 3 – 5.30pm, cost £10. There will be a screening of Bill’s shorts followed by a Q&A with the animator on Friday 28 October at 8pm and the UK premiere of documentary film Adventures In Plymptoons! providing a portrait of Bill on Saturday 29 October at 5pm. Cost for screenings is included within day/weekends tickets to the festival, priced from £12.50 – £25. Tickets and festival passes are available from www.theticketsellers.co.uk.

Bill Plympton, originally from Portland, Oregon, moved to New York to pursue a career in animation, studying at the School of Visual Arts and started out illustrating for top magazines such as Vogue and Rolling Stone. He moved onto producing short and feature animation films, including the Oscar nominated ‘Your Face’ and ‘Guard Dog’, has worked on music videos with stars such as Kanye West and ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, and is still the only animator to hand draw an entire animated feature film.

‘Plympton’ – a long running political cartoon strip – began in 1975 and has appeared in over 20 newspapers. Its success has made Plympton a household name around the world with its distinctive style making it instantly recognizable. Plympton has won numerous awards over the years including a lifetime achievement award from the Action on Film International Film Festival for his dedication and influence on the world on animation.

The Bill Plympton Masterclass will see the animation maestro talk about his career as an illustrator and animator and he will create live drawings. The Masterclass on Friday 28 October at 3 – 5.30pm costs £10 and every participant will get a free drawing. Tickets can be booked via www.theticketsellers.co.uk or Light House Box Office on 01902 716055. Plympton will show a selection of his short films followed by a Q&A session where the audience can quiz him about his career on Friday 28 October at 8pm. Then on Saturday 29 October at 5pm there will be a UK premiere of Adventures In Plymptoons!, an insightful documentary about the Oscar-nominated animator including interviews with family, friends, colleagues, critics and fans. Tickets for the Friday and Saturday of the festival, which will include entry to the screenings, cost: £15 full / £12.50 conc. and weekend passes cost: £25 full / £20 conc.

FLIP International Animation Festival returns from Thursday 27 – Saturday 29 October bringing an eclectic mix of experimental animation for all ages to the West Midlands. The festival, which takes place at Light House Media Centre in Wolverhampton, will include a mix of feature film screenings, retrospectives of short films and international showcases of animation from around the world. There will be education workshops for young people, masterclasses and industry led panels for students, budding animators and professionals along with unique spotlights on leading animation studios.

Tickets and festival passes are available from www.theticketsellers.co.uk. Keep an eye on www.flipfestival.co.uk to view the full programme and for more information contact Light House Box Office on 01902 716055.

Flip 2011 is organised by Light House Media Centre and is part funded by Wolverhampton City Council, Screen WM and the BFI Transitional Fund.