Brighton International Animation Festival is set to take place at Latest Music Bar right next to the seafront on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th April. Taking place for the second year running, the festival is a fantastic celebration of iconic animation, as well as showcasing the best in the next generation of filmmakers – UK and International. As well as an impressive programme, this year the festival will include an exciting AR exhibit and the One Bum Cinema  Club will be making an appearance. All films are subtitled with BSL interpreters at all events, making it fully accessible for deaf & hard of hearing.Â
2023 judge’s prestige panel includes Emmy and Oscar-nominated director Joanna Quinn, who will also be hosting her first UK retrospective at the festival for the first time in years. Barry Purves – whose work ranges from the stop motion 80s Wind in the Willows to feature films like Mars Attacks! And King Kong – will be giving a masterclass on the Sunday, and Hannah Lau Walker – a pioneer of women in the animation industry.Â
You can book tickets online now for the jam-packed two-day programme, including: Â
To Be Human – focusing on the human condition. Living with Alzheimer’s, child soldiers, body image and men’s knitting groups are just some of the topics explored in this collection of films from countries including Australia, Egypt through to UK.Â
The (un)Natural World – Science, the environment and creatures of the earth are the focus of this programme. Expect sea creatures, insect specialists and hot-blooded flowers in the programme from countries including Taiwan, Iran and Sri Lanka.Â
Wild Characters – Use of personification and exaggeration are some of the joys of designing and working with character within animation. Clocks, clowns, huge sausage dogs and Elton John all feature in this collection of films that all have a character-based focus.Â
This festival is also one of firsts, featuring Queer As F**K: a special curated programme of Queer Animation not seen in other animation festivals, that explores an array of contemporary queer culture from terfs and gender identity to sex positivity. BIAF will also feature No Planet B – an Augmented Reality exhibition which will be on site to explore between the schedules.Â
Visit the Brighton International Animation Festival website for more information and keep updated by following @brightonanimation on Instagram.Â
For further images, information or interview requests, please contact:Â [email protected]Â
Schedule times, summaries and judge bios below:Â
Sat 15th April 2023Â
11am New Generation 72’Â
1.30pm Joanna Quinn retrospectiveÂ
4pm Puppet Stories 69’Â
6pm To be Human 77’Â
8pm Wild Characters 70’Â
Sun 16th April 2023Â
10am 360 life drawing workshopÂ
12.30pm The (un)Natural World 76’Â
2.30pm Artists film 69’Â
4.30pm Barry Purves master classÂ
6.30pm Queer as F**k 76’Â
8.30pm Long shorts/closing night awardsÂ
New GenerationÂ
Look out for the next generation of filmmakers in this showcase of the best cutting edge of talent from both UK and International. Anxiety, family relations and space travel are just some of the topics covered by this new generation of filmmakers, expect to see work from countries including Canada, Israel through to UK.Â
Joanna Quinn RetrospectiveÂ
Joanna Quinn is one of the most iconic British Animation practitioners of recent times. She is renowned internationally for her drawing skills, wonderful characterisations and her humour. The politics of gender and oppression together with her obsessive fascination with exploring the eccentricities of the human body, in particular the female form, are the central themes of her work. Joanna’s films have won many awards including 4 BAFTA’s, 3 EMMY’s and 3 OSCAR® nominations. Come down and see a full screening of her works from the
beloved Beryl films through to the cultural commentary of Britannia. She will undertake a Q+A after the screening so come with questions!Â
Puppet StoriesÂ
Puppet based stop frame animation was pioneered in the early twentieth century in the former eastern bloc countries including former Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia. We can still see the influence of these pioneers today in this selection of narrative based figurative films from countries including Uruguay, Finland through to UK. Expect beautiful craft in both tactile and digital puppet making.Â
To Be HumanÂ
This programme focusses on the human condition. Living with Alzheimer’s, child soldiers, body image and mens knitting groups are just some of the topics explored in this collection of films from countries including Australia, Egypt through to UK.Â
Wild CharactersÂ
Use of personification and exaggeration are some of the joys of designing and working with character within animation. Clocks, clowns, huge sausage dogs and Elton John all feature in this collection of films that all have a character based focus. Expect music videos and both short films from Hungary, Germany, Croatia through to UK.Â
360 Life Drawing ClassÂ
Join Leo Crane from Figuration to draw the nude and create a 2D 360 turn around animation. You’ll be encouraged to consider movement in a series of sequential poses, before capturing a single pose from multiple viewpoints. At the end of the session, you will have the chance to animate your drawings with a simple smartphone app.Â
The (un)Natural WorldÂ
Science, the environment and creatures of the earth are the focus of this programme. Expect sea creatures, insect specialists and hot blooded flowers in the programme from countries including Taiwan, Iran, Sri Lanka through to UK.Â
Artists FilmÂ
The joy of animation is its diversity of the medium both in form and ideation. This collection of films explore more experimental and non-linear approaches to animation including charcoal erasure animation, CG through to cut out from countries including USA, Belgium through to UK.Â
Barry Purves masterclassÂ
Barry is a veteran of 45 years involvement with stop motion, working on popular TV series ranging from The Wind in the Willows and Twirlywoos, through to feature films Mars Attacks! and King Kong. He will give a presentation on his work and career including screening of new film No Ordinary Joe.Â
Queer as F++KÂ
Special curated programme of Queer Animation that explores an array of contemporary queer culture from terfs and gender identity to sex positivity.
Judge BiographiesÂ
JOANNA QUINNÂ
Joanna discovered animation while studying Graphic Design at Middlesex University London in the late 1980’s. Her graduation film Girls Night Out, introduced audiences to the character of Beryl and kick-started Joanna’s animation career by winning 3 awards at Annecy. Joanna is renowned internationally for her drawing skills, wonderful characterisations and her humour. The politics of gender and oppression together with her obsessive fascination with exploring the eccentricities of the human body, in particular the female form, are the central themes of her work. Joanna’s films have won many awards including 4 BAFTA’s, 3 EMMY’s and 3 OSCAR® nominations.Â
BARRY JC PURVESÂ
Barry is a veteran of 45 years involvement with stop motion, working on popular TV series ranging from The Wind in the Willows to, recently, Twirlywoos, and The Sound Collector, as well as his own unique and more adult, rich Oscar and Bafta nominated short films such as Next, Screen Play, Rigoletto, Achilles, Tchaikovsky. And No Ordinary Joe. Barry was involved with the feature films Mars Attacks! and King Kong.Â
Away from animation Barry teaches at universities and festivals around the world, and directs, performs and designs for many theatre shows, varying from farces, to controversial dramas and grand opera.Â
He has written several books on animation and has his own weekly Radio Show ‘Bedtime with Barry’ on Radio Alty.Â
HANNAH LAU-WALKERÂ
Hannah Lau-Walker is an animator and director based in London. She graduated with a diploma in Character Animation from Central St. Martins in 2011.Â
With over ten years of experience in commercial animation, Hannah has worked at indie studios based out of peoples living rooms, to big production houses in Soho. Animating everything from a laundrette morphing into a beautiful garden to a cow on skates.Â
Hannah has led animation productions, directed her own animations, as well as taught animation skills and mentored up and coming animators.
In 2019, she founded ‘She Drew That’ an animation community focused on the promotion, support, and development of women in the UK animation Industry. Through this community, she has established various mentor schemes, a director’s residency, a podcast, and various other programmes to promote and develop the skills of women to reach senior roles within the industry.
