LEBANON-ANIMATION FESIVAL American animator Bill Plympton opens Beirut animation festival

Record ID: 134894

  • Title: LEBANON-ANIMATION FESIVAL American animator Bill Plympton opens Beirut animation festival
  • Date: 19th October 2015
  • Summary: BEIRUT, LEBANON (OCTOBER 17, 2015) (REUTERS) PEOPLE TAKING THEIR SEATS AT METROPOLIS SOFIL CINEMA THEATRE FOR THE OPENING OF 'BEIRUT ANIMATED' FESTIVAL SIGN READING (Arabic and English): 'BEIRUT ANIMATED' PEOPLE TAKING THEIR SEATS AT THE CINEMA THEATRE ATTENDEE EATING POPCORN
  • Embargoed: 3rd November 2015 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lebanon
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA47GOA74UKO3CKUABYXCFR5X36
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Film fans flocked to the Sofil movie theatre in east Beirut for the opening of the city's Beirut Animated festival event.
    The festival, which kicked off on Saturday (October 17) was opened by guest attendee and American animator Bill Plympton.
    Plympton's film Cheatin' was shown at the opening event. The film taps into issues about infidelity and jealousy between a married couple.
    For Plympton he said he wants to inspire young people here to seek out a future in the animation industry.
    "I wanted to bring my animation here and hopefully span more interest in animation, get kids excited about doing cartoons, get people to realize that it is possible to make a living in animation so that is the main reason I am here," said award winning animator Plympton.
    The six day event aims to highlight local talent as well as bringing together experts in the field, so as to swap expertise in production and development techniques.
    In May Lebanese filmmaker Ely Dagher won the award in the short film category at Cannes for his animated film ''Waves '98'', making Dagher the first Lebanese filmmaker to win a prize in the short film category.
    "I think the world is ready for some Arab animation, I think that for too long this part of the world has been sort of on the side, they haven't been leading the way and I think that really, there is an audience out-there for Arab animation, I think there is a lot of stories to tell, a lot of issues to talk about and a lot of humour you can talk about," added Plympton whose films have been nominated for Oscars.
    For some attending the event, it was a chance to meet people they admire.
    "The movie is very successful. I use Bill Plympton in the university for the past ten years and it is like a dream to meet someone that important in Lebanon. The festival overall is great and it is really amazing," said Emile Aidaimi, a Lebanese academic and teacher.
    Plympton's work was praised by the attendees.
    "I loved the movie especially as a student in architecture field, it made understand different techniques than what we usually learn. Exposing myself to something like this helps me a lot in my education" said one Lebanese architecture student, Farah Houri, who attended the festival.
    For animators like Youmna Berbari, the festival, which is held every two years in the Lebanese capital, reminds animators of the potential in their own field.
    "I think the festival helps animators a lot to get excited and believe they can reach audience outside their countries," Berbari said.
    Among the films being screened at this six day festival is a short Syrian film, 'The Wind', Lina Ghaibe is one of the film's animators.
    "The film is a stop-motion animation, not a drawing one. The film was made in an abandoned building with all the details filmed in it in a very spontaneous way. The film expresses the suffering of the Syrian people from a humanitarian perspective only," said Ghaibe.
    The festival runs until Thursday (October 22) events include a master class with Plympton as well as another master class with Swedish cartoonist and animator Max Andersson.
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