Friday, March 8, 2024

SLIDE screenings - January + February

SLAMDANCE FESTIVAL - January 19-25

I used to go to the Sundance Festival every couple of years - but it's become much tougher to get any film into that festival, plus they only accept Premieres, and we'd already screened "Slide" at a few festivals as a work-in-progress.  So we entered the film into Slamdance, which usually only accepts feature films from first-time filmmakers, except they have a "Breakouts" section for non-first timers, and I happen to be an alumni of Slamdance, having screened my feature "Hair High" there in 2004, and other films over the years. So when I heard it got in I just HAD to go to Park City, and my super-producer Daniel Neiden joined me there. 

Big problem, all of the local hotels were overbooked, even though they were charging overpriced rates - so Daniel wisely got a room in Salt Lake City (about an hour away) and I decided to sleep at the airport in order to catch an early flight home.

But first Daniel and I hit the festival running - we had all the needed publicity items: postcards, posters and even clever guitar picks with a QR code on the back, because it's a musical western, get it?  We were fortunate to run into many old friends, like two of the original organizers of Slamdance, Dan Mirvish and Paul Rachman, and they helped us get organized and figure out how to find everything we needed in the large Yarrow hotel.  

At Slamdance with Paul Rachman, Karin Hayes & Daniel Neiden

At Slamdance with Richard Lorber

I was dressed up as a cowboy to get people into a Western state of mind.  I sat through the screening, which was an almost-capacity crowd, and of course I loved hearing the laughs of the crowd, and hated that there were a couple non-laughs.  After we did a Q&A session and I signed cards for fans and sold artwork.  One lady came up to me and told me how her husband used to watch my cartoon on MTV and study my work - it turns out she was married to Mike Judge!  

But the best part was there were a number of distributors in the audience, and we actually had buyers lined up to inquire about rights to the film - and that's never happened with my feature films before!  Plus we won a big award at Slamdance, Honorable Mention in the Breakouts section, and that's with a version of "Slide" that was only about 90% done!  


INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ROTTERDAM - January 25-February 4

Over the years I've heard a lot about the Rotterdam festival, that it was basically like the Berlin Festival, but in Holland - that it was a great place to meet dealers and make sales.  So Daniel and I decided to attend the screening of "Slide" there too.  Also, my terrific French distributors, E.D. Distribution, wanted to meet us there.  The festival put me up in a wonderful Marriott hotel just around the corner, and my screenings were hugely successful, lots of applause and laughter.  The people at the festival were so helpful and friendly so I could have a successful signing afterwards and sell some artwork.  A lot of people wanted to take photos with me. 

For some reason, my films are more popular in Europe than in the USA.  So the high point of the trip for me was visiting a local Rotterdam animation studio.  Aneta from the Kaboom Animation Festival was kind enough to guide me to the party, where I ran into the greatest animator in Holland, Hisko Hulsing (please check out his work, he's fantastic!)

At the IFF Rotterdam with Hisko Hulsing!

Early the next morning, I discovered that my image of Rotterdam being a market festival proved to be somewhat false, as we were unable to meet with any prospective buyers.  It's too bad, because our screenings were packed to the gills, and the film received loud applause and laughter. 




CINEMA ARTS CENTRE, HUNTINGTON, LONG ISLAND - February 18

Deep into the North Shore of Long Island, there's this "Brigadoon"-like cinema, it seems like a magical place where they show a lot of gems that aren't just big Hollywood pictures.  And they're all total film nuts there.  It feels like I end up there every three or four years, and then it's like I never really left. 

So again, I found myself at the legendary Cinema Arts Centre to show my newest feature "Slide".  Again, I wore my cowboy regalia and I brought Daniel, my magical producer and Sasha Odesa, one of the great actresses who did voices for "Slide".  Plus, of course, the woman who wrote and sang the wonderful cowboy music for "Slide", the genius Maureen McElheron, and she kicked off the show by singing a song from the film. 

The full crowd went crazy with love for her!  Then came the film, and the crowd laughed their asses off.  We had sustained applause at the end (which I've never encountered before) and I had to tell them, "Stop! Enough!"  And then we held the usual "meet and greet" (or "sign and sell") with a line that lasted an hour!  I was in heaven, so many photos and autographs - and after they took me out for a beautiful seafood dinner.  What a day!  

Let's hope I can return to this "Brigadoon" of movies soon!  

Maureen McElheron warming up








At the Cinema Arts Centre with Bunny Hoest


ALAMEDA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, ALAMEDA, CA - February 22-25

Just so you know - when I complete a feature film, one of the great joys is the opportunity to travel the world, showing the new film in many far-flung places.  I remember Quentin Tarantino telling me how he traveled around the world for a year, presenting "Reservoir Dogs" and never spent a dime of his own money.  

So here I am with a new film, and my daily calendar is filling up with festivals - about three times a month somebody wants me to present my new cowboy musical.  And my office manager is working hard, looking for new festivals to enter, trying to pick the best ones that "Slide" is qualified for, and trying to find ones that don't conflict with each other, it isn't easy!  

We had a screening of "Slide" at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival, which was held at the Roxie Theater, February 8-18 (we kind of missed their deadline, but they e-mailed me and said it wouldn't be a festival without a new Bill Plympton film) and unfortunately they didn't have a travel budget for me to attend.  

But instead, just a week later,  I was able to attend another festival in beautiful Alameda, on the San Francisco Bay, next to Oakland.  It's a prosperous little community with one of the most gorgeous, 1930's-style ornate cinemas.  The festival had a lot of great programming and super volunteers and was organized very well.  All of my shows were sold out (happily) and my Master Class was packed!

I was also able to take part in a few social events there - the best was a function at the local tycoon's cool Victorian home.  Alameda is apparently chock full of beautifully restored Victorian buildings.  Another wonderful side trip was organized by an old friend of mine who moved to San Francisco.  She took my on a drive up the side of a local mountain called "El Diablo" - she's a great driver but I must say that the very narrow road was unencumbered by fencing, which would have protected the vehicle from falling off a very steep cliff.  But there was a beautiful view of the bay and the nearby neighborhoods.  

By the way, "Slide" ended up winning the Grand Jury Prize at the Alameda Film Festival!


holding the Grand Jury award for "Slide"

At the Alameda Film Festival with Webster Colcord and Steve Segal


JOANNA QUINN EVENT

Back in New York now, and Joanna Quinn is visiting.  She's one of the all-time greatest animators alive today, and I see her very rarely because she doesn't travel that much.  But she's here this week to be feted by the city of Philadelphia for her great work and she decided to make a side-trip to NYC.

Candy Kugel put together a wonderful evening for ASIFA-East to introduce Joanna to her many animation friends in NYC, and also meet some new ones.  It was a great crowd - all the animation "hoi polloi" were there, like George Griffin, Signe Baumane, Sturgis Warner, Debbie Solomon, Biljana Labovic, Lisa Labracio and Frank Morris.  What fun!  I believe that with COVID finally fading away, we'll be able to have more social events like this one!

With Joanna Quinn and Les

with Sandrine, Lucas and Biljana Labovic

We'll post a schedule shortly with more festivals coming up that are planning to screen "SLIDE", so please check back soon and then come out and join me at a festival!

-Bill P.

Monday, January 15, 2024

SLIDE screening at Slamdance, Rotterdam

Hello, animation fans!  Sorry again for my absence - I've been preparing my new feature, "Slide" for the festival circuit.  And guess what, I've put the finishing touches on the film and put it on a DCP, which is the requisite format for films today. 

So I wanted to tell all of my fans about the festival schedule for "Slide".  I've been to Sundance many times, and I've also had films screen at Slamdance, which is a much more intimate and personal festival that also takes place in Park City, Utah at the same time.  This year, "Slide" got selected for Slamdance, in their "Breakouts" section. The festival begins on January 19 and the screenings will take place at the Yarrow Hotel, 1800 Park Ave. in Park City.  

Unfortunately, Park City gets very crowded and hotel space is difficult to find and also extremely expensive.  So I decided to attend only ONE of the screenings, the one on Sunday, January 21 at 4:30 pm.  So please tell all your friends to come by and check out this premiere.  I will be there IN PERSON, making sketches, selling my art and DVDs and giving out free guitar picks.  

Then after I return to NY, my brilliant producer, Daniel Neiden will host the 2nd screening at Slamdance, on Thursday, January 25 at 4:45 pm, also at the Yarrow.  Daniel is a supreme entertainer and if you go, you'll have a ball.  

SLIDE will be playing in the 

30th Anniversary Slamdance Film Festival

in Park City, UT @ THE YARROW 

on the Following dates

January 21, 2024 @ 4:30 pm

January 25, 2024 @ 4:45 pm

For tickets, visit: https://slamdance.com/festival/#tickets-and-schedule

To Buy Passes to both In-person & Virtual Festival 

visit https://slamdance.com/festival/ 


After I get back from Utah, I'm getting whisked off to the prestigious International Film Festival Rotterdam, where I'm doing three screenings of "Slide" and as an added attraction, I'm also hosting my famous Master Class on Animation, January 30 from 4 to 6 pm.

My screenings of "Slide" in Rotterdam will be:
Sunday, January 28, 1:00 pm at the Pathé 4
Monday, January 29, 5:00 pm at the de Doelen Jurriaanse Zaal
Saturday, February 3 at 9:45 am at the Cinerama 1

So, if you know anyone in Europe, tell them to hustle their butts over to Rotterdam and catch the premiere of "Slide", say hello to me and get a cool guitar pick. 

Tickets are available here: 
https://iffr.com/en/iffr/2024/films/slide

I'm now also embarking on some new projects, now that my work on "Slide" is completed.  I've been commissioned to do an episode of a compilation sci-fi feature film out of Poland, that's very exciting. 

And my studio has been hired to produce an animated feature by the great political cartoonist, Jeff Danziger.  He's written a great script about two detective cats and made a beautiful animatic - so I've been charged with completing the animation and coloring and then putting all the pieces together.  Wow, this is going to be so much fun!

See ya in Slamdance or Rotterdam - 

Bill

Monday, December 4, 2023

Spark in Vancouver, Future Film Festival in Italy, Los Angeles Animation Festival


Hello, everyone, once again I've been way too tardy in my correspondence.  I blame it all on the post-production for "Slide".  I must say the film is looking very wonderful - it's a completely new look for me, and it hearkens back to my early days in New York City as an illustrator.  Lots of pen and ink, cross-hatching - which means a lot of extra work, but does it end up looking great!!


Also, I'm beginning to get back into traveling, "Slide" is at a stage where I can show an almost-finished copy at festivals - so let's start with where I went last month.

I got invited to the Spark Animation Festival in Vancouver, BC, Canada, organized by Keith Blackburn.  I love this festival, Keith brings in a lot of the "creme de la creme" of animation stars.  Plus, Vancouver itself is home to many animation greats: David Fine, Allison Snowden, Danny Antonucci. Robert Valley

Bill with David Fine and Allison Snowden at Spark Animation Festival in Vancouver

And of course, the great Marv Newland - who, by the way, was the MC at my ceremonial Lifetime Achievement Award event.  I'm not an emotional guy - but as Marvelous Marv was reading his testimonial, I thought, "Here I am, getting such a prestigious award from my animation idol..." a tear came to my eye.  As a kid I never would have thought I would achieve so much. 

Marv Newland presents Bill Plympton with the Spark Animation Festival Lifetime Achievement Award

They also screened "Slide" in Vancouver - but to top off the whole experience, my hotel shower had a floor-to-ceiling window, open to the hotel across the street.  Now, I'm a big fan of outdoor showers, but this was a bit too close to indecent exposure! 

Next up was the Future Film Festival.  Now, I said "Yes" to both festivals and accidentally overbooked myself - and I neglected to look at the two itineraries side-by-side.  But when my office manager was putting both trips on my calendar, he saw that I was due back from Vancouver on November 14, and was also scheduled to fly to Italy on November 13.  Well, it turned out that between these two trips, my itinerary was impossible - you have to get BACK from one festival BEFORE you can leave for the next one.  John H. spotted the mistake right away and got in touch with the hospitality coordinator at Spark, and they graciously moved my flight by 24 hours so I could arrive at Newark Airport on Monday instead of Tuesday, wait a few hours and then catch the flight to Italy from the SAME airport.  Whew, that was a close one.  Thankfully the Spark Festival had given me an extra day in Vancouver to relax and enjoy their city, and I wish I could have taken advantage of that - maybe next time.  


So from lovely Vancouver I flew to Newark, and then to lovely Bologna, Italy for the Future Film Festival - they took over an old train station and remodeled it into a cinema complex - with lots of events, I had my Master Class on indie animation and of course, I showed "Slide" to a wonderful laugh-filled audience.  They had their own private kitchen and chef service and it was pasta all day long - but great pasta!   They also had built four great theaters to watch animation in - so it was like a 4-ring circus, always something great to watch.  


Back in New York City, Oscar season is beginning and so every week there are screenings of all the Oscar hopefuls.  I saw the new Miyazaki film, "The Boy and the Heron" and like almost all of Miyazaki's films, it was beautiful to look at but made no sense.  To me, there was just no sense of emotional arc or tempo or timing.  


I also got invited to see Disney's newest animated feature, "Wish" - about a princess and wishing on a star.  Frankly, I can't remember a whole lot about the film.  The story didn't make a whole lot of sense and I didn't laugh at all, but there were lots of references to earlier Disney films and wishing on a star.  I give it a C+.


Then I saw this film called "American Fiction" by Cord Jefferson, starring Jeffrey Wright and the beautiful Leslie Uggams.  It's actually a political film about the stereotyping of black films into brutal, poverty-ridden vulgar stories, as opposed to more middle-class ones.  But the way Cord told this story was full of humor and wit, it was a laugh riot.  I thoroughly enjoyed "American Fiction".  


But the really big news I want to chat about is the upcoming Los Angeles Animation Festival (L.A.A.F.) that's taking place on December 9-10, and there's a screening of "Slide" scheduled for Saturday, December 9 at 1 pm.  It's happening at the Jaxx Theater, 1089 North Oxford Avenue in L.A. and tickets are available here: 


And the whole schedule for the festival is here: 

I'll be there IN PERSON to talk about the new film and sign cards for everyone.  I also have a short film playing in that festival, it's called "Lipstick of the Brave" and it's a music video by an act called Tripping Jupiter, a tribute to the queer icons of rock and roll and movies, like David Bowie, Tim Curry, Marc Bolan and more.  That's playing in Program 4 on Sunday, December 10 at 1:35 pm at that same location - the Jaxx Theater on North Oxford Avenue.  

Please tell all your friends about this important event, you'll love it!  And now we're getting ready for some upcoming festivals: the International Film Festival Rotterdam in January, which is a very important industry festival, and then Slamdance, which is a little later in January.  And of course, I'll make appearances at both festivals, and I hope to see you there - please help spread the word!

Also, since it's the holiday season I wanted to remind everybody that I'm always selling DVDs of my animation, and they make great gifts!  Plus I sell caricatures in my web-store, and they ALSO make great gifts, you can see what you or somebody you care about would look like if you were characters in one of my cartoons!  I can draw couples or your whole family if you like!  For more details, please visit my web-store at:

https://www.plymptoonstore.com

ALSO, we're going to start up another art sale very soon, in case anyone wants to buy up any of my collectible animation drawings to give as Christmas or Hannukah gifts!  More info on this VERY soon, or you can just e-mail me for details on the sale.  It will be a lot like the other sales we've run in the past year, where art from "Your Face" or my "Simpsons" couch gags will be $300 plus postage, art from "How to Kiss" or "25 Ways to Quit Smoking" will be $200 plus postage, and art from any other films, drawn or cel, paint or pencil, will be $100 a piece.  You just have to name the film and we'll e-mail you some samples to choose from.  Don't wait, e-mail us NOW at studio@plymptoons.com if you want to get in on this deal and buy some signed art for your holiday gifts!

I've got some animated films with art that would make GREAT holiday gifts, like "12 Tiny Christmas Tales" or "Santa, the Fascist Years" - but if you just want to buy a piece of art from "The Tune" or "Mutant Aliens" that's great too, just let us know what you want to collect!  

ALSO ALSO, I wanted to remind everyone that we still need to raise a bit more money to get "Slide" properly promoted and entered into festivals.  It costs money to enter all the best festivals, some have high entry fees, and also we still need to cover the cost of making a DCP version of the film, because some festivals will ONLY screen the film in that format.  SO, if anyone is still inclined to donate, we've set up a donation page with a non-profit organization called Filmmakers Collaborative, so if you're looking to save some money on your 2023 taxes, you can donate to F.C. in December and then you can take a deduction on your taxes so you won't pay the IRS as much in April.  Look, I don't really understand how it works, but check with your accountant and see if you can get a tax break AND help me get "Slide" on DCP in time for next year's festivals.  I would really appreciate it, you can use this link to make a donation for "Slide" with Filmmakers Collaborative...

https://filmmakerscollab.org/films/slide/

Thank you so much, for reading my blog and being a contributor or a supporter, making a donation or buying some art or something from my web-store!

Later, 

Bill P.

Friday, November 3, 2023

NYCC Wrap-up and "Slide" Festival screenings

Hey, Plymptoons fans and Scribble Junkies - 

I know it's been a while since I wrote anything, but I suddenly became very busy.  I wanted to get something posted about the New York Comic-Con before it gets too late - we had a great time over four days in October at the Javits Convention Center!


While I was there at NYCC, I got interviewed by Mary Fan of the Workprint, and I got to talk about the progress on "Slide" and when I expect the film to be finished and released, and you can read that interview here:

https://www.theworkprint.com/nycc-2023-cartoonist-and-animator-bill-plympton-on-slide-his-most-personal-film/123

The NY Comic Con is a big sales event, for sure - I got to do some caricatures for my fans who were willing to pay for the privilege, and this is always a big thrill for me also, I love to draw people and to see their faces light up when they what they look like as one my cartoons!


It's also a chance for me to connect with some old friends - like Bob Camp, animator for "Ren & Stimpy", we go way back and we've been neighbors in Artist Alley in previous years!  Also Mike Richardson, head of Dark Horse Comics, he came by my booth also. 



On Sunday there was a group signing at the Z2 Comics booth, for a hardcover comic called "The Illustrated Al", where different artists took the opportunity to illustrate some of Weird Al Yankovic's best (non-parody) songs.  I had done the illustrations for his song "One More Minute", so I was part of this group of artists who each illustrated a song and put their own spins on it!  What a great opportunity to meet all of these talented people and sign some books together!  My thanks to Z2 Comics!



Of course, I'm there to sell my own stuff, too.  Selling art from my animated shorts has become a big part of my business plan, so I brought about 4 portfolios of art from "Your Face", my "Simpsons" couch gags, "How to Kiss" and "25 Ways to Quit Smoking", plus art from a few other films.  But people on Friday were asking me if I had any art from the Kanye West music video "Heard 'em Say", which I animated years ago.  I didn't think to bring any on Friday, but I stopped by the studio on Saturday morning and grabbed some, and I'm so glad I did!  These teenagers bought up 10 pieces of art from that video - they must be big fans, of either me or Kanye!  (Probably Kanye....


Then a few days later, I had to jump on a plane and go to Taiwan for a screening of "Slide" at the Taiwan International Animation Festival!  More about that next time, I guess.  But I hope everybody had a safe and fun Halloween, and I'll let my office manager post some of the great costumes he saw at the NYCC below!  

You might remember this first costumed guy, he came to my booth last year dressed as a dinosaur in a leather jacket, and he bought a few of my DVDs.  Well, he came back dressed as Donkey Kong, complete with a banana gun and a banan-dolier full of bananas!  And he bought a few more DVDs, which is great!  I'm always happy to sell them!  And he brought his whole family, all dressed like Super Mario Bros. characters!















That's all for now, catch you at the next screening of "Slide"!

--Bill P.