Behind the scenes in Ottawa, animation is thriving, and every year the Ottawa Animation Festival (OIAF) brings the international community together to share and celebrate its creativity. This year North America’s longest-running animation festival marks a milestone—the festival turns 50.
“The technology has changed enormously, of course, along with the ways animation is made, distributed and watched,” says Chris Robinson, the OIAF’s Artistic Director. “Yet the basic spirit of the festival has remained surprisingly consistent. It is still about putting wildly different work together, bringing artists and audiences into the same rooms, and creating the sort of encounters that cannot really happen while scrolling alone at home.”
Attendees can take in screenings, artists talks and hands-on workshops, alongside social events like parties and networking hubs across the ACE District. From the ByTowne Cinema to the Ottawa Art Gallery, Club SAW to the National Arts Centre, screens and scenes are popping up for the love of the art.
Cutting edge animated storytelling
With multiple screening dates and venues to choose from, it’s easy to discover the fresh ideas and voices shaping the future of animated storytelling.
“This year’s shorts include new work by established voices like Don Hertzfeldt, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Georges Schwizgebel, Stacey Steers, Atsushi Wada and Diane Obomsawin,” Chris says, “alongside many filmmakers whose names will be unfamiliar to audiences—and discovering those unfamiliar voices is usually the most exciting part.”
The selections showcase a wide range of styles. “OK Go ‘Impulse Purchase’” by Will Anderson and Lucas Zanotto uses 3D computer animation and motion capture. “Action Bog” by Winston Hacking uses clay. And Stacey Steers created “The Stars Watch from Long Ago” with cut-outs, photocopies, and pencil and paper.
“There is also a rare retrospective of the beautiful, hypnotic work of Japanese artist Sumito Sakakibara,” Chris adds, “and an artist talk with Brad Bird on the making of Ray Gunn, which should give audiences a very different glimpse behind the curtain.”
Pulling back the curtain is a central part of the OIAF. At forums with the films’ creators and sessions presented by Netflix, DreamWorks, Disney and the National Film Board of Canada (NFB), you can learn about craftsmanship, creativity and early career opportunities.
Curious about the artists, institutions and communities that shaped Ottawa’s rich animation history? Check out Frame by Frame: Animation in Ottawa. Presented in partnership between the Ottawa Art Gallery, the OIAF, and the NFB this exhibition spans 80 years of creativity and experimentation.
The festival’s heart is community
The OIAF knows that new ideas percolate when artists get together. That’s why their parties and gatherings offer places for attendees to relax, re-energize and make new connections. On opening night you can indulge in karaoke and poutine, and a couple nights later give it your all at a dance party inspired by five decades of music. For those who love to sketch, the nighttime immersive drawing session should not be missed. The signature Animators’ Picnic offers lunch and pumpkin carving, encouraging animators, students and festival guests to mix and mingle.
Chris hopes that guests feel part of the animation community, before and after the festival. “The films are central, but the odd conversations in line, over breakfast, at the Animators’ Picnic or late at night are often what stays with people,” he says. “Those accidental encounters have always been the real life of the festival.”
Visit the OIAF’s website to check out the full festival schedule and book your tickets. To find out more about what’s going on in the ACE District, read our Stories page or follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
