Animation First starts Tuesday at The L'Alliance New York

Animation First at L'Alliance New York is awesome

I have been enraptured with the festival since the first year back in 2018. The festival brings some of the best animated films in the world to New York and opens our eyes to the wonders that are being created outside of Hollywood. More importantly it always gives me at least one film that ends up on my best of the year list. This year there are two - HEART OF DARKNESS and ALLAH IS NO OBLIGED and they are amazing.

The festival not only screens features and shorts but has a lot of in person events. There are jams with filmmakers, Q&As appreciations and parties. (Details here). There is something for everyone.

As this posts, I've seen all of the features and most of the shorts (I've not seen the Annecy collection of the films about snow). I've written up everything I've seen. Based on what I've seen you should pick some programs and buy some tickets...AND IF YOU ARE SHORT OF CASH there are several events which are FREE!  (Details here)

If you love great films or great animation you need to go.

What should you see? Let me recommend a few things:

HEART OF DARKNESS is a retelling of the Conrad novella in  future Brazil. It will make you think of a lot of things.

ALLAH IS NOT OBLIGED is a look at a boy soldier in Africa and it will make you see the genre in a new way.

The Magician of Ostend: The films of Raoul Servais is glorious. A deep collection of the work of an animator who changed cinema (people have been borrowing from him for decades). The chance to see all of these films on a big screen is something every animation fan should make an effort to attend.

Animating the Surreal: A Conversation with Lavis and Szczerbowski is another once in a lifetime event with the chance to see their films (including Oscar Nominee THE GIRL WHO CRIED PEARLS) and to talk with them during a Q&A

Of course there are more, but these four should get you started.

I can't say enough good about the festival and suggest you buy some tickets now.

For tickets and more information go here.

ADDENDUM: They have just added a French Language screening of ARCO with the Director in attendance. If you can go do so since the French version is supposed to be light years better than the English one (Details here)