John R. Dilworth tribute at Athens animation festival

Four-day event showcases American artists and presents Greek talent

P. PANAGOPOULOS

The 5th Athens International Animation Festival, starting today and running to Sunday at the Odeon Starcity cinema on Syngrou Avenue, is dedicated to the inventive and rich language of the animation genre – a style of film that reaches out to audiences of all ages and preferences.

Organized by the Union of Greek Animators, the festival brings together talent from around the world, highlighting the ever-developing field and the effect of modern, cutting-edge technologies on the evolution of the genre, which was recently boosted by the success of films such as “Finding Nemo” and “The Incredibles,” productions created by pioneers Pixar.

The breadth of themes showcased at the festival proves that animation is not just for children and the film industry is sitting up and taking note. Indeed, star animator and director John R. Dilworth was nominated for an Oscar in 1995 for his “Chicken from Outer Space.”

Dilworth – who has shown his work on numerous American television stations, such as CBS, Showtime, MTV, HBO and the Cartoon Network, and who has held exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim in New York – is the central figure of the Athens International Animation Festival.

Another important animator whose work will be shown is Bill Plympton, an artist whose work is distinguished by a certain fuzziness of movement and dark, melancholy characters. Though popular with television stations, Plympton’s work is more familiar to the broader public through music videos, such as Madonna’s “Who’s That Girl” or the animated version of Kanye West’s “Heard ‘Em Say.”

The festival also includes a competition section featuring artists from Greece and abroad who have studied at animation schools throughout Europe, as well as a conference today on designing animated characters.

The Athens International Animation Festival is funded by the Ministry of Culture and the General Secretariat for Youth, while it takes place under the auspices of the City of Athens and the American Embassy.