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Coming Attractions

05/17/2011

RISD Film/Animation/Video seniors have produced 15 live action films (students shown on home page), 14 animated works (students shown above) and two documentaries.

This week RISD hosts the world premiere of 31 films by seniors in Film/Animation/Video, with screenings in the RISD Auditorium each evening at 7 pm from May 18–21. The RISD Senior Film Show features 14 animated works, 15 narrative films and two documentaries. Created, directed and produced by students, these films represent the culmination of study in the FAV department and reflect the individual vision and clear commitment of graduating filmmakers. Many of the films will go on to be screened at film festivals around the country and the world – and based on past performance, a good number of these will not only stand out at these festivals but will win awards.

Professor of Animation Amy Kravitz reports that there’s a huge “range of content, style and expression” captured in the animated films. One, for instance, presents a graphic exploration of ocean life and currents, while another is an abstract study of carbon bonds realized by animating intaglio prints. There’s “an elliptical narrative about a gambler, a zombie, a samurai swordsman and a thief all linked by fate; a formal deconstruction of a Zen Koan; and a frank animated observation of a dog and cat who play with both living and dead creatures.” Humor is well represented, too, with a funny cartoon about a mailman who knows how to keep his job entertaining.

In terms of the live action portion of the show, Senior Critic Alexandra Anthony says that viewers will see equally diverse films, ranging from “a day in the life of a schoolgirl beautifully filmed in Indonesia, to a moody narrative portrait of a woman whose husband has dementia, to several witty comedies about love triangles, love potions and a New Year’s kiss.” One student’s film is about a journey home to Brazil, and another’s presents three women who each tell a true story that is both tragic and hilarious.

Several of the live action films have an air of mystery, with one presenting an eerie narrative about an actress lured into a house that haunts her with glimpses of her past, another about a mysterious island populated by delirious characters and a third presenting a murder mystery at an art school (!) Portraits of loners abound, with a narrative about intertwined lives of quiet desperation in a snowbound land and films about characters who find solace in a giant cat and in Norwegian metal music.

There’s plenty of hilarity, too, Anthony says, noting that there’s “a comedy about a family whose wishes come true thanks to a mysterious psychic, a soulful, funny buddy film that takes place in a future world with fabulous special effects and a zany musical biopic about the colorful Turtle Barrymore.”

Ticket info
Tickets for the Film/Animation/Video Senior Show are available at the door ($5 general admission; $3 with a RISD ID). Screenings begin each evening at 7 pm, May 18–21, in the RISD Auditorium.

Related links
Film/Animation/Video department
SNE Spotlight on RISD (Turn to 10)