So what if COVID-19 a.k.a. the Big Bad of 2020 is still lurking in the corners of Red Dot Island, and has prevented festivals and events from taking place? Cartoons Underground 2020, the island's very own animation festival, has in fact expanded from a 1-day evening festival to an exciting 5-day online event from 9 to 13 December 2020.
Of course, the festival, which is also South-East Asia's largest, will not be happening in their usual physical venue. Instead, attendees will step into an interactive and vibrant 360° virtual world created by CG lead Enrique Caballero.
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| Love is in the air |
Within this immersive neon-lit cyberpunk 'hood, festival goers will be able to hunt for easter eggs, view films and behind the scene footages, and attend Q&A sessions with directors. Red Dot Diva had a sneak peek of the 360° world, which had tributes to Lady & The Tramp as well as the chef couple from the movie, Ratatouille. According to Enrique Caballero, he felt that during this difficult year, we all needed more love. Since the locals love shopping online, there will also be an art market where you can buy unique items for your own collection or as presents.
While the pandemic continues to rage on in several parts of the world, live action TV and movie productions have either halted or have been delayed. But as the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. Seemingly pandemic-proof, the animation industry is set to boom in the next 5 years due to market demand, and for the practical reason that most of the work can be performed remotely.
Red Dot Diva welcomes the rise of animation movies. They are not just for kids and children. There are the cookie-cutter Disneys, Pixars, Dreamworks and well-loved Studio Ghibli films, and then there are so many others that fall in between or out of those familiar lines that are as beautiful and moving.
Cartoons Underground 2020 continues to offer an astounding range of adult-friendly animation films for fans to enjoy. There will be 150 minutes of animated short films to watch, with all of them starting to screen LIVE from 8PM Singapore Time on 9 December. If you sign up for a festival ticket, you can take part in Q&A sessions with the film directors. In addition, there will also be a conversation between Hollywood director, Kyle Balda (Director of the Minions & Despicable Me 2 & 3) and prolific award-winning short film director, Patrick Smith (Director of MTV Daria, Oscar Member).
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| Moist by Lee Chao Ming (Taiwan) |
This year, the festival received over 1,321 entries submitted from a whopping 88 countries. 17 films have been selected, consisting of directors from Taiwan, France, Japan and Singapore. A number from Europe and America will be making is premiere during the festival as well. The Singapore programme includes a first submission from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, with an entry entitled “Watermelon Please” by Lim Jia Ying.
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| foto time by Renne Chua (Singapore) |
And then there is the Golden Durian Awards which will be streamed LIVE on 13 December at 8 PM Singapore Time. Awards for Best Animation, Best SG Student Animation, Audience Choice and Special Mention are up for grabs. The notable local films vying for the awards are “foto time” by Renne Chua, “It grows on you” by Mok Yuin Peng, and “Women in Rage” by young fine artists, Chen Yanyun and Sara Chong. The last animation short envisions how mythical female monsters like the Pontianak and Medusa, battle prejudices and injustices, and that they are angry. Very very angry.
Cartoons Underground is not just a festival for screening animation shorts. It also aims to help new graduates find their place in the industry. With a partnership with *SCAPE and LASALLE University, the festival has added a special spotlight on the best of National Youth Film Awards (NYFA) animation as well as a 2-day animation workshop. Shortlisted teams will get to attend a masterclass in storyboarding and pitching with award-winning local directors, Jerrold Chong (FindingPictures), Zhuang Brothers and American award-winning director, Sean Buckelew.
It's going to be a visual feast next weekend at Cartoons Underground 2020. Don't miss it. Just get your tickets via Eventbrite. It's free, with one ticket for all 5 days, but do consider donating to show your support to the artists and the organisers. This will help ensure that one of the most colourful media festivals will continue to grow in the many years to come!
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Website: www.cartoonsunderground.com
RSVP at Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/698954164384909
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