Female Figures at LIAF 2020

This special screening programme opening LIAF 2020 on 27 November, is one that considers coming of age stories, memories and experiences. In these animations, reflections on childish fantasies and problematic relationships with friends and family are revisited; where young people on the threshold of adulthood grow aware of its challenges and temptations. We witness young people navigating societal norms and gender stereotypes with a growing self-awareness and a desire to resist tradition. Mothers reflect on their own experiences through witnessing their daughters lives and daughters interrogate their mothers to examine their own drives and choices.

In some works fairytale and fantasy are employed to evoke psychological states and the transformational stages of maturing. Some weave biographical elements into their narratives and some employ humour to the presentation of difficult scenarios, whilst all share a refreshing perspective on growing up. The works present a mix of techniques, including paint on glass, stop motion, paper collage and scratch film.

There will be an accompanying discussion with speakers including British-Iranian animator Maryam Mohajer, academic Dr Caroline Ruddell from Brunel University London, and artist animator Linnéa Haviland, who will be accompanied by one of the young women she collaborated with for A Different Category.

Female Figures was devised in 2017 by producer and programmer Abigail Addison at Animate Projects, born from a desire to present an alternate view of women’s bodies and women’s stories to counter the misogynistic representations that persist in animation today. In recognition of the under-representation of female animators within the independent animation sector, the programme spotlights some of the incredible work crafted by contemporary animators, both in the UK and internationally.

PROGRAMME:

Tad’s Nest, Petra Freeman, UK, 2009, 5 min (an Animate commission for Channel 4/Arts Council England) – pictured above

Grandad Was a Romantic, Maryam Mohajer, UK, 2019, 5 min

Yellow Fever, Ng’endo Mukii, UK, 2012, 7 min

Bloeistraat 11, Nienke Deutz, Belgium/The Netherlands, 2018, 10 min

Open Recess, Amy J Xu, US, 2017, 3 min

A Different Category, Linnéa Haviland, UK, 2018, 5 min

Récit de Soi, Géraldine Charpentier, Belgium, 2018, 5 min

The Butterfly Affect, Stephanie Blakey, Canada, 2019, 4 min

Jessica, Amy Lockhart, US, 2014, 5 min

Snow White Cologne, Amanda Eliasson, UK, 2017, 6 min

Ties, Dina Velikovskaya, Russia/Germany, 2019, 8 min

Umbilical, Danski Tang, US, 2019, 7 min

Lost Islands of Philadelphia, Jennifer Levonian, 2018, US, 10 min