The new River Street Theatre in Jaffrey will present the 18th Annual Animation Show of Shows from Friday through Sunday.
This year’s Animation Show of Shows features 12 charming family-friendly films. Highlights include “About a Mother,” a new folktale with echoes of Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree,” Disney/Pixar’s sweet “Piper,” and the latest in 360º storytelling in Google’s touching father-and daughter-journey “Pearl” by Academy Award® winner Patrick Osborne. A bonus of four provocative shorts exclusively for mature audiences will be presented at the 7:45 p.m. showings.
This year’s show includes an expanded selection of fresh student films from leading animation schools in the U.S., Belgium, Canada, Korea and Russia. Featuring techniques ranging from hand-drawn to stop-motion to the latest computer-generated imagery, the 16 extraordinary films in this program were created by animators from Belgium, Canada, France, Israel, Korea, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Scotland, the U.K., and the U.S. Their themes range from gay issues and civil rights, to deeply felt personal stories, to the wacky humor that animation does so well. Many have garnered awards from prestigious festivals around the world.
“It will be a sensational weekend of the best animation from around the globe. The Animation Show of Shows is the ultimate curated animated film event,” said Steve Jackson, CEO and Managing Director of The Park Theatre. “It will be a salute to animation weekend in Jaffrey. We will also present the 1939 children’s animated feature film masterpiece, “Gulliver’s Travels” on Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m. as part of our ParkKIDS programming,” added Jackson. (All tickets for Gulliver’s Travels are $5.)
The 18th Annual Animation Show of Shows is curated by Ron Diamond and presented by Acme Filmworks. There is a 5:30 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. performance on Friday, and Saturday. There is a 2 p.m. show on Sunday. Doors open 30 minutes prior to performance. Tickets are $8 (seniors/active military/students with ID: $7). Due to the intimate size of the River Street Theatre, it is highly recommended you purchase tickets in advance. Call the Box Office at 532-8888 or go to www.theparktheatre.org to purchase tickets with any major credit card.