Please contact us
with corrections
or breaking news
Cohen’s Cartoon Corner: Feb-Mar 2020 by Karl F. Cohen
Producer and SF State graduate Jonas Rivera. Image: courtesy Jonas Rivera
SF Stater’s Second Oscar
Producer Jonas Rivera won his second Academy Award, on February 9th, along with director Josh Cooley and his co-producer Mark Nielsen. They won the Best Animated Feature award for their work on Pixar’s “Toy Story 4”.
Rivera won his first Oscar for his work on “Inside Out.” Rivera (B.A., ‘96) joined Pixar in 1994 while still attending SF State, serving as the studio’s first production intern. He worked on the original “Toy Story” and was nominated in 2010 for his work on “Up.” Rivera is the first U.S.-born Latina person to win multiple Academy Awards.
Rivera’s fellow SF State-Cinema School graduate Steven Zaillian was also nominated for an Academy Award this year for Best Adapted Screenplay for the Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman.” A five-time nominee Zaillian (B.A., ’75) won an Oscar in that category in 1993 for “Schindler’s List.”
Poh Si Teng (B.A., ’07), who produced the film “St. Louis Superman”, was nominated in the Documentary Short Subject category. She works as a senior producer for the TV documentary series “Witness” on the Al Jazeera English network.
Scene from 'A Shaun the Sheep Movie'. Image: courtesy N. Park
Laughing at Sheep
If you want to see what will probably be the silliest film of 2020 check out “A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon”. The British animated stop-motion comedy is a crazy, zany and off beat sci-fi spoof stars a character created by Nick Park for a 1995 Wallace and Gromit film. I saw it at the Castro on a Saturday morning with hundreds of kids who were constantly giggling and laughing.
Since there are no spoken words, of any language whatsoever, just animal and other sounds, if you see it with kids, you don’t have to worry about missing any dialog. Just laugh. After a brief theatrical run, it will stream on Netflix.
Glas Animation Back In Berkeley
The 5th Annual GLAS Animation Festival is fast-approaching — indeed, it will transpire from March 19 to 22nd. The organizers will soon be announcing the competition selections, curated programs, special guests, and the complete festival schedule. Among the guests coming are Caroline Leaf, who created her remarkable work at the National Film Board of Canada, and Mike Judd, who will talk about his beloved characters Beavis and Butthead. For more info go here.
Children’s Festival
The 12th annual Bay Area International Children's Film Festival will be at the Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland Sat-Sun, Feb 22-23. It will present over 60 family-friendly films from around the world, Q&A’s with internationally -renowned artists, animators, and filmmakers, plus workshops and panels. For a full schedule of programs and films visit their site.
Lasseter’s Luck
“Luck” is Skydance Animation's first film with John Lasseter, formerly with Pixar, as the executive producer of “Luck” and his new director is Peggy Holmes. She replaced Alessandro Carloni who left the project due to “creative differences.”
Holmes co-directed two Disneytoons in the “Fairies” franchise, “Secret of the Wings” and “The Pirate Fairy.” She also worked on the home entertainment release of “The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning”. “Luck” is described as a comedy that centers on the battle between the organizations of good luck and bad luck and how they secretly affects our daily lives. Paramount Pictures will distribute.
Mark Fiore takes on politics weekly on his site. Image: courtesy M. Fiore
The Fiore Offensive Continues
Mark Fiore is still attacking the establishment with his weekly animated cartoons. Mark Fiore is a local political artist who does weekly cartoons about what gets him the most pissed off since his last effort. Much of the time it is Trump. He started doing Flash cartoons in the last century and quickly built an award winning syndicated business free of corporate interference. He has even won a Pulitzer Prize. Check it out here. First one is free.
Collins Strikes Again and Again And…
Vince Collins’s first release of 2020 is “Unofficial Intelligence” a one-minute trip into a world of outrageous insanity. If you dare to see one of his psychedelic shorts on Youtube you may stay for the next and the next strange surreal trip. Vince has been creating these amazing journeys for decades with his wife Miwako, as you can see here.
Iger Gets Ready for Poor House
Disney’s CEO Bob Iger's annual pay fell to $47.5 million from $65.6 million plus impressive stock options. That’s a whopping 18 or so million — cue the professional cryers.
Call for Brainwash Submissions
Brainwash Movies is open for its 2020 movie festival season, the Drive-in Bike-in Walk-in Film Festival in Oakland, California—unique independent short movies! Submit entries on the Brainwash website or call 510 836-3210. They LOVE animation!
Need an East Bay Studio?
Are you a Maker/Creator looking for workspace? Nimby, the original DIY maker space in Oakland has moved, and Brainwash Movies, and other Nimby maker refugees, have found another place but need you to help make it happen! Inquire: 510 836-3210.
Karl F. Cohen—who decided to add his middle initial to distinguish himself from the Russian Karl Cohen, who tried to assassinate the Czar in the mid-19th century—is an animator, educator and director of the local chapter of the International Animation Society and can be reached .Posted on Feb 20, 2020 - 06:54 PM