Sunday, Oct. 28 is International Animation Day and the New Westminster Public Library is celebrating.
We can be proud that Canada through the National Film Board has been producing quality animated films since the 1940s.
Over the years, it has won several academy awards and has been nominated for many more.
In the two weeks following International Animation Day, the film board has organized Get Animated!, a cross-Canada animation celebration and the library is hosting three events.
On Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m., the library will screen a series of new releases of animated shorts.
Be swept up in the fantasy of an in-flight romance, discover the secret story of a lost Polish town, meet a troubled young vampire and see how an office prank leads to one man's full-blown transformation. These films, which are recommended for adults, have all been co-produced with the film board's international partners and made by some of the world's top animation directors.
A highlight of the celebration is the chance to make your own animated short film. Two hands-on animation workshops will be held on Thursday, Nov. 8.
Get Animated! partner Reel2Real will teach participants how to animate using different techniques, including pixilation. Participants should bring costumes, story ideas and a flash drive to save their work.
The workshop at 3: 30 p.m. is for tweens aged nine to 12 and includes the film Bonifacio in Summertime. The workshop at 6: 30 p.m. is for teens and adults and includes the film Rose and Violet.
As space is limited, registration is required for the workshops. Rose and Violet starts at 8 p.m. and is open to everyone over 12. If this has whetted your appetite, the library has more to offer. Try Cartoon Capers: A History of Canadian Animators by Karen Mazurkewich, Beginners Guide to Animation by Mary Murphy, and several DVDs of film board animated films.
The New Westminster Public Library is at 716 Sixth Ave. Register at 604-527-4667.
