ANIMAFEST PRO | ANIMAFEST SCANNER V | ANIMAFEST SCANNER V - Panel 3: Animating Horror
Into the Dark: Animation and Horror – Nag Vladermersky (London International Animation Festival, UK)
Horror! At its most profound, horror is fundamentally a state of mind. Experienced at full volume, horror grips the brain and ignites some of the simplest gut-level emotions and responses that have been hardwired into our circuitry since before we could see, hear or think, shutting down most other functions in the process. Different than ‘frightening’, horror is an imposed state forced into our minds like a poisonous gas that seeps in no matter how carefully we try to plug the gaps.
If words struggle to adequately describe ‘the horror’ then pictures must step up. And what better pictures than those crafted by some of the most creative imaginations on the planet. Animation is uniquely qualified as an art form to fully explore the extent of horror and in this illustrated talk, the horror flies free, far and high, dragging us along in its trailing, flailing vines.
Nag Vladermersky, the Director of the London International Animation Festival (www.liaf.org.uk), has dug deep into the bowels of the extensive LIAF archive and unearthed some of the darkest, weirdest and hellish gems that have screened at the festival over the last 14 years. This talk will explore the cruel and casual violence of JJ Villard (Son of Satan), Chris Shepherd (Dads Dead) and stop-motion puppet master Robert Morgan (Bobby Yeah) alongside the terrifying visions and otherworldly sinister CG terrains of Dutch animator Rosto (Lonely Bones), the ultra-creepy, bizarre monsters created by Pieter Coudijzer (Beast!) and race issues in the American South circa 1919 as depicted by EinarBaldvin (The Pride of Strathmoor).
Nag Vladermersky is the founder, director and programmer of the London International Animation Festival (LIAF) in the UK. Over 15 years LIAF has grown to become the UK’s largest animation festival annually screening 300 animated films from more than 30 countries over 10 days and nights in several London venues.
Throughout the year the festival also tours festival highlights and other screening programmes all over the UK and to several international animation festivals across the world. LIAF has attracted increasing international respect and recognition while progressing the unique visions of talented animators worldwide.
Nag is also the co-director of the Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF), Australia’s largest animation festival, and he regularly travels to festivals, colleges and institutions across the UK and worldwide as a festival juror and delivering lectures and presentations on all aspects of animation.