Returning after huge success last year, the Manchester Animation Festival will be showcasing some of the finest animation work in person, with sessions taking place across the city. Kicking off this November with over 100 events such as screenings, panels, workshops, masterclasses, Making Of and studio talks, there is plenty for animation enthusiasts to get involved in with this year’s festival.
Now into its ninth year, Manchester Animation Festival will run between November 12 and 17 and there’s quite the jam-packed programme over the six days at venues such as HOME, The University of Salford, Odeon Great Northern, Manchester Central Library and The Bridgewater Hall.
Fans will be invited to take an exclusive behind the scenes look at the Manchester premiere screening of Netflix’s highly anticipated Aardman sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of The Nugget and an advanced three episode screening of Netflix’s upcoming animated series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.
Exclusive ‘Making Of..’ sessions will divulge what it takes to make an animation on a global scale, including Netflix’s Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget with Senior Animator, Suzy Fagan Parr. Prolific comic book artist and animation producer ND Stevenson joins the festival to discuss the recently released Netflix fantasy adventure comedy Nimona, and Producer Juan Pablo Reyes Lancaster Jones will be shedding insight on some of the behind-the-scenes magic from the production of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ upcoming animated blockbuster Wish.
There will also be a selection of global hits lauded by the likes of Toronto Film Festival and Venice Film Festival. You may be familiar with Kensuke’s Kingdom, which will be screened at this year’s festival. Based on Michael Morpurgo’s bestselling novel, Kensuke’s Kingdom tells the story of a boy swept overboard during a storm on a worldwide sailing trip with his family – starring Cillian Murphy, Sally Hawkins and Ken Watanabe.
White Plastic Sky will also be showing at the festival – the powerful film introduces a post-apocalyptic Budapest in the year 2123. In this future without animals and plants where the price of human survival is high, a young man breaks every rule to save his wife. The film has screened at several Film Festivals and received a special mention at Animafest Zagreb.
With more screenings than ever shown before at the festival and exclusive premieres including Mars Express, The Peasants and A Chicken For Linda, Manchester Animation Festival isn’t one to be missed. Manchester Animation Festival will run from November 12 – 17, with both in-person and online sessions, and you can purchase tickets and passes here.