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San Francisco Gets Freaky This Weekend With Animation

November 13, 2009 at 4:44 PM | by | Comments (0)

A scene from Metropia, not for the kids

If you happen to be visiting the San Francisco Bay Area this weekend and are looking for a last-minute culture fix, our suggestion is the Fourth Annual S.F. International Animation Festival. The festival's kick-off took place earlier this week, with an Opening Night screening of the new Wes Anderson movie The Fantastic Mr. Fox.

While Fox is a larger studio release, most of the festival's programming gives due time and attention to films that don't have the same hype or budget attached to them as a Pixar release—obscure international offerings, shorts, and other movies that don't usually find a place at your local cineplex. Don't get us wrong, we're still Pixar devotees, but this weekend's lineup is refreshingly challenging and less mainstream than, say, the umpeeth movie in the Shrek series.

You'll get your fill of Japanese anime with Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai, a selection of animated music videos during Saturday's "Play It by Eye" program, and, as a tip, you should leave the children at home if you decide to see Metropia, a nightmarish thriller voiced by Vincent Gallo and Juliette Lewis that offers a bleak view of a world fifteen years into the future.

For those who are used to the sunshine, bunny, and fairy godmother populated tales that Disney was known for well through the '90s, there is a short program of Alice comedies from years past, where live action footage of a young girl was interspersed with animated scenery.

A full calendar of the weekend's remaining screenings, plus links to buy tickets ($12.50 each for General Admission) are available by clicking here. All of the festival happenings will take place at The Landmark Embarcadero Center, meaning access by BART is incredibly easy, and we highly suggest skipping across the street to visit the Ferry Building as long as you're nearby.

Related Stories
· S.F. International Animation Festival [Official Site]
· Hawaii Heats Up the Film Festival Circuit [Jaunted]
· Film Festival coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: San Francisco Film Society]

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