Lauded, Cutting-Edge Animated Shorts Screen at Chapman

Chris Landreth's "The Spine"

​Free screenings of new animated short films by Oscar winner Chris Landreth and respective double nominees Cordell Barker and Bill Plympton will be presented at Chapman University Wednesday as the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts hosts the "2009 Animated Show of Shows."

Created by Ron Diamond, former producer of The International Tournée of Animation and The Animation Celebration, the Animated Show of Shows aims to give greater exposure to some of the best animated shorts from around the world. Most would normally receive very limited distribution, if any at all. The event also allows the public to mix with those pushing technologies to create cutting-edge animation, as well as other artists and animation professionals who are interested in seeing the new works.

The lineup follows after the jump . . . ​ Landreth's CGI film, which has already picked up some awards internationally, continues the director's explorations into the dark side of human psychology with a harrowing portrait of a co-dependent couple. The short pushes the boundaries of both subject matter and computer-generated character design.
Plympton's satirical film uncovers and explores a dark chapter in St. Nick's history with the veteran director's trademark frenetic energy, eccentric characters, and in-your-face humor. It's said no one will ever think of Santa in quite the same way again.

​Barker's new film about class war aboard an out-of-control train boasts a crisp, rhythmic style, talent for rapid-fire gag sequences and love of traditional animation. It's set to a score by Benoît Charest (The Triplets of Belleville).

The show begins at 7 p.m. in the Marion Knott Studios' Folino Theater at the corner of Cypress and Palm in Orange.