Organizers of the U.K.’s Manchester Animation Festival have announced the program for the ninth edition, taking place November 12-17. The lineup covers more than 100 animation-focused events, including screenings, panels, workshops, masterclasses, making of sessions and studio talks. Events will be held live across the city at venues such as HOME cinema, Bridgewater Hall and ODEON before becoming available to enjoy online (Nov. 18-30).
To make the festival as inclusive as possible, MAF be adding English descriptive subtitles to the majority of films in the program, and will have BSL interpreters at intros/Q&As as well as trials for relaxed screenings (sensory-friendly).
Tickets and passes for MAF 2023 go on sale Friday, September 29 at noon GMT.
This year’s festival sting was created by Will Becher, the Academy Award-nominated co-director of Aardman’s A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmaggedon. Check it out below!
Festival Highlights
MAF 2023’s feature film program will present the Manchester premiere of Netflix’s highly anticipated Aardman sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, which will also feature in the “Making Of” sessions. (Netflix will also present an advance screening of three episodes from the upcoming series Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.) This year’s long-form selections also include:
- Kensuke’s Kingdom – 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. The film is made by Lupus Films, who received the MAF Fellowship Award last year.
- White Plastic Sky – This 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.
- Mars Express – Nominated for an Annecy Cristal, this futuristic thriller follows private detective Aline Ruby and her android partner who are hired by a wealthy businessman to track down a notorious hacker. On their journey, they uncover a secret that threatens to change the face of the universe.
- The Peasants – Fresh from its world premiere this month at Toronto Film Festival, this hand-painted film adapts a Nobel prize winning novel about an early 20th century Polish peasant woman who creates havoc by marrying an older rich man. The film is also Poland’s entry for International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
- Chicken For Linda! – Following on from its win at Annecy Film Festival for Best Feature Film, this heartwarming comedy follows the story of mum Paulette who has promised to cook chicken with peppers for her daughter Linda, even though she cannot cook at all. But how will she find a chicken on the day of a general strike?
The exclusive filmmaker Making Of… sessions will spotlight Dawn of the Nugget, with Aardman director & animator Suzy Fagan Parr, who serves as additional sequence director on the cluckin’ exciting sequel. Comics artist and animation producer ND Stevenson will also be on hand to discuss the Netflix adaptation of their funny and heartfelt fantasy-adventure Nimona. And producer Juan Pablos Reyes will shed some light on the behind-the-scenes magic of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ holiday release, Wish.
Triple Academy Award-winning studio PASSION Pictures will present a studio talk led by Executive Producer & Head of Production, David Park. MAF attendees will also get to hear from Kugali CEO Hamid Ibrahim in an enlightening discussion about the trailblazing pan-African company. In the anniversary spotlight Magic Light Pictures at 20, the team behind such classics as The Gruffalo and Stick Man will give audiences an in-depth look at some of their impressive array of works.
Additional panels and sessions across the week will also explore The Art of the Music Video, as well as an in depth discussion on the BBC Children’s initiative: Inform, Educate, Animate. MAF will have Industry Excellence Award sessions on Storyboarding and Character Design, and U.K.-based animation news site Skwigly will present a selection of films from its animation community, as well as the ever-popular Skwigly Quiz.
In addition to MAF’s usual short film competition and panorama programs showcasing the breadth of international talent in animation, this year the festival is putting a special focus on Croatian animation with two programs of short films from the nation; one contemporary and one classic. Audiences can also gain insights from filmmaker Kata Gugić of Bonobostudio in a talk about on the Croatia-based studio.
Additional special programs will explore transgender identities through animation and delve into the rich storytelling of Animated Africa with two curated collections of short films.
MAF’s Family Day makes a welcome return on Sunday, November 12, including festival favorites such as the BBC Family Box Set, the Short Films for Children selection and a wealth of dedicated family events. Claymation and LEGO Stop Motion workshops offer an engaging activity for kids to discover and show off their creative talents. MAF will also be hosting the Young Animator of the Year Awards again, celebrating animators aged 11-18 from across the country.
MAF’s Industry Day has been renamed for 2023 to the Animation Nation Forum. Taking place on Thursday, November 16, sessions will include a yet-to-be announced industry keynote, a focus on the state of play within animation from a panel packed with industry heavyweights, as well as a dedicated panel on AI. Networking and social opportunities, pitching surgeries and portfolio reviews will also be on offer; a fantastic opportunity to meet with industry professionals and receive feedback on ideas and skills.
Once again hosted by National Comedy Awards 2023 nominee, comedian and actor Amy Gledhill, the annual MAF Awards ceremony will be held Thursday, November 17. This year’s Film Awards will have categories of Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, Best Student Film, Best Children’s Film, Best Commissioned Film, Best Immersive Film and, new for this year, Best British Film.
As previously announced, for the first time in 2023, the winner of the Short Film category will automatically qualify for Oscar Academy Award consideration. Across the festival there will be 103 different short films from 26 different countries representing the very best animated short films from across the world.
Visit manchesteranimationfestival.co.uk for more details including the full schedule of events (with additional announcements due in the coming weeks).
