Ottawa Plans Extensive Disney Tribute

The Ottawa International Animation Festival will celebrate next month the world’s most beloved, successful and pioneering animation studio with a series of screenings, talks, exhibitions and legendary Disney animators.

The OIAF’s tribute to Walt Disney Animation Studios touches upon their impact in feature films with a 25th anniversary screening of The Little Mermaid. The film’s directors and writers, Ron Clements and John Musker, will attend. The duo collaborated on several Disney features, including Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), Treasure Planet (2002) and The Princess and the Frog (2009). Clements and Musker will share stories from their years at the legendary studio and the fine art of directing some of the world’s most memorable films.

Disney historians Jerry Beck and Leonard Maltin will each curate a program of classic Disney short films. Their selections run the gamut of Walt Disney’s peak period between the 1930s-1950s. The programs feature a mix of standards, like Skeleton Dance, Clock Cleaners, Hockey Homicide to oddities such as Der Fuehrer’s Face and No Smoking, and a few unexpected gems.

A new talent from Disney, Patrick Osborne, will also be on hand to screen the short Feast and discuss its creation.

Also part of the program is an art exhibit that celebrates the legacy of Walt Disney’s animation with an exhibition of Ottawa + Gatineau artists. Disney Made Me Do It is a call to arms, circumventing what is already known about the Disney brand. These artists reflect their own understanding of the lasting impact of Disney’s animation on visual culture. Participating are Barry Ace, Danny Hussey, Barbara Ochman, Phil Osbourne, Rah, Christopher Rohde, Alison Smith-Welsh, Guillermo Trejo and Michael Zavacky.

This year’s festival runs from Sept. 17-21. For more information about the Ottawa International Animation Festival, visit www.animationfestival.ca.

The Little Mermaid