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Follow on Google News |  Youngest Animator Perry Chen's Holocaust Short to Premiere at LA Shorts Film Fest & Comic-ConThe Holocaust has been rarely shown animation - and never by a child animator, until now. Animation short “INGRID PITT: BEYOND THE FOREST” is a cross-generational collaboration, now premiering at the LA Shorts Fest and Comic-Con.
By: Perry's Previews The film will premiere at the 15th LA Shorts Film Festival (http://LAShortsFest.com) Watch trailer: http://www.youtube.com/ Perry Chen has used his talents to help other children of many cultures learn the importance of the Holocaust. The six-minute animation short is Perry’s first film as the sole animator and his second collaboration with twice Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton who created the storyboard and character design for the film. Their first collaboration is the award-winning “Guard Dog Global Jam,” created by 75 animators around the world based on Plympton’s Oscar-nominated “Guard Dog.” Perry created scene 41 in the film which premiered at SXSW in March 2011 and won “Best Experimental Film Award” at the ASIFA-EAST Animation Festival in May 2011. “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” depicts Pitt’s struggle and ultimate survival between the age of five through eight during the Holocaust when she and her mom were imprisoned by the Nazis in the Stutthof concentration camp in Poland in 1942, and miraculously escaped in 1945. Pitt grew up to become a major film and television star, appearing opposite Clint Eastwood in “Where Eagles Dare” and many other films. She passed away in the UK in November 2010. “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” is her last film project. Starting with Bill Plympton’s 23 traditional pencil sketches as storyboard, Perry Chen used Toon Boom Animation Software & Wacom Tablet to bring this moving story & its contemporary implications alive. Toon Boom Animation and Wacom are sponsors of Perry’s animation film, drawn by the idea of a child animating another child’s story, across space and time. Perry and his producer mom Zhu Shen connected with many people who helped to make the film a reality. The film is directed by Kevin Sean Michaels, with Holocaust expert Dr. Jud Newborn as adviser and co-producer. “We must know our past to move on into the future,” said Perry Chen, “That’s why it is important to teach today’s children about the Holocaust so that similar tragedies will not happen in the future. I hope people of all ages, especially kids, will get to see our film. For me, it is definitely more fun and exciting to make a film than to review one!” The film has already received rave reviews from acclaimed animation filmmakers and the Holocaust education community. It has broad potential for 21st Century human rights/tolerance education. Additional film festivals that this film has been submitted to include: Ottawa Animation Festival, Burbank International Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, International Family Film Festival, Savannah Film Festival, San Diego Film Festival, San Diego Asian Film Festival, and Mill Valley Film Festival. About Perry Chen: Perry Chen started reviewing movies and family-friendly entertainment with his unique, kids-friendly starfish rating system at 8 in third grade. He writes movie reviews for the San Diego Union Tribune, Animation World Network (AWN); Amazing Kids!, and his own Perry’s Previews website, with a combined readership of over 2 million. He became a national sensation with his network TV debut on CBS Evening News as the youngest film critic in 2009 and has since appeared on numerous national and international media, including NPR, CNN, Variety, the Guardian, spoke at a TEDx conference, and presented at Annie Awards for Animation. He won a prestigious “San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Award” in 2010 and is the youngest honoree of Cox Communications’ http://www.perryspreviews.com http://www.awn.com/ (Animation World Network: The Holocaust Through the Eyes of a Child - Animated by a Child) Selected Advanced Endorsements for “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest:” “I was delighted to see two of my favourite animators working together again - Perry Chen and Bill Plympton! It's a very important piece of work and having Perry animate to Bill’s storyboards for animation is a great way to bring home both the strength and innocence of children when faced with such horror.” - Tomm Moore, director, Oscar-nominated animation feature “The Secret of Kells.” "Not only is the story treatment very touching, it is even more outstanding to see what Perry has been able to produce in such a short time,” said “We are honored to be part of this excellent production that will surely receive rave reviews from the animation community. Congratulations!" - Joan Vogelesang, President & CEO, Toon Boom Animation. “Ina and I feel it gives special insight into the Holocaust. I plan to give as much support as I can to this innovative, artistically executed film.” -Jack Polak, Chair Emeritus, The Anne Frank Center USA. “INGRID PITT: BEYOND THE FOREST is so wonderful and appropriate to today - to the children in this world, growing up and needing something to touch theirs’ and others’ hearts and souls, so as to know the true feeling of love and empathy for their peers,” -Millie Perkins, the actress who played “Anne Frank” in the classic film, The Diary of Anne Frank. Upcoming Screenings: World premiere: Sat, July 23, 2011, 3:15 pm, program 11, LA Shorts Fest http://LAShortsFest.com http://lashortsfest.com/ San Diego premiere & screenings: 1. Comic-Con Panel Discussion “Holocaust Through the Eyes of a Child, Animated by a Child” Sunday, July 24, 3:45-4:45 pm, Room 5AB, San Diego Convention Center Panelists: Perry Chen (Animator), Bill Plympton (Storyboard & Character Design), Zhu Shen (Producer), Kevin Sean Michaels (Director), Karina Bessoudo (Toon Boom Animation Sponsor), Moderators: Pat Swinney Kaufman (Executive Director for the New York State Governor's Office for Motion Picture & Television Development) 2. “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” sneak preview with documentary feature “Adventures in Plymptoons” (about Bill Plympton’s art and animation), Sponsored by Toon Boom Animation Sat, July 23, 2011, 8 pm, Reading Cinema Gaslamp, 701 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101 (Special Guests: Perry Chen, Bill Plympton, Zhu Shen, Kevin Sean Michaels, Karina Bessoudo) 3. Comic- Sunday, July 24, 2011, at 11 am and 2 pm, San Diego Convention Center, Room 9 (Perry Chen, Zhu Shen, Kevin Sean Michaels, Bill Plympton Q&A with audience after the screenings) ASIFA-Hollywood Screening (For ASIFA members only) July 28th, 2011, 7pm, Woodbury University, Fletcher Jones Auditorium 7500 N Glenoaks Bl, Burbank, CA 91504 “Adventures in Plymptoons!” and “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” Special guests: Bill Plympton, Alexia Anastasio, Perry Chen, Zhu Shen Media contact: Zhu Shen, Producer, “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” 858-761-7955, bioforesight at gmail.com # # # Perry's Previews features multi-media reviews by Perry Chen, an award-winning 10-year-old entertainment critic of movies and family entertainment, TV/radio personality, speaker, animator featured on CBS, Variety & NPR. Details: http://www.perryspreviews.com End
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