Since 1976, the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) has showcased world-famous films as well as new local talent. This year’s events, which ran from Sept. 19-23, have been no exception.
The OIAF has been expanding each year, and this year it received a record number of 2,377 submissions from filmmakers all across the world, according to a press release. The festival accepted 101 of these entries, all of which are viable for the festival’s various awards.
The Bytowne Cinema, the Arts Court Theatre, and the NAC Theatre were among the different venues that featured OIAF screenings.
The festival was founded by the Canadian Film Institute, and gives young filmmakers and industry veterans the opportunity to display their films, and network with other animation enthusiasts.
The OIAF is the largest animation festival in North America, making it an excellent platform for Canadian animators such as Ottawa’s David Borish, whose Paper Man 2 opened the competition on the Sept 19.
With its expansion, the OIAF is beginning to change its image as well.
“We’re going for an even bigger, more glamorous thing,” Bytowne Cinema manager Megan McLeod said of the festival’s changes.
One of the festival’s biggest events was the advanced screening of Hotel Transylvania. The movie, set for theatre release on Sept. 28, is a light-hearted tale of growing up, and the struggles of being different. The movie features remarkable visuals, from the massive shots of Dracula’s castle, to the strands of a character’s hair.
The screening was followed by a Q&A with the film’s director, Genndy Tartakovsky, the Emmy Award-winning animator of such shows as Samurai Jack and Dexter’s Laboratory.
An impressive element of the film is its ability to entertain people of all ages. Although marketed as a kid’s film, Hotel Transylvania has a complex storyline, and a sense of humour that does not feel simplified for a younger audience. Boasting an ensemble cast with the likes of Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, and Steve Buscemi, the film drew laughs from the crowd.
During the Q&A, one audience member remarked that the role of Dracula was “Adam Sandler’s best performance.”
Tartakovsky was very knowledgeable when it came to the film industry, despite Hotel Transylvania being his first feature film. In the Q&A, Tartakovsky mentioned the importance of humour in animated film.
“We wanted to make the movie not a scary movie for kids, but a funny movie with monsters.”
Tartakovsky went on to express his love of the audience at film festivals.
“There was laughter from start to finish,” he said.
He said the response felt “incredible” and that it was a “great memory” to experience for his first feature-length film.
Audience members enjoyed the film’s subject matter and the detailed Q&A.
“They offered everything you could want from it, I really liked it,” one Carleton film student said.
“It was good to hear his information that he had for aspiring filmmakers,” he added.
McLeod said the festival brings a unique crowd to Ottawa.
“We get a lot of international visitors,” she said.
The Bytowne hosts the majority of the screenings, and has become a favourite venue for most festival-goers.
“For a lot of the time we were the only venue that sold popcorn,” McLeod said.
“So we are one of the more popular ones.”
