Independent

‘Animation Is Film’ Announces 2025 Winners
ANIMATION IS FILM (AIF) today announced the winners of its 8th annual festival, with AMƉLIE OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN, directed by MaĆÆlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han, receiving the festival’s top honor, the Grand Jury Prize.
INTERVIEW: Putting Together “Stitch Head”

INTERVIEW: Putting Together “Stitch Head”

Avatar photoJackson Murphy|
October 20th, 2025
We spoke with Steve Hudson, the director of the new animated featureĀ Stitch Head, which opens in theaters on Wednesday Oct. 29, just in time for Halloween.
INTERVIEW: Presenting “Light Of The World”

INTERVIEW: Presenting “Light Of The World”

Avatar photoJackson Murphy|
August 27th, 2025
John J. Schafer and Tom Bancroft directed the new hand-drawn animated featureĀ Light of the World, which opens in theaters on SeptemberĀ 5th (John’s birthday). They hope audiences, especially families, respond well to their portrayal of the story of Christ, successfully made outside the major studio system. (This Animation Scoop Q&A was edited for length and clarity.) […]

Latest in Category: Independent

TRAILER: “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero” Opens Nationwide April 13th

Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero is based on the incredible true story of the unbreakable bond between a young Soldier and a stray dog who, for his valorous feats, is still recognized today as the first dog promoted to the rank of Sergeant in the U.S. Army, the most decorated dog in American history and […]
Avatar photoJerry Beck|February 27, 2018
TRAILER: “Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero” Opens Nationwide April 13th

OSCAR NOMINEE SPOTLIGHT: “Revolting Rhymes”

Directors Jan Lachauer and Jakob Schuh are veterans when it comes to the Academy Awards Animated Shorts category. Schuh and partner Max Lang were nominated back in 2009 for The Gruffalo and Lachauer and Lang teamed-up on 2012 finalist, Room on the Broom. The pair, again working with Magic Light Pictures, is part of this […]
Avatar photoJackson Murphy|February 25, 2018
OSCAR NOMINEE SPOTLIGHT: “Revolting Rhymes”

Shout and Funimation To Give Chinese “Big Fish and Begonia” US Theatrical Release in April

Shout! Studios, the multi-platform filmed entertainment distribution and production arm of Shout! Factory, has tapped Funimation Films as its U.S. theatrical partner to jointly launch artful animated feature Big Fish and Begonia across U.S. cinemas starting on Friday, April 6, 2018. The announcement was made today by Melissa Boag, Senior Vice President of Family Entertainment […]
Avatar photoJerry Beck|February 16, 2018
Shout and Funimation To Give Chinese “Big Fish and Begonia” US Theatrical Release in April

INTERVIEW: Nick Park on “Early Man”

It’s impossible to separate Nick Park from his two most famous creations – Wallace & Gromit. But fans worldwide know the iconic Park is also responsible, as animator, writer, producer and/or director for such classics as “Chicken Run”, “Creature Comforts” and “Shaun the Sheep”. The 4-time Oscar-winner got back in the director’s chair after nearly […]
Avatar photoJackson Murphy|February 14, 2018
INTERVIEW: Nick Park on “Early Man”

Less Is More: The Simple Beauty of “Dam Keeper Poems”, “The Big Bad Fox”, and “The Yamadas”

We live in an era of visual overload. Animation studios are producing images so detailed, they’re virtually indistinguishable from live action, but why do they want to? How does rendering every leaf in the background make a story more compelling? What does an audience gain by seeing each stitch in a cartoon character’s sweater? Why […]
Avatar photoCharles Solomon|January 8, 2018
Less Is More: The Simple Beauty of “Dam Keeper Poems”, “The Big Bad Fox”, and “The Yamadas”

Bill Plympton’s “Your Face” Global Jam

In 1987, Bill Plympton burst onto the animation scene with the debut of his short Your Face at the Annecy Festival. After winning numerous awards and garnering a nomination for an Oscar, Plympton has gone on a 30-year career as “The King of Indie Animation”. To commemorate three decades, producer Ken Mora commissioned a special […]
Avatar photoJerry Beck|December 12, 2017
Bill Plympton’s “Your Face” Global Jam

TRAILER: MGM’s “The Addams Family”

Get ready to snap your fingers! Charles Addams’ The Addams Family is back on the big screen in their first animated feature. Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan (both from Sausage Party) direct, with a voice cast including Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Bette Midler, Allison Janney, ChloĆ« Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard and Nick Kroll. MGM releases […]