BY BTL STAFF
"Alien Child" (2013)
As part of AAFF 54, the Ann Arbor Film Festival's upcoming Penny Stamps Distinguished Speaker series will feature filmmaker David OReilly. Come hear OReilly speak about his past works beginning at 5:10 p.m., Thursday, March 17 at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor.
Irish-born and Los Angeles-based, David OReilly is one of the most adventuresome and innovative independent animation filmmakers working today. A darling of the festival circuit — OReilly's film, "Please Say Something," won the Chris Frayne Award for Best Animated Film at AAFF 48. OReilly directed "Alien Child," the unforgettably funny and touching faux-animated video game in Spike Jonze's "Her" (2013), as well as live visuals for M.I.A. at Coachella (2009) and the U2 animated music video "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" (2009). He was the first guest director in Cartoon Network's 20-year history, creating the "Adventure Time" episode "A Glitch Is a Glitch."
OReilly is resolutely independent, moving freely among television network, feature film and music video commissions; metaphysical, otherworldly video games and interactive projects that question ideas of the self and the nature of role-playing (Mountain and Character Mirror); Tumblr games, iPhone hologram apps and Twitter-based comic strips; and virtual reality environments.
This rare opportunity to see such a renowned filmmaker comes on the coattails of AAFF being awarded three times over from the Michigan Council for Arts & Cultural Affairs. The Program for Operational and Project Support will provide $22,500 towards general operating costs. A $450 Minigrant will support the first known AAFF board retreat which will take place later this month. A Capital Improvements Grant of $7,500 will enable the AAFF to obtain a new digital playback system.
The MCACA peer review process allows each grant application to be competitively considered by a panel of in-state and out-of-state arts and culture professionals. This ensures the taxpayers, who support this project through legislative appropriations, and all other visitors or residents in Michigan will have access to the highest quality arts and cultural experiences.
The Ann Arbor Film Festival now seeks to raise $7,500 in matching funds necessary to activate the MCACA Capital Improvements Grant.
The digital playback system occupies a crucial role in the AAFF's ability to deliver its high quality, world-renowned programs to its community of local, regional, national and international attendees. The current system, which has been in place since the 48th Festival in 2008, is reaching its end-of-life. Used during the week of the Ann Arbor Film Festival to exhibit approximately 200 films in 40 programs at the historic Michigan Theater, it consists of two systems, one for each of the auditoriums.
Approximately half of the AAFF materials for playback exist in a format outside the realm of what the Michigan Theater is capable of handling. Additionally, the Theater is not able to expand its closed system and has clearly indicated that the AAFF must maintain its own ability to playback digital movies outside of the commercial standard DCP format.
