Dublin Animation Film Festival has announced that Academy Award winner Michael Dudok de Wit will take part in a Q & A at the Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin on the 21st October 2017 after the screening of his animated feature The Red Turtle.
Michael Dudok de Wit was born in 1953 and educated in Holland. After school he studied etching in Geneva, and animation at Farnham, England, where he made his first film The Interview. After animating for a year in Barcelona he settled in London in 1980. Working free-lance with different studios, in particular with the production company Richard Purdum Productions, he directed and animated many award-winning commercials for television and cinema.
In 1992 he created his short Tom Sweep, followed by The Monk and the Fish which was made at the studio Folimage, France. This film was nominated for an Oscar and it has won numerous awards.
His most well-known film, Father and Daughter, won the Grand Prix in Annecy, an Oscar and dozens of other major awards. In 2004 he completed his short film The Aroma of Tea. The Red Turtle, which he directed and co-wrote with Pascale Ferran for Studio Ghibli was nominated for an Academy Award in 2017.
Michael also illustrates children’s books and he teaches animation at art colleges in England and abroad. Characteristic of his drawing style is his use of strong shadows and of simple but atmospheric landscapes.
The DAFF team and I are thrilled to welcome Michael Dudok de Wit as our Special Guest Director at the Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire for DAFF2017. The Red Turtle is a very special film and I know that members of the animation community will welcome the opportunity to attend the screening and the Q & A with Michael. Michael has also kindly agreed to give a special Masterclass on Friday, 20 October and we will announce further details about the Masterclass and the venue, in early September.
Fionnghuala Ní Néill, Director – Dublin Animation Film Festival
The Festival screening of The Red Turtle followed by a Q & A with Michael Dudok De Wit takes place on Saturday 21st October 2017 at the Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire. Tickets are on sale at the Pavilion Theatre, Dún Laoghaire and are priced at €9 with a discount for groups of ten and over. There is no ticket charge for the screening of the shortlisted films or the awards ceremony on 21st October, but pre-booking at the Pavilion Box Office is essential. To book, contact the Pavilion Theatre at www.paviliontheatre.ie
Dublin Animation Film Festival is sponsored by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Mutiny Sound, Luminosity and Blackrock Cellar.
Festival updates will be available on www.dublinanimationfilmfestival.com and on Twitter @dublinanimation.