Founded in 1975 by the Canadian Film Institute, the now annual Ottawa International Animation Festival is the largest festival of its kind in North America and one of the most respected animation festivals in the world. The program features award-winning work from well-known and emerging filmmakers. Highly entertaining, the "Best of Ottawa" program has festival award winners, audience favorites, and innovative entries in a wide variety of genres and forms, including short films, music videos, and more -- funny, thought-provoking, suspenseful, and sometimes mind-blowing examples of animation’s possibilities. For mature audiences.

"It's Always the Same Story," by Joris Clerté and Anne Morin, France. At the age of 16, Jean-Luc went to the cinema and saw a movie that would forever change how he looked at his father (5 min). "Cattle Call," by Mike Maryniuk and Matt Ranki, Canada. Auctioneering and animation meet in a wonderfully boisterous pixillated report from the Winnipeg stockyards (3 min). "I Slept with Cookie Monster," by Kara Nasdor-Jones, US. An account of a woman’s struggle with, and triumph over, domestic violence (3 min). "The Comic That Frenches Your Mind," by Bruce Bickford, US. A drug-muddled mind tries to think back to its origins in this brain-melting exercise in pencil-on-paper animation (5 min). "A Letter to Colleen," by Andy and Carolyn London, US. Haunted for years by the events of his 18th birthday, Andy London writes a letter to Colleen in an effort to put his demons to rest (9 min). "The Mixy Tapes," by David Seitz and Mike Wray, Canada. Musician MIXYLODIAN (Wray) and filmmaker Seitz team up in multiple animated ways to tell the story of their increasingly problematic effort to collaborate on a film (6 min). "Último: 'Spong Ice'" by Bolos Quentes Design, Portugal. Made from ink on 16mm film, this music video for Portugal's Último mixes live action, animation, music, and movement into a richly textured whole (3 min). "The Control Master," by Run Wrake, Great Britain. In peaceful Halftone City, a mysterious heroine and a brave ally face the ultimate threat (7 min). "Chainsaw," by Dennis Tupicoff, Australia. Love is like a chainsaw in this tour-de-force, twisting a chain of stories about power tool safety, bullfighting, and Frank-and-Ava celebrity romance (25 min).

Showtimes:
Mon 5/18 thru Thu 5/21 8:00