SVA’s 2017 Alumni Film & Animation Festival
Featuring some of School of Visual Arts’ most accomplished film, television, animation, and visual effects alumni, this week-long festival will include screenings, premieres of new work, and behind-the-scenes looks at cinema & television hits and classics, and all events will feature special Q&As with industry insiders.  A full schedule and list of participants is below (subject to change) and can also be found at svatheatre.eventbrite.com.
Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. RSVPs via the Eventbrite pages linked to below are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee entrance — all screenings are first-come, first-served.
Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening, and guests can enjoy virtual reality and music video experiences in the lobby while waiting to enter.
All events are free and open to the public and take place at SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011.  Directions, as well as local restaurants, hotels, and attractions, can be found here.  SVA Theatre does not offer concessions, but a limited amount of free popcorn and water will be offered at all screenings.  You’re welcome to bring food and drink (no alcohol or glass bottles, please!) into the Theatre.  If you would like to attend any of these events, but require assistive devices and/or accommodations, please email [email protected] or call 212-592-2980 at least one week prior to the event.
Monday 9/11/17
7:00PM Art of the Prank (2015)
SVA is pleased to present the godfather of the media hoax and one of America’s greatest living satirists, Joey Skaggs (BFA 1982 Media Arts), in this documentary about his famous media fictions, which were all reported as fact by prestigious journalists.  Preceded by Hello Norman (2014), co-written by Maëlle Doliveux (MFA 2013 Illustration as Visual Essay).  Click here to RSVP.
Tuesday 9/12/17
7:00PM Disability & Visibility
An evening dedicated to bringing visibility to the disability community.  The Blind, Seen (2016) is the autobiographical story of photographer David Snider (BFA 1992 Photography) and his blind parents.  Anelisa Garfunkel’s (MFA 2016 Visual Narrative) We Will Ride (2016), being given its theatrical premiere, follows disabled riders fighting for public transportation improvements in Boston.  Finally, the NYC premiere of the feature documentary Tin Soldiers (2015), by Ben Duffy (Film and Video) & Michael J. Sassano (BFA 2011 Film and Video), highlights members of the adaptive sports community.  Click here to RSVP.
Wednesday 9/13/17
7:00PM Revengeance (2016)
Bill Plympton (1969 Cartooning) is back with his newest feature-length, animated film, which follows a low-rent bounty hunter named Rod Rosse, The One Man Posse.  Following the film, Plympton will discuss his process of making the film.  Preceded by the award-winning animated short Late (2014), by Christi Bertelsen (BFA 2002 Animation).  Click here to RSVP.
Thursday 9/14/17
7:30PM Doctor Strange in 3D (2016)
Join visual effects artists Jesse Flores (BFA 2010 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects) and Paul Liaw (BFA 2002 Computer Art) for a screening and inside look at this Marvel Entertainment blockbuster.  Preceded by the world premiere of the short film End of the Line, Inwood (2017), written and co-directed by Efraim Acevedo Klein (BFA 2012 Film and Video).  Click here to RSVP.
Friday 9/15/17
8:00PM SVA Premieres
School of Visual Arts will spotlight exceptional live action, documentary, and animated shorts by its most recent graduates from nine different academic departments, including films nominated for Student Academy Awards.  Join the filmmakers in the lobby following the screening for a special dessert reception.  Click here to RSVP.
Saturday 9/16/17
2:00PM Cartoon Network Presents”.
Join SVA alumni animators and artists from Cartoon Network ”” the studio behind such hits as Adventure Time, Steven Universe, and Teen Titans Go! ”” for a special screening of old favorites and new, never-before-seen work.  Guests include Hilary Florido (BFA 2007 Cartooning), Kat Morris (BFA 2008 Animation), and Mike Roth (BFA 1999 Animation).  Preceded by the animated short, Cartoons and You, by Mark Newgarden (BFA 1982 Media Arts), the co-creator of the infamous “Garbage Pail Kids”.  Click here to RSVP.
5:00PM Landline (2017)
Indie director Gillian Robespierre and editor Casey Brooks (BFA 2005 Film and Video alumni) will be on hand to screen and discuss their Sundance Film Festival darling, which was released by Amazon Studios this past summer.  Preceded by the first episode in Elisa-Sofia Fioretti’s (MPS 2016 Directing) short-film series, Through Your Eyes (2017).  Click here to RSVP.
7:30PM 20^th Anniversary Screening of Titanic on 35mm film (1997)
Get on the boat, as we screen this late 1990’s Oscar-winning epic, followed by a Q&A with the film’s Academy Award-winning sound mixer, Mark Ulano (1975 Film and Video).  Click here to RSVP.
11:59PM 20^th Anniversary Screening of The Game (1997)
In honor of late cinematographer Harris Savides (BFA 1982 Film and Video), we invite you to a midnight screening of David Fincher’s brilliant thriller, starring Michael Douglas and Sean Penn.  Preceded by a special introduction by SVA cinematography faculty member Dejan Georgevich.  Click here to RSVP.
Sunday 9/17/17
2:00PM 10th Anniversary Screening of Disney·Pixar’s Ratatouille on 35mm film (2007)
Be our guest for a special screening of this family favorite and join Pixar animation and visual effects artists Ye Won Cho (MFA 2002 Computer Art), Andrew Dayton (BFA 1998 Computer Art), and Maria Lee (BFA 1988 Media Arts) for a special conversation following the film.  Preceded by Jesse Willmon’s (MFA 2006 Design) Draw me a [blank] (2016) videos and the animated short Bluehilda (2017) by James Sugrue (BFA 2007 Animation) of Titmouse Animation.  Click here to RSVP.
5:00PM Tashi’s Turbine (2015)
If you’re a documentary fan, you won’t want to miss this evening, with Amitabh Joshi and Erik Spink’s (MFA 2013 Social Documentary alumni) remarkable feature about bringing electricity to a small village in Nepal.  Preceded by the short documentaries Hali (2016) by Peter Hristoff (BFA 1981 Fine Arts) and Skull + Bone (2017) by Victoria Rivera (BFA 2011 Film and Video).  Click here to RSVP.
7:00PM Ghostbusters in 3D (2016)
Join visual effects artists Arsen Arzumanyan (BFA 2012 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects), Elizabeth Martin (BFA 2015 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects), and Jun Zee Myers (BFA 2004 Computer Art) for a screening and behind-the-scenes look at last year’s hit paranormal comedy.  Preceded by the cinematic premiere of the new Betty Boop short Betty Goes A-Posen (2017) by Mike Carlo (BFA 2002 Animation) of Titmouse Animation and Frank Caruso (BFA 1985 Media Arts) of Hearst’s King Features.  Click here to RSVP.
8:00PM The 69th Annual Emmy Awards
Come watch the show, hosted by Stephen Colbert and broadcast via CBS live on the big screen, and root on SVA alumni nominees and their nominated shows!  Click here to RSVP.
Playing during the festival in the lobby”.
Virtual Reality experiences by Andrew Dayton (BFA 1998 Computer Art).
Videos by Joey Ahlbum (BFA 1981 Media Arts), James Bascara (BFA 2011 Illustration), Louisa Bertman (MFA 2015 Visual Narrative), Lance Cain (1990 Film and Video), Graciela Cassel (MFA 2014 Fine Arts), Suzanne Dell’Orto (BFA 1996 Fine Arts), Melissa Edmon (BFA 2001 Film and Video), Claire Ensslin (BFA 2012 Film and Video), Nathan Freise (MFA 2009 Computer Art), Shiouwen Hong (MFA 2009 Computer Art), Daniel McKernan (MFA 2005 Computer Art), Idit Nissenbaum (BFA 2016 Photography and Video), Junghyun Park (MFA 2016 Computer Art), Andrew Romatz (BFA 2003 Computer Art), Jim Tuite (MFA 1994 Photography and Related Media), Jon Vermilyea (BFA 2006 Cartooning), Elena Wen (BFA 2003 Illustration), and Jesse Willmon (MFA 2006 Design).
We would thank to thank our promotional partners, including:  Animation Magazine, Asian American Arts Alliance, ASIFA-East, BAFTA New York, Center for Communication, DOCNYC, Entertainlynx, GKIDS, Hudson Guild, Indiegogo, International Documentary Association, KIND Snacks, NewFest, New York International Children’s Film Festival, New York Television Festival, New York Women in Film and Television, Producers Guild of America, Queens Council on the Arts, Slamdance, Subway Cinema, Tribeca Film Institute, UCBComedy, Visual Effects Society, Women in Animation, Writers Guild of America East
Please contact [email protected] with questions.  Guests subject to change.
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