Animation Frontiers
Thursday, August 13, 2026, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm
Instructor: Jesse Pires, Executive Director, Lightbox Film Center
When most of us think of animation we likely imagine the cartoons of our youth: superheroes, fairy princesses, and wisecracking animals. However, the world of animated moving images is a vast and complex field where artists have been experimenting for almost as long as movies have existed.
This one-night seminar takes an extensive look at this history, with an emphasis on the postwar period where art and animation forged new paths. With the rise of psychedelic culture and underground comics in the 1960s, independent animators tapped into a zeitgeist and pushed the form in bold new directions, merging personal narratives and political critique. Ranging from direct-to-film animation to collage to early experiments with computer-generated images, this program is sure to challenge and delight viewers who wish to explore the stranger side of animation.
Featured shorts include Caroline Leaf’s “Interview,” Norman McLaren’s “Fiddle-de-dee,” Suzan Pitt’s “Asparagus,” Stan Van Der Beek’s “Science Friction,” and more!
$30 for members, $40 for non-members
Schedule