San Francisco International Animation Festival

The San Francisco Film Society has announced its intention to mount the second annual San Francisco International Animation Festival (SFIAF), a four-day event from November 8th through 11th at Landmark’s Embarcadero Center Cinema.

Highlights include the opening night event, Thursday, November 8 at 6:45 pm, screening Leslie Iwerks new documentary, The Pixar Story. This special screening and reception will feature director Leslie Iwerks and an onstage discussion with a bevy of Pixar artists.

On Friday, November 9 at 2:00 pm is a free panel discussion Animating the Internet at the Apple Store, at 1 Stockton Street (at Ellis). Panelists will include Tiffany Shlain (founder, Webby Awards), Tom Sicurella (digital content lab mentor, American Film Institute) and Phil Robinson (animator, W!LDBRAIN). At 7:00 pm, Top Drawers, a screening of hand-drawn work from animators ranging from Joanna Quinn (Dreams and Desires: Family Ties) and Georges Schwizgebel (Jeu) to Signe Baumane (Teat Beat of Sex), as well as artist-driven computer-generated imagery, claymation and stop-motion works. At 9:00 pm Film Noir (pictured, above right) a new independent feature by Jud Jones and Risto Topaloski.

On Saturday, November 10 AT 1:00 pm: The Best of Annecy 2007; at 2:45 pm: Komaneko: The Curious Cat (Komadori eiga Komaneko, a new stop-mo children’s film from Japan, pictured above left); 4:30 pm: Maker’s Dozen a 13-film shorts program including Madame Tutli-Putli and several other festival award winners. At 9:15 pm: Play It by Eye, a program of new animated music videos.

Sounds fantastic! Go get the full schedule and ticket information online or call 415.561.5000.