Female Figures presents a selection of shorts featuring complex and compelling female characters, their dreams, frustrations, and dark desires. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion about on screen representation, the problematic depiction of women as passive objects of desire, and the rising tide of empowered female perspectives, as demonstrated by the remarkable female animators included in this programme.
Produced by Abigail Addison from Animate Projects, who will be in conversation with animation professionals Dr. Steve Henderson, Sarah Ann Kennedy, Kim Noce, and Alys Scott Hawkins.
At Barbican book tickets
Speakers
Abigail Addison
Abigail Addison is a Producer, and is a Director of animation agency Animate Projects. Over the past 10 years she has produced many innovative projects including 15 shorts for Channel 4’s Random Acts, and Silent Signal, a large-scale touring art & science project that received Wellcome Trust support. She also works independently with filmmakers, and co-produced Chris Shepherd’s Johnno’s Dead which won Best British Film at LIAF 2016. Abigail sits on the Advisory Board of Underwire Festival and of Animation Alliance UK.
Dr Steve Henderson
Dr Steve Henderson is the editor and co-owner of Skwigly.com, the largest UK-based animation magazine and resource. In 2015 he founded the Manchester Animation Festival. He is a senior lecturer in animation at Manchester Metropolitan University. He recently successfully defended his PhD thesis on Animation Archives and British Children’s Television Animation at Loughborough University.
Sarah Ann Kennedy
Sarah Ann Kennedy runs the MA Animation course at the University of Central Lancashire. Previously Sarah has worked in the industry in a various roles including writer, animation director, creator, show runner, executive producer and voice artist. Sarah has won numerous awards in the UK and Internationally, but is probably best known as the voice of Miss Rabbit in the BAFTA winning series Peppa Pig, as well as the creator of Crapston Villas for Channel 4. Since working in academia Sarah has presented various papers about the role of women in the animation industry both here and internationally.
Kim Noce
Kim Noce is an Italian artist and filmmaker. Her animated films have been shown in many festivals and galleries across the world and won many awards. Kim is currently the course leader of MA animation at London College of Communication and an Animation Lecturer at the National Film and Television School. She holds an MA in Animation from the NFTS and a BA in Fine Art from BRERA Accademia di Belle art in Milan. Alongside her personal films, she works for the commercials and broadcast industry, and in 2005 she co-created the collective mewlab.com
Alys Scott Hawkins
Alys Scott Hawkins is an artist and director of several animated documentary films. She has an MA in Animation from the Royal College of Art. Her animated films have been screened at film festivals across the world, and won several awards. Alys co-runs the Animated Documentary blog with Ellie Land. Recent exhibitions include a light drawing performance in collaboration with dance company Rambert, and group show Find Me, at Spazio Kanz, Venice. Alys is Senior Lecturer on the BA and MA Animation Production courses at Arts University Bournemouth.
I Like Girls (Diane Obomsawin, Canada)
Four women reveal the nitty-gritty about their first loves, sharing funny and intimate tales of one-sided infatuation, mutual attraction, erotic moments, and fumbling attempts at sexual expression.
8min, 2016
Love-in-idleness (Kim Noce, UK)
A film exploring the fleeting delusional love between Shakespeare’s Titania and Bottom. There is no story, only raw emotions and sensations.
4min, 2016
Superbia (Luca Toth, Hungary)
The native people of the surrealistic land of Superbia, where men and women form separate societies, face the changes sparked by the first equal couple in their history.
16min, 2016
Beneath the Surface (Yero Timi-Biu & Jessica Ashman, UK)
At an East London hair salon, Cherelle and Minomi reflect on their complex and distant 25-year relationship, plagued with prejudices, heartbreak and realisations.
3min, 2017
Lying Belly (Alice de Barrau, UK)
She hears. She feels. It grows, though it’s not really there. It’s lying.
4min, 2016
Cipka (Pussy) (Renata Gasiorowska, Poland)
A young girl spends the evening alone at home, but not everything goes according to plan. A cute animated short about masturbation.
8min, 2016
Pink (Mahboobeh Mohammadzaki, Iran)
The life and routine of a woman with breast cancer in the technological world. She tries to overcome the disease with hope.
5min, 2016
Moms on Fire (Joanna Rytel, Sweden)
What’s it like to be massively pregnant with only four days until you’re due to pop? Plus your boyfriend is boring and you just want to have some fun.
13min, 2016
Before & After (Minji Kang, South Korea)
We sculpt ourselves based on other people’s opinions. But is the key to a brighter future plastic surgery?
8min, 2016
Toutes Nuancées (All Their Shades) (Chloé Alliez, Belgium)
Several different portraits of women illustrate the many subtle shades that women portray.
6min, 2015
