Nancy Beiman: "No Longer Proud" To Be An Academy Member

Photo: Gary Krueger.

Nancy Beiman, supervising animator at Disney, Professor at Sheridan, and friend of FLiP, has told the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that she is "No Longer Proud to Be a Member of This Organization". 

Nancy announced her intention to resign her membership following the new rules which have been hastily introduced following accusations of racism in the current roster of Oscar nominees. 

Pete Western reports on "A Moment in Time" at BFI - the first ever public screening of "The Thief and the Cobbler" in the UK

Animation people in the UK were in for a rare treat on the first Sunday in June. AMPAS [Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences] arranged a screening of the work print of Richard Williams’ lost masterpiece “The Thief & the Cobbler” followed by a Q & A with the man himself. This event was all the more extraordinary because until AMPAS got in touch with Mr. Williams to tell him they were digitizing and archiving the original director’s cut, he had refused to answer all questions about the film.

The Richard Williams Tribute at the Motion Picture Academy - Tom Sito reports

Richard Williams, Eric Goldberg and a Rabbit

Last night the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences paid tribute to animator, artist and director Richard Williams. For the benefit of everyone who couldn't be in LA or weren't lucky enough to get tickets, Tom Sito brings us the story and the pictures.

Roger Rabbit 25th Anniversary Toontown Reunion

On April 4th there will be a 25th Anniversary screening by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences of a digitally restored version of Who Framed Roger Rabbit?,  at the Sam Goldwyn Memorial Theatre in Los Angeles. 

Momentum grows to demand recognition for VFX artists

Ang Lee - ungrateful?

VFX Solidarity International's campaign for recognition for VFX artists is gaining momentum, finding its way into the mainstream press. The Guardian ran a piece yesterday saying that director Ang Lee was "under fire from visual effects artists over Life of Pi speech". Many of the artists who worked on the hugely successful film have been laid off without pay, following the bankruptcy of Rhythm and Hues.

Our congratulations to the makers of Brave

FLIP is delighted to congratulate the makers of Brave on their well deserved triumph at the Oscars. To find out more about the film-makers and their remarkable film, check out our exclusive interview with writer-director Brenda Chapman, find out why director Mark Andrews likes to wear a kilt, see some early designs by animator and designer Darlie Brewster, and read about the secret Irish roots of Merida's hair.

Och aye!

---Alex

BAFTAs Tonight - But Who is Voting?

  

Tonight is the BAFTA awards, the biggest movie night of the year here in the UK, though elsewhere probably just a foretaste of the bigger, glitzier and more star-studded Academy Awards Ceremony in Los Angeles. 

What was the best animated Feature of 2012?

First the BAFTAs, then the Oscars

Award season is almost upon us. Every year in December a swelling tide of BAFTA DVDs and screeners arrives by post, a satisfyingly large heap of swag that makes me very popular at my in-laws, and makes Santa himself look like Uncle Scrooge.

Film Review: The Hobbit - an Unexpectedly Long Journey

The Hobbit, part 1. But why three parts?

As anticipation builds for the December 14 release date of Peter Jackson's latest journey to Middle Earth, FLIP invited Animator Andreas Wessel-Therhorn to review The Hobbit - an Unexpected Journey. Andreas caught up with the first part of the new trilogy at a special Academy screening in Hollywood on Sunday.