Sluggish after overindulging with Canada’s poutine? It’s delicious, who could not? Then have someone take you to Calgary, Alberta, International Festival of Animated Objects. Puppet shows and performances with other animated thingys touch on dark, troubling themes. Even though, many of the shows are supposed to be family friendly, it all seems rather ominous.
The Festival of Animated Objects (FAO) supports the arts of puppetry, mask, and animated objects. Live films are right out. The Festival says don’t even try.
The non-profit group Calgary Animated Objects Society (CAOS)- what a cool name – produces Animovies with support from The International Festival of Animated Objects Society. Films are projected onto a grain elevator. A historic one, no less.
Programming includes live performances, screenings, lectures, workshops, and exhibitions for all ages. Don’t forget to see the historic grain elevator.
The event schedule for 2021 is easy to find online. So, it’s easy to see what you missed. The schedule for 2022 is much harder to find. Why? I don’t know. I did find a website, for the event?, listed on one blog, but I had to sign onto the site and I was worried that I might have been committing myself to appear for this year’s festival. A little later, I tried finding that webpage again, but failed. Clearly, you have to want to go to this festival. But if you do, it is certain this is the animated-object festival to go to. See other devoted puppeteers and animated-object film producers. The talent is here. The contacts are here. Immerse yourself in your art and thrive.
Paul De Lancey, The Comic Chef, Ph.D.
My cookbook, Following Good Food Around the World, with its 180 wonderful recipes, my newest novel, Do Lutheran Hunks Eat Mushrooms, a hilarious apocalyptic thriller, and all my other books, are available on amazon.com.
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