The Cat Piano Blog has a new cradle

Hey everyone.

Thanks for all of your feedback on our film. It's really fantastic to hear what people think of it out there in blogland. Just a quick note to let everyone know that we have a new domain for our blog and it is:

http://catpianofilm.com/

It has a lot more info and links on the film too. We will be taking this blog down in a few weeks so be sure to sign up for feeds etc on our new site.

Look forward to hearing from you more

Watch the whole film now!

The Cat Piano from PRA on Vimeo.

London, Lithuania, Portugal... Oh My!

More festival news from Ari and I on the Cat Piano front. The film will make it's London premiere, after being officially selected for Raindance Film Festival, the UK's largest independent film festival.

www.raindance.co.uk/site/index.php?aid=4495

It will also play at Animatu International Digital Animation festival, in Beja, Portugal, a festival dedicated souly to 2d and 3d animated films create on computers.

www.festivalanimatu.com/2009/e_principal.htm

And over in the beautifully picturesque Vilnius, Lithuania, the film will screen in official competition at International Animation Festival Tindirindis.

www.tindirindis.lt/

ATOM FINALIST & AFI SCREENING DATES

I'm very happy to announce that The Cat Piano is a finalist in the ATOM (Australian Teachers of Media) Awards, held in Melbourne in October. This is how ATOM describe themselves;

'a professional organisation of media educators and industry professionals who are dedicated to the ongoing development of an innovative and diverse screen and media culture in Australia by providing: debate and analysis through its various publications, both print and online, the ATOM Film TV and Multimedia Awards and a broad range of professional development and training opportunities.'

Our last short film 'Sweet & Sour' was the winner of the Best Short Animation award in 2007.

The finalists should be listed on the festival's website soon.

www.atomawards.org/

Also, the screening dates of the film in Sydney and Melbourne for the AFI (Australian Film Institute) have been announced so if you're still yet to see the film, get along and see it in its full 35mm film print glory.

Melbourne - Sunday 6th September, 2:15pm at ACMI & Monday 21st September at 8:50pm at ACMI

Sydney - Sunday 13th September, 6:15pm at Cinema Paris HOYTS & Tuesday 15th September, 9:00pm, Roxy Theatre, Lindfield.

Or visit the festival's website for more details.

www.afi.org.au/AM/ContentManagerNet/HTMLDisplay.aspx?ContentID=8296&Section=Screenings

Melbourne International Film Festival Win

On Friday night The Cat Piano took out the Best Animation Short Award at The Melbourne International Film Festival. We recived a cool film cannister trophy and a handy cash prize. The Awards are also Academy accredited so this will help us get on the Oscars shortlist. Our film was up against such films as 'Slaves', the contentious animated documentary that won the Grand Prix at Annecy this year, the bizarre low-fi stop-motion short 'The Life of Puppetboy' among others. This marks our third Australian film festival award; the others being at The Adelaide Film Festival and The Sydney International Film Festival.


From left to right - Richard Moore, the festival's artistic director, myself and then sponsor from RMIT, Kristian.


In other festival news the film has also been selected in competition at:

Klik! Amsterdam Animation Festival - HOLLAND
This fresh, fun looking festival is a four day event held in September. The programm of film looks really promising too. Two fellow Australian films have also been selected; Tiny Legs of Fire by Doug Bayne (this was also in Annecy) and Scary Therapy by Suren Perera.

www.klikamsterdam.nl/


Other festival selections for The Cat Piano around the world include;

China International Cartoon & Digital Arts Festival - CHINA
This will mark the film's Asian premiere. Below is a picture of the very cutesy Chinese dragon mascot for the festival.

www.cicdaf.com/


Lucerne Film Festival - Animation Night - SWITZERLAND

ICON SF Festival - Israeli Annual Science Fiction & Fantasy Film Festival - ISRAEL
http://www.icon.org.il/2008/

and we have also been selected in the out-of-competition section at the Ottawa International Animation Festival - CANADA.
http://ottawa.awn.com/index.php

AFI nomination for Best Short Animation

We are proud to announce that The Cat Piano has been nominated for Best Short Animation at this year's AFI (Australian Film Institute) Awards, Australia's premiere film awards. This is our third nomination; Fritz Gets Rich was nominated in 2005 and Carnivore Reflux in 2006.

Here's a look at the announcement of the four nominees:
http://www.afi.org.au/AM/ContentManagerNet/HTMLDisplay.aspx?ContentID=7854&Section=Non_Feature_Nominees_Production_Information

This will mean that the film will screen in all major capital cities in Australia later in the year and AFI members will have the chance to vote for their favourites.

Also, for those of you in Melbourne, the film will screen three times a part of the Melbourne International Film Festival:
http://www.melbournefilmfestival.com.au/films?y=2009&filmsrch=The+Cat+Piano&film_id=11786#article11786

The screening dates are:

Sunday 26th July 2:30pm, Greater Union Cinema 6, Russell Street
Monday 27th July 4:45pm, Palace Kino Cinemas, Collins Street
Friday 7th August 4:45pm, ACMI 2, Federation Square

I'll be heading over for the festival and to take part in the 'Accelerator' young filmmakers programm so come and say hi if you see me after the screenings.

Brisbane International Film Festival

The screening dates of The Cat Piano at this year's Brisbane International Film Festival have been announced.

http://www.stgeorgebiff.com.au/Festival/Films/FilmDetails.aspx?id=345

The short will screen twice before the feature The Beaches of Agnes, on the 7th and 9th of August.