Sixteen Animated Films from Miyazaki, Plympton and More Set for 'See It Big!' Series at Moving Image, 11/28-12/28

Museum of the Moving Image will present sixteen contemporary animated films in a new edition of its popular See It Big! series, co-programmed with the online film magazine Reverse Shot. The series, which opens November 28 and continues through December 28, 2014, includes works by renowned animation directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata of Studio Ghibli, Bill Plympton, Henry Selick, John Lasseter, and Satoshi Kon, as well as unique works by directors Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater and others.

Among the highlights are two personal appearances: On Friday, December 5, animator Signe Baumane will appear with a screening of her acclaimed new film Rocks in My Pockets, Latvia's official Academy Award entry, which Variety called "imaginative... fascinating and very personal," focused on her family's history of depression told with humor, delicacy, and beautiful hand-drawn images. On Friday, December 12, New York independent animator Bill Plympton will appear with a special preview screening of Cheatin', a new feature about a newly-wed wife's devotion to her "cheatin'"husband. Plympton is also the subject of the Museum exhibition Plymptoons: Short Films and Drawings by Bill Plympton, currently on view in the Amphitheater Gallery (through January 4, 2015). A reception will follow this screening and discussion.

"There is animation all through the Museum this holiday season, with a major Chuck Jones exhibition, the Bill Plympton exhibition, and Ezra Wube's animated film A Memory of Astoria in our lobby," said Chief Curator David Schwartz. "And, during the holiday period, young visitors can attend workshops to make their own animations. The See It Big! Animation series allows us to show some of the best contemporary animated features on the big screen, as they were meant to be seen."

Holiday family workshops on animation, inspired by the Chuck Jones exhibition, include Animated Tunes from November 28 through 30 and Stop-Motion Shapes from December 26 through January 4 (Recommended for ages 8 and older; there is a $5 materials fee). For more information, visit movingimage.us.

While many of the films in the series are ideal for children, please note that some are intended for an adult audience. For films suitable for family audiences, recommended ages are noted in the schedule and descriptions below. Except for the screening of Cheatin' on December 12, tickets are included with paid Museum admission unless otherwise noted and are free for Museum members at the Film Lover level and above.

See It Big! is an ongoing series organized by Reverse Shot co-editors Michael Koresky and Jeff Reichert, Chief Curator David Schwartz, and Assistant Film Curator Aliza Ma.

SCHEDULE FOR 'SEE IT BIG! ANIMATION,' NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 28, 2014:
Film screenings take place in the Sumner M. Redstone Theater or Bartos Screening Room at Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street), Astoria, and are included with paid Museum admission. Some tickets are available for advance purchase, otherwise tickets are distributed first-come, first-served on the day of the screening. Museum members at the Film Lover level and above may reserve tickets in advance.

Princess Mononoke
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 7:00 P.M.
Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. 1997, 134 mins. 35mm. In Japanese with English subtitles. Miyazaki's epic story of conflict among humans, gods, and nature is an unsurpassed landmark of contemporary animation. Recommended for ages 12 and up. Advance tickets are available online.

Fantastic Mr. Fox
1:00 P.M.
Dir. Wes Anderson. 2009, 87 mins. 35mm. With the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep. Based on the novel by Roald Dahl. This family-friendly animation is about a crafty fox trying to reform his stealing ways, who finds his community targeted for death by three slowwitted farmers fed up with losing their chickens. Recommended for ages 7 and up.

Fantastic Planet (La planète sauvage)
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 7:30 p.m.
Dir. Rene? Laloux. 1973, 72 mins. 35mm. In French with English subtitles. In this beautifully animated futuristic parable, the Draags, a race of 39-foot-tall red-eyed giants, go to war with the Oms, their humanlike pets. Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Waking Life
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 7:30 P.M.
Dir. Richard Linklater. 2001, 97 mins. 35mm. With Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke, Wiley Wiggins, Richard Linklater. In Linklater's philosophical animated feature, reminiscent in tone of Slacker, a young college graduate walks around Austin, unsure of whether he is awake or dreaming. Linklater filmed a live action movie on video and transformed it with an innovative form of rotoscope animation.

Rocks in My Pockets
With Signe Baumane in person
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5, 7:00 P.M.
Dir. Signe Bauman. 2014, 88 mins. DCP. With a beautifully textured combination of stop-motion animation with papier-ma?che? puppets and old-fashioned hand-drawn animation, Latvian-born filmmaker Signe Baumane tells a deeply personal and fantastical tale based on the women in her family and their battles with madness. Advance tickets available online.

Pom Poko
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1:00 P.M.
Dir. Isao Takahata. 1994, 119 mins. 35mm. In Japanese with English subtitles. Although not as well-known as his Studio Ghibli colleague Hayao Miyazaki, the great animator Isao Takahata has made several masterpieces, including this lush fantasy about a forest filled with magical shape-shifting raccoons. Recommended for ages 7 and up (They will need to be able to read subtitles).

My Neighbor Totoro
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1:00 P.M.
Dir. Hayao Miyazaki. 1988, 86 mins. 35mm. In Japanese with English subtitles. Miyazaki's most beloved film (called "one of the five best movies ever made for children" by Roger Ebert), My Neighbor Totoro is about two sisters who move to a new country home, and discover a family of Totoros, gentle but powerful creatures seen only by children. Recommended for ages 7 and up (They will need to be able to read subtitles). Advance tickets available online.

PREVIEW SCREENING
Cheatin'
With Bill Plympton in person, followed by a reception
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 7:00 P.M.
Dir. Bill Plympton. 2014, 86 mins. DCP. In the eagerly awaited new feature film by New York indie animator Bill Plympton, a newlywed wife proves the depth of her love by becoming her cheating husband's mistress. This is a special sneak preview in conjunction with the exhibition Plymptoons: Short Films and Drawings by Bill Plympton. Followed by a reception. The exhibition will be on view during the reception.
Tickets: $15 ($9 members at the Film Lover, Dual, and Family levels / free for Silver Screen members and above). Advance tickets available online.

A Town Called Panic
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1:00 P.M.
Dirs. Ste?phane Aubier, Vincent Patar. 2009, 75 mins. 35mm. In French with English subtitles. A surreal tour de force based on a Belgian animated cult TV series, A Town Called Panic is a truly hilarious stop-motion feature about three plastic toys-Cowboy, Indian, and Horse-and the weird events that take place, non-stop, in their rural town. Recommended for ages 9 and up.

Persepolis
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 7:00 P.M.
Dirs. Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Parronaud. 2007, 95 mins. 35mm. English version with Amethyste Frezignac, Gena Rowlands, Sean Penn, Iggy Pop. Marjane Satrapi co-directed this lovely and deeply moving hand-drawn animated feature based on her autobiographical graphic novel about growing up in Iran before the revolution and her exile to France. Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Coraline in 3-D
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1:00 P.M.
Dir. Henry Selick. 2009, 100 mins. Presented in Dolby Digital 3-D. With the voices of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Ian McShane. An inquisitive girl discovers a portal to a parallel universe that isn't as perfect as it seems. This whimsical coming-of-age tale, based on the beloved children's novel by Neil Gaiman, marries old-school stop-motion puppetry with a truly expressive use of digital 3-D. Recommended for ages 9 and up.

Waltz with Bashir (Vals im Bashir)
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20, 4:00 P.M.
Dir. Ari Folman. 2008, 90 mins. 35mm. Director Ari Folman interviewed fellow veterans of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, and used this documentary material as the basis for a timeless and unique animated feature, called "a memoir, a history lesson, a combat picture, a piece of investigative journalism and an altogether amazing film" by A.O. Scott in The New York Times.

Toy Story 2
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1:00 P.M.
Dirs. John Lasseter, Ash Brannon, Lee Unkrich. 1999, 92 mins. 35mm. With the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack. When a toy collector steals Woody, Buzz Lightyear and friends vow to rescue him. But the masterful sequel to Toy Story is also a deeply moving story about a boy who is growing up and outgrowing his toys. Recommended for ages 4 and up.

Sita Sings the Blues
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 3:30 P.M.
Dir. Nina Paley. 2008, 82 mins. 35mm. Nina Paley was called a "one-woman Pixar" by Wired magazine for this dazzling multicultural reworking of the Indian epic Ramayana as a series of love stories depicted with a mix of traditional and collage animation, backed by a soundtrack from 1920s jazz singer Annette Hanshaw.

Ratatouille
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21, 7:00 P.M.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 3:30 P.M.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 3:30 P.M.
Dir. Brad Bird, 2007, 111 mins. DCP. With the voices of Brad Garrett, Lou Romano, Patton Oswalt. Who would have thought that the unlikely story about a rat who teams up with a young cook to take over the kitchen in a French restaurant would form the basis for one of Pixar's most beautifully realized and beloved masterpieces? Recommended for ages 5 and up.

Paprika
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27, 6:00 P.M.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28, 6:00 P.M.
Dir. Satoshi Kon. 2006, 90 mins. 35mm. Japanese with English subtitles. The late Satoshi Kon is one of the great directors of Japanese anime films. His mind-boggling film Paprika revolves around the theft of a powerful dream machine at a psychiatric lab. The heroine is a scientist who enters her patient's dreams.

Museum of the Moving Image (movingimage.us) advances the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. In its stunning facilities-acclaimed for both its access ibility and bold design-the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings of significant works; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, craftspeople, and business leaders; and education programs which serve more than 50,000 students each year. The Museum also houses a significant collection of moving-image artifacts.

Hours: Wednesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, 10:30 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Holiday hours: The Museum will be open Tuesday, November 11 (Veterans' Day) 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Holiday hours: The Museum will be open 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Mon., December 29; and Tues., December 30. The Museum will be closed on Thurs., November 27 (Thanksgiving); Wed., December 24; and Thurs., December 25.
Film Screenings: Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays, and as scheduled. Tickets for regular film screenings are included with paid Museum admission and are free for members at the Film Lover level and above.
Museum Admission: $12.00 for adults; $9.00 for persons over 65 and for students with ID; $6.00 for children ages 3-12. Children under 3 and Museum members are admitted free. Admission to the galleries is free on Fridays, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Tickets for special screenings and events may be purchased in advance online at movingimage.us.
Location: 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street) in Astoria.
Subway: M (weekdays only) or R to Steinway Street. Q (weekdays only) or N to 36 Avenue.
Program Information: Telephone: 718 777 6888; Website: movingimage.us
Membership: http://movingimage.us/support/membership or 718 777 6877

The Museum is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and located on the campus of Kaufman Astoria Studios. Its operations are made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York City Economic Development Corporation, the New York State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation). The Museum also receives generous support from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals. For more information, visit movingimage.us.