The Key at The International Film Festival of Patmos

The Key will be screening at The International Film Festival of Patmos in Greece between the 24-30 july in the main competition

Here a little bit about the festival: “The International Film Festival of Patmos combines the idyllic backdrop of Patmos with the cutting edge of film to create a unique, creative experience. With its breathtaking natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, Patmos has traditionally attracted people of the arts and cinema in particular. Our vision is to make this treasured destination an exciting place for celebrating talent, originality and craftsmanship in world cinema today. Our long-term goal is to turn IFFP into a platform for a creative exchange of ideas between Greek and foreign filmmakers and a forum for international partnerships and co-productions.”

The Key talk at the Pump House for Watford Live!

Thank you to everyone who came to “The Key” event, we were delighted to see so many friends, collaborators and new faces. we hope you enjoyed the screening and the talk

Also a big thank you to Watford Live! for hosting the event, Nag Vladermersky from London-International Animation-Festival for chairing the talk (and asking wonderfully insightful question), and our amazing crew: Alex Harwood (composer) Laura Horn (choreographer) & Sarah Kerenza Priestley (actor and facilitator) for joining us in the Q&A.

Pictures by John Priestley

“The Key” in the Watford Observer

We are delighted The Key received the attention of the local newspaper Watford Observer and Rosy Moorhead wrote a lovely article about the making of the Key and its participatory element.

Link to page http://goo.gl/5FFy2F

 

PDF 500 Watford residents came together to create animation short The Key, part of Watford Live! festival (From Watford Observer)

Watford screening of “The Key” + Q&A with LIAF Director Nag Vladermersky & Mewlab

As a part of Watford Live! 2014, “The Key” will be screening at the Pump House followed up by a Q&A with the directors and crew members.

The Q&A will be chaired by  Nag Vladermersky, director of LIAF ( London International Animation Festival)

Date: Sunday 29 June 2014   Time: 4pm – 6pm

Free event, but space is limited, so reserve seats via info@watfordlive.org

Pump House, Colne River Room

Local Board Road

Lower Watford High Street

Watford

Hertfordshire

UK WD17 2JP

“The Key” was made with the help of local people from Watford who formed a large part of the crew helping to colour and trace some of the 5000+ drawings before they were scanned and filmed to create the animation. We would like to thank a number of the local organizations who helped make this film happen! Big thanks for the support to: Watford Live!  Watford Borough Council  West Herts College Watford Museum  Intu Watford As well as all the crew who made the film happen Voices Artist
s – Paul Mundell, Dylan Cousins
 & Ellie Mitra Actors
  Dylan Cousins,
 John Priestley, 
Sarah Priestley, Lowenna Priestley, Megan Campbell,
 Alex Chalk,
  Richard Llewellyn, Maya Dodwell & Judith Wright Co-Producer
 Margaret Cheal Screenwriter Tom Hill Choreographer 
Laura Horn Music by
 Alex Harwood Editor
 Benjamin Gerstein Sound Designer
 David Pringle Art Workers
 Tetelle Randrianja,
 Nikolajs Pogrebickis, 
Amy Jennings
, Josey Grant, Alexander Stanlake,
 Greg Woodcock
, Clare Aburn
, Diana Garcia, 
Aniko Kiss
, Luis Jara
, Jessica Leach Colourist for the 5753 frames
The Town of Watford and Surrounding Area Storyline Editor 
Alexander Williams 1st Assistant Director 
Daniel Hartropp Costume Design Consultant
 Jane Cousins Reprographics
 Alison Grant-Davey Dance Studio and Printing Facilities
 West Herts College Events Location
 Intu Watford, Watford Museum, 
West Herts College Watford Live!
 Margaret Cheal
 Alan Bannister In kind Donation by
 West Herts College, 
Watford Live!,
 Watford Museum,
 Intu Watford Thanks to
,Watford, 
Dorothy Thornhill MBE, Elected Mayor of Watford, 
Watford Live!, West Herts College & Staff
, Watford Museum & Staff
, Watford Borough Council
, GuidePost Trust, 
Intu Watford & Erin Walsh
, Sophie Cady Ronson, Cousins Family, Priestley Family, 
Stephen Lenman
, Amma Gyan, 
David O’Sullivan
 and everyone who participated at the events to create the animation.

“The Key” has won the jury special mention award at Scratch International Animation Festival.

We are delighted “The Key” has won the jury special mention award at Scratch International Animation Festival. We would like to thanks the jury members, including  Forough Raihani and the whole Scratch team!

We would like to thank Watford and Watford Live! The Scratch Animation Festival were delighted by the story behind “The Key” and its participatory process involving the towns people of Watford. ( in fact some italian asked me if all the people in watford are professional artist & filmmakers…)

Here few pictures marking the visit, pictures by Mewlab and Paride De Carlo

The Key official selection at Rabbit Festival

We are delighted “The Key” has been selected in the official program of RabbitFest 2014, in the stunning City of Perugia, where italian animation flourish! Amazing illustrator like Virginia Mori and other fantastic duty members.  And to make even more special the short film by Shaun Clark  ‘Lady and the tooth” has also been selected.

The festival will run from 11 June to the 16th June.

The RabbitFest – International Animation Film Festival was founded in 2010 by the Cultural Association Skunk, committed to the promotion of international films that are not always distributed in Italy.

With RabbitFest, we chose to focus on animation, because we believe it is an underestimated genre, too often associated solely with a child audience. Above all, we are convinced that this genre includes masterpieces that deserve to be known by the general public.

RabbitFest takes place in the art city of Perugia, the Umbrian capital, a place rich in history and the cultural and economic hub of the region, which is experiencing a time of great cultural ferment thanks to its nominations as European Youth Capital 2017 and European Capital of Culture 2019.

This cultural dynamism is a symptom of the area’s desire to emerge and the attention it has always paid to foreign cultural influences. Not surprisingly, Perugia boasts the oldest university for foreigners in Italy.

Full catalog here:book2014

Mewlab Q&A at Scratch! Film Festival 2014

MewLab directors Kim Noce & Shaun Clark will be guests at the Scratch Film Festival 2014 where they  will give a talk about the production of the “ The Key“, on  the 6th June at 7pm.  The Key has  also been selected in the official competition for the 3rd edition of Scratch Film festival, hosted in the stunning city of Lecce, (Italy). The film will be screened on the 4th June at 9pm. Both events will be held at at Ach ( Ammirato Culture House ).

Scratch! is a festival entirely dedicated to animation, particularly to short movies. Opened to the best international productions from all around the world, Scratch! has become a hub of reference for all experts in the sector as for followers of the genre alike. Since the first edition of 2012 following a public funding Principi Attivi, with an international call Scratch! has brought the selection of the best works worldwide. In the two previous editions it screened more than two hundred shorts scanning throughout the whole sector.Scratch! is homed in Lecce, a small city of art in the South of Italy, embedded with the surrounding. As inspirational frenzies come together, there is the chance to give voice to a flourishing new application.

Scratch! is part a project designed, organised and produced by Animood association.

New poster for “The Key”

When the residents awake to find the key missing to the Town gate frustration soon sets in. Only this key is happy to be lost and keen to show some things should not be found. www.thekey.mewlab.com

Macedonia Premiere for the Key at Watch Out Tetovo Film Festival

We are delighted the Key has been selected for the official selection Watch Out Tetovo Film Festival to be screened on the 24th May 2015

WatchOut! is an open air film Festival organized by Loja. The third edition of WatchOut! Film Festival will take place from 21st to 24th of May 2014 in Tetovo. Click here for the program of the festival.

International Selection for 5th Golden Kuker Sofia

The Key has been selected for the 5th Golden Kuker in Sofia between 12-18 May 2014 ( link can be found here)

The International Animation Film Festival (IAFF) Golden Kuker- Sofia was run for the first time in October 2010 in Sofia. Named after Proyko Proykov (legendary Bulgarian animator) it is the first animation festival from the new century. One of the most attractive events in the arts calendar of Bulgaria takes place every spring in May. It is organised by the Bulgarian Association of The Independent Artists and Cartoon Animators an NGO chaired by Mrs. Nadezhda Slavova (cartoon artist, director, filmmaker and author of numerous animation films). The Association aims to connect animators, support their networking and create long lasting relationships within the cartoon industry.

The mission of the IAFF Golden Kuker-Sofia is to contribute to the development of Bulgarian art, to help Bulgarian and foreign animators get in touch and to support young professionals and students. The animation festival attracts not only children but large audience from different generations. IAFF Golden Kuker-Sofia has achieved high-level of professional performance, large number of international appearances, and variety of great animation works. Throughout the whole year people have the opportunity to attend master classes led by world known directors and animators, visit contemporary art seminars and exhibitions, and join interactive lectures. Environmental contest, Sofia’s children day and travelling festival are other festival’s post- events. After the festival international guests have the possibility to travel around Bulgaria, to discover wonderful spots and explore historical places with the tourist packages offered by IAFF Golden Kuker-Sofia.

Every year the festival has a special theme. The Jury awards two big prizes. The Grand Prix Golden Kuker presented to the best short or feature film and The Special prize Proyko Proykov awarded to the best film of the current year’s theme.

Australian premiere at Melbourne International Animation Festival

We are pleased to announce that “The Key” Directed by Mew Lab and made as part of Watford Live! Arts Festival will screen at this years MIAF festival. The Melbourne International Animation Festival is one of the largest  in the world and shows more than 350-400 films each year. 

MIAF14 hits the screens & podiums 19-29 June at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). As a whopping eleven day celebratory feast of forums and over 400 of the best recently released, historical and retrospective animation from around the world, MIAF continues to promise fearlessly uncompromising programs to inspire, delight and challenge those pesky notions that animation as an artform is merely a 3D-CG-block-buster-a-rama or TV toons (as excellent as they can be!). Because here at MIAF central, we definitely know that’s not the case. Indie animation is an art form that continues to thrive and develop as a breathtaking medley of styles, materials, techiniques and production – from hand drawn, paint on glass, collage, sculpture, cut outs, puppets, abstract, sand/salt, solely digital to some of the more interesting developments in 3D.

“The Key” was made with the help of local people from Watford who formed a large part of the crew helping to colour and trace some of the 5000+ drawings before they were scanned and filmed to create the animation. We would like to thank a number of the local organizations who helped make this film happen! Big thanks for the support to:

Watford Live! Watford Live! is a community arts festival, designed to provide an entertaining showcase for all aspects of the arts as represented by groups and individuals who live, work or perform within Watford Borough. We aim to get anyone and everyone in the Watford art world to put on or participate in an art-based event.

Watford Borough Council Watford Borough Council is the local authority for the Watford non-metropolitan district of England, the United Kingdom. Watford is located in the south-west of Hertfordshire, in the East of England region. We especially would like to thank the support of Dorothy Thornhill

West Herts College An Ofsted Outstanding College. From career-focused qualifications to degree courses – join us and get the skills you need for a bright future.

Watford Museum Telling the story of Watford past and present, Watford Museum is housed in the former Benskins Brewery Mansion. The museum has displays of local history and industry, including Watford Football Club memorabilia, Cassiobury heritage and fine art.
You can view some of our collections through on line galleries: Watford FC, The Cassiobury Collection, our fine art collection and our sculpture collection.

Intu Watford

As well as all the crew who made the film happen Voices Artist
s – Paul Mundell, Dylan Cousins
 & Ellie Mitra Actors
  Dylan Cousins,
 John Priestley, 
Sarah Priestley, Lowenna Priestley, Megan Campbell,
 Alex Chalk,
  Richard Llewellyn, Maya Dodwell & Judith Wright Co-Producer
 Margaret Cheal Screenwriter Tom Hill Choreographer 
Laura Horn Music by
 Alex Harwood Editor
 Benjamin Gerstein Sound Designer
 David Pringle Art Workers
 Tetelle Randrianja,
 Nikolajs Pogrebickis, 
Amy Jennings
, Josey Grant, Alexander Stanlake,
 Greg Woodcock
, Clare Aburn
, Diana Garcia, 
Aniko Kiss
, Luis Jara
, Jessica Leach Colourist for the 5753 frames
The Town of Watford and Surrounding Area Storyline Editor 
Alexander Williams 1st Assistant Director 
Daniel Hartropp Costume Design Consultant
 Jane Cousins Reprographics
 Alison Grant-Davey Dance Studio and Printing Facilities
 West Herts College Events Location
 Intu Watford, Watford Museum, 
West Herts College Watford Live!
 Margaret Cheal
 Alan Bannister In kind Donation by
 West Herts College, 
Watford Live!,
 Watford Museum,
 Intu Watford Thanks to
,Watford, 
Dorothy Thornhill MBE, Elected Mayor of Watford, 
Watford Live!, West Herts College & Staff
, Watford Museum & Staff
, Watford Borough Council
, GuidePost Trust, 
Intu Watford & Erin Walsh
, Sophie Cady Ronson, Cousins Family, Priestley Family, 
Stephen Lenman
, Amma Gyan, 
David O’Sullivan
 and everyone who participated at the events to create the animation.

Greek Premiere in Athens Animfest

“The Key” has been screened in Athens in the prestigious AnimFest in the competition section on Monday 17th March , amongst some fantastic animations.