"Une Vie de Chat" a new animated feature film

This looks interesting.   From France comes this new animated feature film "Une Vie de Chat"  (currently in release in French cinemas) , directed by Jean-Loup Felicioli  and Alain Gagnol.  

The film's website is here:  http://www.uneviedechat-lefilm.fr/   and the Facebook Page here: "Une Vie de Chat" on Facebook.

The trailer:



Synopsis of the film:

Un chat mène une double vie secrète : il passe ses journées avec Zoé, la fille d'un commissaire, mais la nuit il accompagne un voleur sur les toits de Paris. Alors que la mère de Zoé enquête sur les cambriolages nocturnes, un autre truand kidnappe la fillette...

A cat leads a secret double life:  he spends his days with Zoe, the daughter of a police commissioner, but at night he accompanies a thief on the rooftops of Paris.  While Zoe's mother investigates the burglaries at night,  another criminal kidnaps the girl ...

And just in time for Christmas comes this handsome image posted on the film's Facebook page:

Animation of Christmases Past

This Christmas greeting for CBS Television (from 1966) was designed by R.O. Blechman , animated by Willis Pyle.


(I have always loved the elegant minimalism and great sensitivity of this piece ... I had it on Super-8mm from Blackhawk Films in the late 70's .   I've been glad to notice that since I posted it to YouTube on Dec. 24, 2006 that it has received over 281,350 views to date.   So a few other people appreciate it too I guess.)



More Blechman:

This is from Blechman's Christmas special for PBS, "Simple Gifts" ... opening sequence designed by Maurice Sendak , animated by Ed Smith.



I wish this beautiful Christmas special were available on DVD . I don't know why PBS doesn't air it annually . '


The bits of it available on YouTube are not the best presentations , but unfortunately all that is available at the moment .

Christmas 1914 -




No Room at the Inn -




Here's Richard Williams wonderful (though much too short ) animated version of Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" ---





This is another film that should be available in a restored version on DVD , but is only available on the internet.


A cel from "A Christmas Carol" that I own.   This was animated by Abe Levitow. Director Richard Williams graciously autographed it for me last time I saw him at the Disney Studio when he was there giving a lecture about animation.

 

Headless Productions

Headless Productions is a small independent animation studio founded by Adrian Garcia, Alfredo Torres and Victor Maldonado,  based in Barcelona.

Show reel:




A teaser for their latest project "I'm A Monster"

This is a piece developed to give an idea of the mood and look of the film and the characters.

Mark Kausler's "It's The Cat" and "There Must Be Some Other Cat"

Recently when I attended the CTN Expo in Burbank I was really happy to run into my friend Mark Kausler who was selling original hand-inked cels from his brilliant film "It's the Cat" .  

I had sworn off collecting any more animation artwork , but seeing Mark run his wonderful film "It's the Cat" there at his table (on a portable DVD player)  and with those gorgeous hand-inked cels right there on the table I was overwhelmed and just had to have one.

This frame (from the title sequence) is the cel I purchased:

 (this photo doesn't do it justice ... )

The film "It's the Cat" is not currently available for purchase online,  but if you purchase an original cel   they will  include a bonus DVD of the film.

One of these handsome cels would make a great Christmas gift for any cartoon fan.  And these are likely the last of their kind since hardly anyone does hand-inked cels anymore .   AND purchasing one of these unique , one-of-a-kind pieces of animation art will help fund the completion of Mark's second cat film  , "There Must be Another Cat"  , which is finished through rough animation, but still needs to have the inking, painting , and photography finished.    Mark's producer,  Greg Ford, is chipping away at the task little by little ,  but by purchasing a cel you'll have a hand in making sure that "There Must Be Another Cat"  is completed sooner .

http://itsthecat.com/Gallery-FilmArt.htm

(and then we'll have more cels to collect in addition to another great cartoon to watch !  Yay !  See how this works ? )

I was really happy that Mark gave me a sneak preview of "There Must Be Another Cat"  at the CTN Expo .  He had the pencil test on a DVD and was very kind to let me see the pencil test.   It's another great example of pure cartoon joy brought to life by a great animator.


What you may not know is that the pencil test from the original "It's the Cat" film is posted on Mark's website.

Check it out:

It's The Cat - Pencil Test