In the light of HAFF’s 25 year anniversary it is useful and instructive to look at how animation has changed and developed as a form of creative expression, as popular entertainment and as a significant art form, in any number of social and cultural contexts. The Festival has embraced all kinds of animation, promoting and celebrating the whole gamut of work from hand-drawn to 3D stop motion to CGI and mixed media forms, not merely seeing animation as a form of ‘cinema’ but as a way of making public art and prompting social interaction. This discussion will look at some of the ‘milestones’ in the development of animation in the last quarter century, from the emergence of Woody and Buzz to the profound aesthetic influence of Priit Pärn to the rise of the animated documentary.

This program screened as part of HAFF 2010