The animation catalogs of Amy Hicks and Nate Boyce will be on display in this (not so competitive) animation throwdown. It’s no secret that the San Francisco Bay Area is home to some of the world’s biggest, highest-profile animation studios, visual FX producers and animators, from Pixar and Lucasfilm to Image Movers, PDI and Tippett Studios. Still, many independent animators continue to work and push the boundaries of animation from both creative and technical perspectives. Amy Hicks and Nate Boyce represent two wildly differing approaches to animation, while retaining an independent ethos of personal creativity that is inspiring and challenging. Hicks uses stop-motion techniques and optical printing to produce humorous and alluring short films, while Nate Boyce uses degraded video footage and the muse of electronic music to produce intense and vibrant works of abstract color. This program is intended to shine a light on internationally recognized fine artists working in our own backyard. Included will be Hicks’ readaptations of Jaws and Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Boyce’s collaborative animations with the musicians such as Martin Schmidt of Matmos.

View the full SF International Animation Festival schedule