Quickdraw Animation Society
2011 10 Ave SW T3C0K4 Calgary, AB, Canada

Monday Short: A dark title lends an ambiguous edge to the shifting landscapes and serene score of Onohana's 2015 abstract animation, "such a good place to die."

From this week's newsletter: We usually use these intros just to say hello and introduce the newsletter, but this week I wanted to do something slightly different and share an article I've been thinking about a lot lately. New Feeling is a music-writing co-operative founded by a dozen or so writers and artists (including a couple of Calgary expats) trying out a different approach to writing about arts and culture. Back in December, they published an article called "Why I'm No...t Writing About DIY Anymore," and it's worth reading for anyone who's involved in do-it-yourself culture. Basically, the article is trying to pull apart the idea of DIY by talking about how the communities built around independent music (and independent art) are just thatcommunities. Quoting artists like Toronto musician Rosina Kazi, the talks about shifting the narrative from DIY to "do-it-together," to emphasize the way musicians, fans, writers, tape traders, venues, and others all work together to make independent culture possible. Even the word "independent" is put under the lens, since "interdependent" is probably a better way of acknowledging the complicated networks of support that are part of artistic communities. There's a lot to think about in the articletoo much to summarize here, especially when the whole thing is just a click away. But it's an interesting one to think about, especially for an organization like Quickdraw that exists to support a creative community. What would change if we stopped thinking of DIY and started thinking of DIT? What are we already doing that supports those ideas, and what would we need to change? How do the words we use affect the things we do? It struck a chord with us, is all, and maybe it will with you, too. https://newfeeling.ca//why-im-not-writing-about-diy-anymo/

Newsletter: Lockdown kicks offand meet our Lockdown jury! Plus, we share some arts job opportunities, QAS films in Florida, a summer camp reminder, animation news, and some thoughts on DIY culture just for the heck of it. - https://mailchi.mp/1aa66084a4/newsletter-lockdown-kicks-off

Just in time for the May long weekend, we've shared another 10 additions to our always-expanding Indie Animation Mixtape. This new batch of films depict impossible journeys, pleasant memories, unconscious imagery and inner strength. They include new works from old favourites, student films announcing talented new artists, short experiments and thoughtful storytelling. Check them out, and let us know your favourites in the comments!

Pink Flamingo is a Black-led advocacy organization that uplifts the QTBIPOC community in our city by creating events, workshops, education and safer spaces. In doing this, Pink Flamingo is proudly providing facilitation of an array of opportunities. Right now, Pink Flamingo is looking for feedback on their Black Lives Matter mural project, which will create four new murals reflecting the lived experiences of BIPOC artists and voices. They're looking for feedback through four short surveys, and they'd love to here from you. Find all four surveys and more info on the project on Pink Flamingo's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/pink.flamingo

Calgary animators take note: BC-based animation studio Stellar Creative Lab has a number of job postings for a new Calgary outpost, and they need some experienced animators to fill in the team. What kind of roles? They're looking for a 3D FX Artist, animators at all levels, a Junior Pipeline TD/ Software Engineer, Lighting and Compositing Artists, and a Production Coordinator to work on a DreamWorks production. As their application puts it, "pull up up those underpants captain, and roll on over the virtual hedge, your next adventure awaits!" Find more details on all those roles over at the Stellar Creative Lab site (https://www.stellarcreativelab.com/work-with-us). Remote work is also a possibility, so Banff/Canmore/Okotoks/Airdrie etc friends, give it a look!

In an hour (at 7pm) we'll be hosting our second Discord Watch Party, which is the sort-of-official Alberta premiere of Joanne Fisher's Stache and the Inner Walk. Made through our Chris J. Melnychuk Scholarship and Residency, it's a tribute to one of the world's most famous mustaches, and a heck of an accomplished paint animation, too. If you want to join us, buy a GIRAF pass or a ticket to the Indie Animation Mixtape: Side B, get your stream ready to go at 7pm, and then log in to the festival Discord (details will be in your Showpass receipt) and join the conversation. Otherwise we'd still highly recommend finding an hour before Nov. 29 to watch the Mixtape: Side B, and then more hours for the rest of this year's programming, because it's pretty great if we do say so ourselves.

Festival signal film by Sheena Agnew: Sheena Agnew is an aspiring animator born in Japan and raised in Calgary. For the GIRAF16 trailer, Sheena wanted to create a story that was light hearted but also very strange. The main character represents the audience’s curiosity. The water cube represents the festivalever shifting, moody waters, containing peculiar but brilliantly coloured creatures.... Visit https://giraffest.ca for the festival lineup, tickets and more!

The Stoney Nakoda AV Club is such an amazing, dedicated group of artists and filmmakers. We're happy to see they were supported!

This has been an unusual year in a lot of ways, but one that's been on our minds a lot lately is our relationship to the natural world. More and more people are spending the bulk of their time at home, whether from working remotely or even literal quarantine, which means experiencing more and more of the world through a screen. At the same time, it's creating a greater appreciation for the time we do spend outside, as increasingly infrequent as it may be. The films in this co...llection all explore our relationship to nature, in one way or another. Some are more personal, more lighthearted, more narrative or experiential. A lot of them are wintry (what can we say, we're Canadian) but some explore dramatically different terrain. But even those are beautiful, in their own ways a good thing to remember in the midst of an Alberta winter. Please note: Ticket purchases are restricted to Alberta residents. Many films at GIRAF deal with mature subjects, and are not recommended for young audiences. See more

Newsletter: Win tickets to next year's GIRAF with our festival bingo! Plus a Closed Captioning shout-out, arts opportunities and happenings in the world of animation! - https://mailchi.mp//newsletter-giraf-bingo-accessibility-u

Feeling the need to commune with nature? Searching for the beauty in a wintry landscape? Our Natural World shorts pack may not actually be a breath of fresh air, but it's the next best thing. Join us for the Discord watch party tonight at 7pm, or stream it on demand any time through Sunday, Nov. 29! Tickets and passes: https://giraffest.ca/the-natural-world

FESTIVAL: GIRAF16, FESTIVAL OF INDEPENDENT ANIMATION DATES: Now - Nov 29 LOCATION: online... GIRAF is a celebration of independent animation, a showcase of the best of what's being made here in Canada and around the world, streaming this year at watch.ffyyc.ca Listed in two Programs "Alberta Spotlight" and "Indie Animation Mixtape: Side B" is independent animation film "Stache And The Inner Walk" by AUARTS Student Joanne Fisher, Visual Communication Design. This Festival also includes some other alumni and community work including Leslie Bell, Instructor Painting, Julia Kansas BFA '12, Drawing and Alum Haleigh Toney BFA '11, Drawing. Salvador Dali's moustache rises in the crypt and journeys into the world of its subconscious. TICKETS: $10 for each event, purchase here: https://www.showpass.com/giraf16-tickets-passes/ SPECIAL THANKS TO Quickdraw Animation Society Joanne Fisher and Quickdraw Animation Society #artscommunity #auartsstudents #auarts

Our online animation fest is in the Herald! Thanks to Eric Volmers for the coverage!

Congratulations to the Calgary Underground Film Festival for launching their CUFF Docs Documentary Film Festival 2020 today! The now-online-only festival is packed with fascinating films on important topics you can't go wrong with this lineup. We're biased towards the Tiny Tim doc and the animated shorts, but there's so much to choose from. PS GIRAF16 passholders get 50% off on that animated documentary shorts pack! If you've got a pass, send us an email or DM to get your discount code!

Our thanks to the Okotoks Film Festival for helping spread the word about GIRAF! We're always excited to have such strong supporters of animation, film, and youth arts and culture on our side visit https://www.okotoksfilmfestival.ca/ to see their upcoming events, and join us November 19-29 to celebrate animation across Alberta at GIRAF16!

To celebrate tonight's Discord Watch Party of Anna Firth's artist talk, we're doing a one-day sale on Anna's Crosshair Animation Workshop! Taking place from 2pm - 6pm, Nov. 28 & 29 over Zoom, this two-day workshop teaches a technique Anna developed inspired by simple zoetrope animation. It's a DIY way to animate and experiment and if you use the code TALLGRILL you'll get 50% off the workshop if you register today! Tickets: https://www.showpass.com/giraf16-crosshair-workshop-with-a/

Joanne Fisher, director of Stache and the Inner Walk, had some thoughts to share on the making of her film. Watch it in our Indie Animation Mixtape: Side B, and in the Alberta Spotlight streaming online across Alberta until November 29!