Child Animator & Film Critic Perry Chen to Attend 17th International Family Film Festival in LA

Perry Chen with mom/Producer Zhu Shen at LA Animation Fest red carpet

6th-grade award-winning animator and film critic Perry Chen and his mom & producer Dr. Zhu Shen are looking forward to attending and showing their animation short “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” at the YouthFest program of the 17th International Family Film Festival in LA (IFFF, March 21-25, 2012).  The film will be screened on Sat, March 24 at noon and is an official film in the competition. Festival website: http://www.iffilmfest.org 

http://www.iffilmfest.org/youthfest/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=28 (“Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” screening at 2012 IFFF, Sat, noon, March 24, 2012)

Perry Chen making “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” animation using Toon Boom Studio and Wacom tablet (photo by Brian Bostrom)

Watch “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” trailer:

The 12th IFFF has an exciting, unique program with many highlights for the family audience: You will have the rare opportunity to watch several Chinese children’s film at their North America premiere here and meet the filmmakers who came as part of the Chinese children’s film delegation (opening night reception on March 21 is hosted by the Chinese consulate in Los Angeles followed by opening night film from China, ”The Star and the Sea.”)  You can enjoy many outstanding films from around the world made by veteran and new filmmakers, students and professionals, as well as insightful panel discussions about film production, marketing, and distribution.   Friday night March 23 at 7:30 pm, let the magic of Kung Fu Panda 2 bring you back to the world of Po in his quest for inner peace at the special 3D screening of this Oscar-nominated DreamWorks hit.  Finally, you could watch the Annie Award-winning director Jennifer Yuh Nelson of Kung Fu Panda 2, receive her 2012 IFFF Friz Award for “Excellence in Animation Art,” from DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg on closing night awards dinner on March 25.  Another amazing 2012 IFFF Film Excellence Honoree to receive her award on closing night is Margaret Loesch, President & CEO of The Hub TV Network, a joint venture between Discovery Communications and Hasbro.

Perry Chen with Kung Fu Panda 2 director Jennifer Yuh Nelson at 2012 Annie Awards for Animation (photo by Zhu Shen)

“Kung Fu Panda 2” is one of Perry’s favorite films of 2011, and he was thrilled to meet and interview director Jennifer Yuh Nelson at the 2012 Annie Awards for Animation where the director won best animation feature director:

http://www.awn.com/blogs/perrys-previews/perry-s-previews-2012-best-animation-feature-oscar-interviews-directors 

Perry also had the privilege to be invited to DreamWorks Animation in December 2012 to present his film “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” and introduced by Oscar-nominated “How to Train Your Dragon” director Dean DeBlois.  Perry and mom Zhu Shen enjoyed Q&A with DreamWorks animators and a private tour of the animation studio:

                                                                                                                  Director Dean DeBlois introducing Perry Chen at DreamWorks screening on “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” (photo by Zhu Shen)

Kung Fu Perry with Po at DreamWorks Animation (photo by Zhu Shen)

Perry and Zhu learned about IFFF through its children and youth film camp called Freshi.  Perry enrolled in the Aug 2011 camp held at Burbank, and learned to make his first live action short film with his fellow budding young filmmakers, titled “The Life of a Businessman,” a film without dialoug, but with plenty of heart and humor.  Perry said, “The Freshi Youth Film Camp was a ‘Perrific!’ learning experience for me.  I had a lot of fun working with my team to come up with storyline, learning about camera angles, directing, acting, shooting, editing, finding the right music for the story, and putting everything together.  And we finished a 6-min film from scratch in 5 days!”

                                                                                                                 Perry Chen receiving Freshi Film Camp certificate from IFFF co-founder Chris Shoemaker (R) and instructor Kerry (L) (photo by Zhu Shen)

Perry Chen with IFFF Co-founders Suzanne & Chris Shoemaker at Freshi Film Camp Graduation (photo by Zhu Shen)

Perry Chen with Freshi Film camp students – 3 mimes in action (photo by Zhu Shen)

About Perry Chen:

Perry S. Chen is an 11-year-old award-winning child film critic, artist, animator, TEDx speaker, and entertainment personality, currently in 6^th grade from San Diego.  He started reviewing movies at age 8 in 3^rd grade using a kid-friendly starfish rating system, and has been featured in CBS, NPR, NBC, CNN, CCTV (China Central Television), Variety, Animation Magazine, The Young Icons, The Guardian, The China Press, etc.  He was a presenter at the 2010 Annie Awards for Animation, and has written movie reviews for Animation World Network, San Diego Union Tribune, Amazing Kids! Magazine, and his own Perry’s Previews blog:

www.perryspreviews.com

Perry won an “Excellence in Journalism Award” from San Diego Press Club in 2010 and 2011 for his movie and restaurant reviews, an “Excellence Writer Award” from “We Chinese in America” Magazine in 2010 for his movie review column. Perry is widely recognized as an authoritative spokesperson about movies for his generation, and appears frequently at red carpet movie premieres, awards, and film festivals, interviewing prominent directors from such films as Toy Story 3, Up, How to Train Your Dragon.  He was a presenter at the 2010 Annie Awards for Animation in Hollywood.  Perry and his mom Dr. Zhu Shen are featured in a new book about parenting and youth entrepreneurship, “The Parent’s Guide to Raising CEO Kids,” published in Aug 2011.

About “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest”

“Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” is Perry Chen’s first film as the sole animator, with storyboard and character design by Bill Plympton, directed by Kevin Sean Michaels, produced by Drs. Zhu Shen and Jud Newborn, a Holocaust historian. The film premiered to critical acclaim at LA Shorts Fest & Comic-Con in July, 2011, acquired for worldwide distribution in Sep 2011 by Shorts International, distributor of Oscar-nominated shorts, won a “Special Jury Award” for “Extraordinary Vision” at Flyway Film Festival in Wisconsin in Oct, 2011, featured as a bonus film at the 2011 Animation Show of Shows, and has been touring film festivals around the world. In addition to animating “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest,” Perry also animated one scene in Bill Plympton’s award-winning “Guard Dog Global Jam.”  Become a fan on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/ingridpittanimation (Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest official FB page)

http://www.facebook.com/perryspreviewsfan (Perry’s Previews fan page)

Subscribe to Perry’s YouTube channel and watch his filmmaker interviews:

http://www.youtube.com/perryspreviews

For more information about Perry Chen, his animation films, and movie reviews, contact Dr. Zhu Shen, bioforesight@gmail.com

About IFFF:

Founded in 1993 as a “grassroots” non-profit organization by Chris Shoemaker, Suzanne Shoemaker and Patte Dee McKee (still active directors), IFFF formed to exhibit and advocate for the production of family films – a driving purpose that continues today. 

IFFF builds a peaceful global family through the discovery and sharing of quality stories by emerging artists and production companies.

The IFFF strives to “celebrate the world” and respect mankind’s fundamental similarities and differences.  It achieves this by providing a nurturing environment and educational structure to teach, exhibit and share the myriad manifestations of the human condition.

As an organization, IFFF operates year round. Among its primary activities, it produces an annual film festival in Hollywood for youth (the IFFF Youth Fest!) and adults; IFFF advocates and encourages the creation and sharing of family films and screenplays; it conducts summer film camps; IFFF teaches filmmaking, media & family literacy through its International Family Film Institute, and it supports various film contests that promote socially responsible film products suitable for a general audience that express a fundamental respect for the positive values of life.

Now celebrating its 17th year, the 2012 International Family Film Festival will be held (March 21 – 25) at Raleigh Studios in the heart of Hollywood.  This year’s theme is “3D Brings The Family Into Focus,“ invites a playful turn on the rising popularity of producing films with 3D capability. 

Opening Night and Closing Night event tickets go fast! For film schedule, ticketing, special events, visit:

http://www.iffilmfest.org

Media inquiries: Jeremy Broekman, jeremy@broekmancomm.com

Click on pen to