Child Animator’s Film Won Special Jury Remi Award at the 45th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival

Child Animator Perry Chen’s Film Won Special Jury Remi Award at the 45^th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival

Press Release

San Diego, CA and Long Island, NY, April 24, 2012 – The acclaimed and multiple-awards-winning animation short Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest about actress Ingrid Pitt’s childhood survival during the Holocaust, just added another film festival honor, winning a “Special Jury Remi Award” in the short subject division at the 45^th WorldFest Houston International Film Festival held April 13-22, 2012.  Animated by 10-year-old filmmaker and award-winning critic Perry Chen, directed by Kevin Sean Michaels, with storyboard by animation legend and two-time Oscar nominee Bill Plympton, this is the film’s third festival award since the film’s Comic-Con and LA Shorts Fest world premiere in July 2011. WorldFest is one of the oldest independent film festivals in the U.S.  Bill Plympton has won WorldFest Remi Awards multiple times himself. Perry’s mom Dr. Zhu Shen and Holocaust historian Dr. Jud Newborn are co producers. The film was made possible by the generous support of Toon Boom Animation, Wacom, and Reel Picture.

WorldFest Houston 2012 poster art

“’Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest’ was also one of the top contenders for the Grand Remi Award (the statuette), so it is one of the very highest placing entries in the Short Subjects division,” said Kathleen Haney, WorldFest’s Artistic and Program Director. “At WorldFest, you can discover the Spielbergs and Ang Lee’s of tomorrow, on the big silver screen today…!”

“What a great honor to win this Special July Remi Award at WorldFest, following the footsteps of Bill Plympton, Steven Spielberg, and Ang Lee!” said Perry Chen.  “April 19, 2012 was Holocaust Remembrance Day.  I hope more children and adults can watch our film to keep the history lessons alive. Mom and I also want to thank our sponsors Toon Boom Animation, Wacom, and Reel Picture for their wonderful support.  I look forward to making my next animation film in 3D about a boy’s adventures with a magic pencil, using Sandde software from Janro Imaging Laboratory as well as Toon Boom.”  Perry Chen and the film were featured on the Houston Chronicle during WorldFest:

http://www.chron.com/life/houston-belief/article/Short-film-tells-story-of-Ingrid-Pitt-Holocaust-3477964.php (Houston Chronicle: Short film tells story of Ingrid Pitt, Holocaust, April 13, 2012)

Perry Chen with Bill Plympton (R) and Kevin Sean Michaels at 2012 Los Angeles Animation Festival (photo by Zhu Shen)

“Ingrid Pitt was a great lady and terrific actress, her story is universal,” remarked Kevin Sean Michaels. “She had a dream to be an actress as did Anne Frank, but to a better conclusion. People, especially young students, ought to know that life is full of struggles. In war, there are no answers but plenty of life lessons.  I’m so glad that a new generation is finding out about Ingrid Pitt though our short film.”

“What is impressive to me is that many factors were at play in making the short film. Plympton, Chen and I are so different– different ages and backgrounds, but have a gut feeling when it comes to art. That binds us together. It’s not about ego, it’s about all of us. Our gut feeling was to present Ingrid’s experience with dignity and honor befitting her and her legacy.”

Perry Chen drawing animation for “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” on Wacom tablet using Toon Boom Animation software (photo by Zhu Shen)

“We’re thrilled to get this gem, ‘Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest‘out to the world,” said Linda “O.” Olszewski, Shorts International’s Co-Head of Global Acquisitions, “I was immediately attracted to this animation about the Holocaust through the eyes of a child, animated by 10-year-old,  Perry Chen, in a collaboration with Ingrid Pitt, one of my favorites – Bill Plympton, and Kevin Sean Michaels. I mean, what were you doing at 10 years old? Most kids are dreaming about this kind of thing, but Perry Chen actually did it and is clearly a talent to watch.” The film will be available on iTune and DVD in August, 2012.

The film was acquired in September 2011 for worldwide distribution by Shorts International, the distributor of Academy Award-nominated shorts tours for the last 6 years in theaters, inDemand!, and on iTunes and ShortsHD TV in over 100 markets.  The film premiered to critical acclaim at LA Shorts Fest & Comic-Con in July, 2011, won the “Best Animation Award” (age 8-13) at the 17th International Family Film Festival in Hollywood in March 2012, 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 over 30 film festivals around the world. Perry Chen was invited to present this film at DreamWorks Animation in Dec 2011, with introduction by “How to Train Your Dragon” director Dean DeBlois. The film was among the 45 Oscar-eligible animation shorts for Academy Awards consideration in 2012.

“Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” will be screened at the following film festivals:

April 27, 2012 at 2pm, Newport Beach Film Festival, Special appearance, Q&A by Perry Chen, Zhu Shen, Kevin Sean Michaels:

http://newportbeach.festivalgenius.com/2012/films/ingridpittbeyondtheforest1_kevinseanmichaels_newportbeach2012

May 6, 2012 at 3pm, Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival, Special appearance, Q&A by Perry Chen, Zhu Shen:

http://lajfilmfest.org/2012-schedule/

May 12, 2012, 7 PM,  Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Films, Germany

http://www.itfs.de/en/home/

For more information about the film and filmmakers, events, screenings, contact Dr. Zhu Shen, bioforesight@gmail.com

Become a fan on the Film’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ingridpittanimation

Watch “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest” Trailer

Watch Perry Chen & Bill Plympton interviews at the Burbank International Film Festival

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About WorldFest Houston International Film Festival

WorldFest was founded 50 years ago as Cinema Arts, an International Film Society in 1961. WorldFest became the third competitive international film festival in North America, following San Francisco and New York, and is the oldest independent film & video festival in the world.  It evolved into a competitive international film festival in 1968, founded by award-winning producer/director Hunter Todd who has over 300 feature film and video production credits. WorldFest is the only film festival in North America that is staffed and managed entirely by filmmakers. It is 12 major film & video competitions in one event with over 4,500 category entries.  This is the festival that discovered such film luminaries as Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Ang Lee, Ridley Scott, Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, David Lynch, and the Coen Brothers with their very first awards.  A full list of 2012 WorldFest winners:

http://01f5b36.netsolhost.com/worldfestsite2007/PAGES/winners.htm

About Perry Chen:

Perry S. Chen is an award-winning child film/entertainment critic, artist, and animator, 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, NBC, CNN, NPR, Variety, The Guardian, The China Press, etc.  He 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)  He won an “Excellence in Journalism Award” from San Diego Press Club in 2010 and 2011.  “Ingrid Pitt: Beyond The Forest” is Perry’s first film as sole animator. He also animated one scene in Bill Plympton’s award-winning “Guard Dog Global Jam.”  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, available on Amazon.com.  Connect with Perry on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/perryspreviewsfan

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Visit the film’s official website, and donate: http://ingridpitt.co.uk

Become a fan on the Film’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ingridpittanimation

Testimonials & Endorsement: http://www.perryspreviews.com/?p=2725

Subscribe to Perry Chen’s YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/perryspreviews

Read Perry Chen’s movie reviews and animation news: http://www.perryspreviews.com

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