Richard Williams honored at Edinburgh Film Festival
Richard Williams, who recently celebrated his 80th birthday, moved to UK during the 50s to set his own animation studio. One of his most characteristic works, Dickens' Christmas Carol (1971) won the Academy Award for animation (short film) the following year. Williams is more widely known as the creative mind behind the Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), for which he won another Academy Award.
Edinburgh Interational Film Festival, in partnership with Encounters Short Film and Animation Festival, presents (29 June) a 2-hour- programme of short films directed by Richard Williams.
The award-winning animator will attend the screening (29 June, 13:45 at Filmhouse1, Edinburgh), and participate in a Q&A session afterwards.
Some of the programme highlights:
- The Little Island, Richard Williams/UK/1958/32 min
The struggles of three characters obsessed with their visions of Goodness, Truth and Beauty leads to all out conflict. Williams self-funded his first independent short film which won a BAFTA for Best Animation among many international awards.
- Love Me, Love Me, Love Me, Richard Williams/UK/1962/8 min
Described by Williams as a ‘private joke’ on commercials he was producing at the time, featuring the mercurial voice of the late Kenneth Williams. Its success gave Williams the confidence to establish his own commercial animation studio in Soho Square.
- Christmas Carol, Richard Williams/USA/1971/26 min
Featuring the voices of Alistair Sim and Michael Hordern, this adaptation of Dickens’ classic is inspired by the original engraved illustrations which accompanied the stories first publication. Christmas Carol won the Academy Award for animation in 1972
- Circus Drawings, Richard Williams/UK/2010/9 min
This short personal film, inspired by Williams’ drawings of a small Spanish circus, began production in 1953 and was completed in 2010. The result is an adventure in time with the animator of today encountering himself as a young artist.
A new documentary, Persistence of Vision, concentrates on Richard Williams and his unsuccessful effort to complete a feature film.
Read the film review and the interview of director Kevin Schreck to Zippy Frames.