Animaze, the Montreal International Animation Film Festival (http://lemiaff.com/), kicks off Thursday, April 16 in the bilingual metropolis. The event offers up four days of animated feature films, shorts, panels, workshops, interactive performances and opportunities to mingle with like-minded folks. The opening night festivities will feature a 40th anniversary restoration of Picha and Boris Szulzinger’s X-rated feature Shame of the Jungle (Tarzoon, la honte de la jungle). The French/Belgian co-production features the voices of comedy legends John Belushi, Bill Murray and son of Tarzan himself, Johnny Weissmuller Jr.
Other screening highlights include a live, interactive music performance “The Land of the Magic Flute,” set to Mozart’s classic piece and produced by the German Interactive Media Foundation and performed by local composer Philippe Lambert; and a showing of cult classic Heavy Metal with director Gerald Potterton attending. Potterton will also hold a conversation about his career during the Animaze Days panel programming. The Best of Fests program will screen award-winning short films from key international festivals, which this year includes Don Hertzfeldt’s World of Tomorrow (Sundance Grand Jury Prize, SXSW Best Animated Short).
