The Ottawa International Animation Festival turns 40 this year, and joining in the lineup of celebratory events is the just-announced NIGHTOWL party. An “interactive, multi-level rager,” NIGHTOWL will take place Saturday, September 24 during OIAF as the festival takes over 50 Sussex Drive for a night of music, food, sci-fi, art, animation, cosplay, robots and more.
The party kicks off at 8 p.m. with a free outdoor (don’t worry, there’s a tent!) screening of Space Madness: DIY Sci-Fi. Presented by the NCC, CFI and CBC, the show features Canadian filmmakers Chad VanGaalen (Tarboz) and Nick DiLiberto (Nova Seed), and will take audiences along on a wild ride into the unknown through meticulously drawn DIY animations.
At 9:30, the NIGHTOWL Disco Room will get going with Cybertronic Spree — an over-the-top hair metal band that will belt out classic tunes while costumed as popular TV robots from the ’80s, thanks to sponsor Guru Studio. DJ Skid Vicious will take over command of the dance floor at 11:30 to keep the party going through to 2 a.m.
Partygoers who need a breather can slip away at any time to chill out and flex their creative muscles in the Shaw Rocket Fun(d) Room, where cosplayers will be posing for short life-drawing sessions all night. Guests are encouraged to bring art supplies and costuming accessories. There will also be a NIGHTOWL Arcade, hosted by Invest Ottawa and offering some of the newest games coming out of Ottawa studios Gigataur, Magmic and Brinx.
The Arcade will also be the spot to check out Simon Drouin’s Lines program as part of the Boogie Doodle — an “animation improv” from the NFB inviting artists, students and fans to join in and animate alongside top artists. Making its public debut, Lines is “an experimental collaborative animation program for an orchestra of animators,” according to computer visualization researcher Drouin.
Between dancing, drawing and gaming, partygoers can grab a bite at gourmet food trucks Seed to Sausage and Dash Mobile Cookery. Tickets to the all-ages party (ID required to purchase alcohol) are $15, or free for TAC Anima, Anima, Saturday and Weekend OIAF passholders. A free shuttle will run between NIGHTOWL and Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts and the Arts Court from 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. More info available online.
