The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) will host a screening for DreamWorks Animation’s latest feature film, How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, followed by a Q&A with Canadian director and writer Dean DeBlois and Canadian actor Jay Baruchel.
The screening runs on Saturday, February 16 at 7:15PM at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema during the TAAFI 2019 Festival, which showcases more than 100 animated shorts and four feature films from more than 50 countries worldwide.
“We’re excited to screen this animated feature film by DreamWorks Animation, a world-class animation powerhouse,” said Ben McEvoy, Chair, TAAFI. “Additionally, this is a special screening for TAAFI as we celebrate Dean DeBlois and his work to elevate Canadian talent in the animation industry.”
Born and raised in Canada, DeBlois directed Lilo & Stitch and the previous two How to Train Your Dragon films. He started his career working as an assistant animator and layout artist while attending college. He graduated from Sheridan College, where he studied animation.
Baruchel is a Canadian actor and screenwriter, known for his roles in the How to Train Your Dragon franchise, Knocked Up, This Is the End, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and more. He began his career in television prior to his role in the Oscar-winning film Almost Famous.
Film synopsis: Now chief and ruler of Berk alongside Astrid (America Ferrera), Hiccup (Jay Baruchel) has created a gloriously chaotic dragon utopia. When the sudden appearance of female Light Fury coincides with the darkest threat their village has ever faced, Hiccup and Toothless must leave the only home they’ve known and journey to a hidden world thought only to exist in myth. As their true destinies are revealed, dragon and rider will fight together — to the very ends of the Earth — to protect everything they’ve grown to treasure.
The film is produced by Brad Lewis (Ratatouille, ANTZ) and Bonnie Arnold (Toy Story, How to Train Your Dragon films).
Learn more about the movie in our cover story in the March ‘19 issue of Animation Magazine, and visit www.howtotrainyourdragon.com.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World opens in theatres in Canada on February 22.
