This February, the Animation Block Party festival will be returning to Los Angeles for the first time in nearly a decade for an exclusive Valentine’s Day-themed showcase at Permanent Records, located at 1906 Cypress Ave. in L.A. The special engagement announced to Animation Magazine will help kick off APB’s milestone 20th season in 2023.
The special Animation Block Valentines event drops on Saturday, February 11 at 7 p.m. and will be headlined by live animated comedy troupe and longtime festival partner, Picture This Show.
Canadian animator Aaron Long, winner of the Animation Block Party 2020 audience award, will present a new Valentine’s festival bumper starring his comedic superstar webtoon duo, Sublo and Tangy Mustard.
Animation Block Valentines will be highlighted by a festival shorts screening and opens for “love themed” film entries on Friday, December 16, with a $500 prize for best clip under 30 seconds.
Valentine animations and GIFs will be curated by another Animation Block festival partner of many years, Malt Adult, via Sarah Schmidt and Ian Ballantyne.
“The last time ABP screened in Los Angeles was 2014 at the Troubadour, so it’s insanely cool to be back at a music-oriented venue working with our favorite partners like Sarah and Ian from Malt Adult and Sam Varela, Brandie Posey and Mike Hollingsworth of Picture This Show,” festival founder & creative director Casey Safron told Animation Magazine. “We’re extra lucky to have acclaimed cartoon wizard, Aaron Long animate an original intro for Animation Block Valentines.”
Visit animationblock.com/valentines for info and updates on the Animation Block Valentines 2023 show. Submissions for “love” themed animated shorts and GIFs open Friday, Dec. 16.
