It's 'Toon Time at the Chauvel Cinematheque

The Chauvel Cinematheque proudly presents ‘TOON TIME! - an exclusive and entirely unique four week season of cartoons and animation from around the world!

From pioneers Emile Cohl or Stuart Blackton drawing stick-men on their blackboards, via the Merriest of Melodies or the most surreal Euro master-visions, to today's big screen, state-of-the-art CG epics from Pixar, cartoon filmmaking is as lively a process as you’ll ever come across – and ‘TOON TIME is the perfect primer for Sydney audiences to better their appreciation of, or reacquaint themselves with, this most magic of big-screen art forms.

The selected programs contain works that have captured the imagination of succeeding generations and challenged the idea of what films can be – and the Chauvel invites you to experience these hilarious and stimulating wonders for yourself!

Above: the title character from Osamu Tezuka's Unico

IT’S ‘TOON TIME 12 noon Sat 27 Sep only

Film historian Barrie Pattison introduces the season with a presentation of archival excerpts and short cartoons, drawn from over a century of production. Termite Terrace meets Zagreb. Felix the Cat and Flip the Frog jostle the great French master Jacques Prévert and Belgian surrealist Raul Servais. The division in this presentation between child-friendly entertainment and high art pieces is still very much in evidence in modern times, as critics applaud PERSEPOLIS, while audiences pour into MEET THE ROBINSONS.

‘TOON TIME: THE FILMS OF UPA 6.30pm Mon 29 Sep only

United Productions of America are now best remembered for their characters Gerald McBoing Boing, Christopher Crumpet and near sighted Mr. Magoo. Born out of the red scares and industrial disputes, UPA artists were like a bomb-burst in the conservative Hollywood 1940s animation industry, and the older studios struggled to catch up. In this program of extraordinarily hard to find copies, follow the development of these incredibly influential UPA artists through title sequences and industrial movies, to major studio features and great one-off cartoons.Above: Background art from UPA's Gerald McBoing Boing

‘TOON TIME: TEX AVERY: 12noon Sat 4 Oct & 6.30pm Mon 6 Oct.

Though a generation of kids grew up on “Swing Shift Cinderella”, “Symphony in Slang” and the adventures of Droopy, Fred "Tex" Avery's reputation was fading, when French admirers took up his cause and moved him out of history and into legend. The maddest of madcap animators, Avery introduced Porky Pig and popularised lechery in cartoon form. This program of Avery’s great MGM 'toons in glorious 35mm Technicolor is not to be missed!

‘TOON TIME: THE LITTLE PRINCE AND THE EIGHT HEADED DRAGON 12noon Sat 11 Oct

Yugo Serikawa’s spectacular feature length is a peak achievement of the imposing Japanese cartoon features that preceded Tezuka, Anime and Miyagawa. This wide-screen adventure follows its diminutive hero’s exploits into one of the great cartoon set-piece climax battles. Little seen since its 1963 release, this rare screening of a new sub-titled copy, with its original Japanese track, is a pointer to a wealth of ignored material. Print courtesy of the Japan Foundation.



‘TOON TIME: UNICO 6.30pm Mon 13 Oct

With its endearing unicorn hero, UNICO is one of the peak achievements of Ozamu Tezuka, “the Japanese Walt Disney”, creator of 150,000 volumes of Manga comic books and a series of brilliant feature films, along with the two series for which he’s known outside his native country - “Astro Boy” and “Kimba the White Lion.” The original sub-titled Japanese track features the voices of famous performers, including super star Keiko Baisho. Print courtesy of the Japan Foundation.

'TOON TIME: TARO, THE DRAGON BOY 12 noon Sat 18 Oct

In this adaptation of a famous Japanese folk tale, a stocky little boy living with his grandmother in a remote, mountainous village, is regarded by his neighbors as "a glutton and a sloth." Taro eventually learns from his grandmother that his long-lost mother was transformed into a dragon and still lives, albeit at the bottom of a lake many mountains north of their village. Taro begins a long odyssey to find her, encountering various demons, witches, snow women, and other fantastic creatures along the way. The lovely abstract backgrounds are rendered in the style of sumie, or ink painting, and do an exceptionally fine job evoking the oppressive, mountainous landscapes required by the story. The film makes superb use of the CinemaScope-shaped frame, with striking compositions throughout. Print courtesy of the Japan Foundation.


'TOON TIME: AVANT-GARDE ANIMATION 6:30pm Mon 20 Oct

Capping off the season is a large selection of experimental and avant-garde animation spanning the hundred years of cinema and covering a wide variety of styles, techniques and themes. Included are films by Carmen D'Avino, Larry jordan, Frank Mouris and many more. Details to follow.Above: Still from Frank Film

‘TOON TIME AT CHAUVEL CINEMATHEQUE!
Sat 27 Sep – Mon 20 Oct