BAMcinématek and the Jim Henson Foundation present the fourth annual Puppets on Film festival, a celebration of live puppetry in cinema, Oct 24— 26 Featuring workshops and classes for the whole family, a photography exhibit, and special guests at nearly every screening The Wall Street Journal is the title sponsor for BAMcinématek and BAM Rose Cinemas. Target is the presenting sponsor of BAMkids. Brooklyn, NY/Sep 18, 2014—From Friday, October 24 through Sunday, October 26, BAMcinématek and the Jim Henson Foundation present the fourth annual Puppets on Film festival, following the highly successful third edition last fall. The three-day festival celebrates the universal, magical art of puppetry and the myriad ways in which the art form has been incorporated into live-action filmmaking. The lineup includes nine features, more than 20 shorts, special guests at most screenings, workshops for all ages, and a Dark Crystal extravaganza. Opening the festival on Friday, October 24 is The Dark Crystal Fan Fest, hosted by DarkCrystal.com. This special celebration of the sweeping, Tolkienesque fantasy classic will include a screening of the film, appearances by conceptual designers Brian and Wendy Froud, the New York premiere of Toby Froud’s award-winning short Lessons Learned, and more. Hailed as “one of this country’s premier puppeteers” (Joan Acocella, The New Yorker), Puppets on Film alum Basil Twist (Arias with a Twist, 2011) returns to BAM for the festival’s closing night and the world premiere of Steve Lippman’s Behind the Lid (2014—Oct 26). This moving documentary looks back on Twist’s dreamscape theatrical production with renowned downtown performance artist Lee Nagrin, who died shortly after it opened. Behind the Lid screens with the world premiere of Emily Lobsenz’s eerie short The Never Bell (2014), about two sisters and the bell that lies just out of reach. Puppets on Film features a variety of programs for children, including an all new Shortstack! Kids Shorts Program (Oct 25); Joseph Jacoby’s Davy Jones’ Locker (1995—Oct 26), a musical pirate adventure with marionettes by legendary puppeteer Bil Baird (featured in “The Lonely Goatherd” sequence in The Sound of Music); and the latest Muppet caper, Muppets Most Wanted (2014— Oct 25) with Muppet performer Matt Vogel in person. Coinciding with these screenings are two kids’ workshops: How to Be a Puppeteer (Oct 25), in which children make their own creations and learn the basics of puppeteering; and Animal Marionettes (Oct 26), which teaches the fundamentals of performing with a string puppet. This year, Puppets on Film also offers workshops for teens and adults, including the Handmade Puppets Dreams Filmmaking Symposium (Oct 25), an in-depth panel exploring all aspects of the puppet filmmaking process hosted by Heather Henson, and a PuppetCinema class (Oct 26) in conjunction with the Next Wave Festival’s Salt of the Earth (Oct 28—Nov 1), which will give participants a chance to learn the mechanics of live-action puppet cinema. It follows Live Action Puppet Shorts (Oct 26), which features three US premieres; two New York premieres; puppets made of paper, cardboard, and shadows; and a short starring Neil Patrick Harris. Other highlights include a sneak preview of Dave LaMattina and Chad N. Walker’s I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story, co-presented with DOC NYC and followed by a Q&A with the directors and the man behind the bird, Caroll Spinney; a rare theatrical screening of Return of the Jedi (1983—Oct 25), featuring in person appearances by creature designers Kirk Thatcher and Wendy Froud, who created the puppets for beloved characters Yoda and Jabba the Hut; Tomorrow We Disappear (2014—Oct 26); Jim Goldblum and Adam M. Weber’s acclaimed documentary exploring an endangered Indian artists’ community; John Carpenter’s sci-fi thriller The Thing (1983—Oct 24); and Joe Cornish’s B-movie inspired Attack the Block (2011—Oct 25) with a special appearance by creature movement coach Terry Notary (Avatar, The Hobbit trilogy). This year Puppets on Film adds a visual art component, Puppets Through the Lens: The Photography of Richard Termine, which will be on display in the BAM Rose Cinemas lobby starting October 24. The exhibition showcases Termine’s award-winning photography capturing the world of puppetry, including photos from the set of Sesame Street and performances around the globe. Puppets on Film is curated by BAMcinématek, Cheryl Henson, and Lindsey “Z.” Briggs. For press information, please contact: Lisa Thomas at 718.724.8023 / [email protected] Hannah Thomas at 718.724.8002 / [email protected] Puppets on Film Schedule Fri, Oct 24 7pm: The Dark Crystal Fan Fest 10:30pm: The Thing Sat, Oct 25 10am & 12:30pm: Family Puppet Workshop: How to Be a Puppeteer 11am: Shortstack! Kids Shorts Program 1:30pm: Muppets Most Wanted 1pm: Handmade Puppet Dreams Filmmaking Symposium 4:30pm: I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story 7pm: Return of the Jedi 10:30pm: Attack the Block Sun, Oct 26 10am & 12:15pm: Family Puppet Workshop: Animal Marionettes 11am: Davy Jones’ Locker 1pm: Live Action Puppet Shorts 3pm: Class: PuppetCinema 3:30pm: Tomorrow We Disappear 6pm: Behind the Lid + The Never Bell Film, Workshop, and Exhibit Descriptions Attack the Block (2011) 88min Directed by Joe Cornish. With John Boyega, Alex Esmail, Nick Frost. It’s inner city versus outer space when a teen gang is pitted against an invasion of savage alien monsters, turning their south London housing project into a sci-fi playground. “An entertaining thriller in the tradition of 1970s B-action films, with an unknown cast, energetic special effects, and great energy” (Roger Ebert). DCP. Ages 15+ Sat, Oct 25 at 10:30pm Special guest: creature movement coach Terry Notary Behind the Lid (2014) 81min World premiere! Dir. Steve Lippman. This new film captures an extraordinary performance, a deeply personal elegy to the downtown artist Lee Nagrin by puppeteer Basil Twist. DCP. Screens with The Never Bell. Recommended for adults. Sun, Oct 26 at 6pm Special guests: Basil Twist and Steve Lippman Class: PuppetCinema 90min BAM Fisher (Hillman Studio) 321 Ashland Place Tickets: $25; available for purchase at the BAM Box Office In conjunction with the Next Wave Festival’s Salt of the Earth, this workshop gives participants a chance to discover the aesthetics of innovative company PuppetCinema and learn the basic mechanics of film, puppetry, and object theater. Ages 15+ Sun, Oct 26 at 3pm Led by Zvi Sahar and Leslie Strongwater The Dark Crystal Fan Fest 130min Jim Henson, Frank Oz, illustrator Brian Froud, and an extraordinary team of collaborators created a richly realized fantasy world unlike any other in the cult classic The Dark Crystal (1982). Given the chance to work with more complex material, Henson let his imagination run wild, wondrously aided by then state-of- the-art animatronics. Hosted by DarkCrystal.com, this one-night-only celebration features a screening of the film, appearances by Brian and Wendy Froud, the New York premiere of Toby Froud’s acclaimed new short film Lessons Learned, and much more. Fans are welcome to come in costume! Ages 7+ Fri, Oct 24 at 7:30pm Special guests: Brian, Wendy, and Toby Froud Davy Jones’ Locker (1995) 52min Dir. Joseph Jacoby. The exquisitely crafted marionettes of legendary puppeteer Bil Baird (famously featured in “The Lonely Goatherd” sequence in The Sound of Music) are the stars of this rollicking musical adventure about a young boy who falls in with a band of pirates. A charmingly lo-fi blend of tuneful songs, beautiful puppetry, whimsical visuals, and gentle comedy, Davy Jones’ Locker is an analog delight for all ages. Digital. Ages 5+ Sun, Oct 26 at 11am Special guests: Joseph Jacoby and performer William Tost Family Puppet Workshop: Animal Marionettes 45min BAMcafé 30 Lafayette Ave Tickets: $7 (workshops have limited capacity; children 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult and each ticket admits one person); available for purchase at the BAM Rose Cinemas box office Kids unlock the secrets of marionette performance by building their own animal marionettes, then learn how to use weight, balance, and gravity to perform with a string puppet. Ages 6—9. Sun, Oct 26 at 10am & 12:15pm Led by Honey Goodenough Family Puppet Workshop: How to Be a Puppeteer 45min BAMcafé 30 Lafayette Ave Tickets: $7 (workshops have limited capacity; children 10 and under must be accompanied by an adult and each ticket admits one person); available for purchase at the BAM Rose Cinemas box office Kids learn a variety of puppetry techniques, make their own creations, and meet Lionel from the Emmy- winning PBS series Between the Lions during this interactive workshop by master puppeteer Noel MacNeal. Ages 4—8. Sat, Oct 25 at 10am & 12:30pm Led by Noel MacNeal Handmade Puppets Dreams Filmmaking Symposium 180min BAM Fisher (Hillman Studio) 321 Ashland Place Tickets: $10; available for purchase at the BAM Box Office Join Heather Henson and IBEX Puppetry in this unique gathering of Handmade Puppet Dreams (HMPD) film directors to discuss puppets on film. Panelists will examine their personal experiences with filmmaking, each looking at different aspects of the process: conceptualizing the story, designing and fabricating puppet characters, shooting live-action footage, assembling shots and post-production to finish the films. Panelists include Heather Henson (IBEX’s creative director/HMPD executive producer), Toby Froud (Lessons Learned), Sam Koji Hale (Yamasong), Spencer Lott (Melvin the Birder), Kevin McTurk (Narrative of Victor Karloch), and Genevieve Anderson (Too Loud a Solitude). Afterward, join the artists for light refreshments in an open discussion and networking opportunity created specifically for the puppet film community. Recommended for adults.