Will Vinton Earns Lifetime Award at Portland Film Festival

Monday, August 24, 2015

Briauna Skye McKizzie, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Will Vinton Photo Credit: McMinnville Film Festival

This September, the public is invited to attend a special tribute to Will Vinton and a screening of “The Adventures of Mark Twain” and the Oscar-winning “Closed Mondays" on Thursday, September 3rd, during the highly anticipated Portland Film Festival.

In addition to his critically-acclaimed films and programs, Will Vinton, a native to Oregon, is known as being the pioneer of stop-motion pictures.

At a time when the majority of mainstream animation was 2-D, Vinton and his team focused on bring 3-D stop-motion animation to the living rooms of America.

One way Vinton and his team helped to transform the world of animation was by developing innovative hardware like the frame grabber, hardware that allows “a single camera to shoot 3-D animation,” according to the Portland Film Festival.

The advancements that Vinton made in this field is what resulted in the more realistic animation that we see today on our screens.

A creative pioneer, Vinton has won an Academy Award, Primetime Emmy Awards, and awards from the Ottawa International Animation Festival, according to IMDB.

So, it comes as no surprise that Will Vinton will be honored with a lifetime achievement award for innovations in filmmaking.

“When I realized that 2015 marked the 40th anniversary of the Academy Award for “Closed Mondays” and the 30th anniversary of “The Adventures of Mark Twain”— both milestones in animation history—I felt it was time to acknowledge not only the influence that the California Raisins, the Noid, Dinosaurs “Herb & Rex,” M&M’s “Red & Yellow” and The PJs’ Thurgood Stubbs had on my generation, but to congratulate Will for doing it all in Portland, Oregon — instead of Hollywood, California. Thanks to Will Vinton, Portland is not just a world mecca for gifted animators today, it’s the coolest place on the planet to make movies,” said Portland film festival founder and Executive Director Joshua Leake.“

To attend the screening and tribute, please purchase tickets here.

Tribute to Will Vinton, Mission Theater, 1624 NW Glisan St. Thursday, September 3rd, at 4pm.

Homepage Photo Credit: Will Vinton's Twitter

Related Slideshow: 7 Reasons to Get Excited about the 2015 Portland Film Festival

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1. Zombie Day

Zombie Day occurs Monday, September 7th, and is one of the most anticipated events of the festival.

During Zombie Day, a short zombie film directed by George C. Romero, the son of the director of Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero), will be filmed on the streets of Portland.

Having over a thousand extras, Zombie Day will be the Portland Film Festival’s Guinness World Record Event.

Click HERE to either watch the fun or to actually be one of the extras in the film.

Photo Credit: Portland Film Festival (Image Cropped)

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2. Will Vinton Tribute

During the festival, we will also honor the Academy Award-winning, McMinnville native, Will Vinton.

Vinton is considered a stop-motion pioneer and many of us know him for The California Raisins Show.

Most notably, though, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the acclaimed feature film, The Adventures of Mark Twain and the 40th anniversary of the Oscar-winning short, Closed Mondays.

In light of his astounding legacy, Will Vinton will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award for Innovation in Filmmaking.

Photo Credit: McMinnville Film Festival (Image Cropped)

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3. Wendy Froud Tribute

If it weren’t for the work and talent of Wendy Froud, we may not remember Yoda quite so vividly as we do. Froud is the astoundingly talented scupltor and puppet maker who will be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award for her work as a fabricator on Yoda for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. We also appreciate Froud for her work on The Dark Crystal and the unforgettable Labyrinth.

Photo Credit: Yoda Still 1. Courtesy of Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved. Iconic character Yoda from Star Wars, in celebration of Portland Film Festival’s Tribute to acclaimed puppet maker and fabricator Wendy Froud. (Image Cropped)

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4. Filmmaker Presentations

Filmmaker Presentations is also something to get excited for. During the presentations, attendees will gain insight from industry experts on various film topics. One of the highlighted presentations will be given by cinematographer Amy Vincent, who is known for her work on the hit film Hustle & Flow.

Photo Credit: Amy Vincent's IMDB (Image Cropped)

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5. Workshops

The sheer amount of educational opportunities at the Portland Film Festival is what sets this festival apart from all the others. There will be over seventy workshops, classes, and panel discussions led by industry experts covering topics for actors, screenwriters, filmmakers, and crews.

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6. Screenplay Competition

After a total of 380 submissions were sent in, four finalists were picked to compete for a production grant valued at $20,000. During the festival, audience members will watch live readings of the scripts and will have a chance to decide who will be the next greatest screenwriter of our generation.

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7. Live Music

On the first night of the festival, attendees will enjoy the world premier of GRU-PDX, a documentary about the Brazilian indie band Quarto Negro.

In the documentary, viewers will gain insight on how the band journeyed to Portland to record their second album. As a a part of the premier, the band will also perform for the audience, creating a one of a kind experience.

Photo Credit: Quarto Negro (Image Cropped)