Update: Due to recent travel restrictions, many guests and speakers will not be able to attend, and the situation is rapidly changing for the worse. In light of this public health crisis, GLAS 2020 is sadly cancelled.
The annual GLAS Animation Festival, in all its independent and contemporary animation glory, returns to Berkeley this month. Special guests, curated screenings, retrospectives, and parties for passholders, will mean a marathon session of nerding out for both animation creators and fans alike. Here are some of our top picks for this year’s festival. Let the animation magic begin…
A Conversation with Mike Judge – Cancelled
Mike Judge is likely the best-known guest speaker on GLAS’ 2020 list of special guests and rightfully so. He is the man behind the impossible-to-forget boneheads, Beavis and Butthead. And as an animator, filmmaker, writer and voice actor he has been hustling and making memorable shows, hit after hit since the nineties, including Office Space, Idiocracy, King of the Hill and Silicon Valley. GLAS will have Mike Judge in-person to discuss his work, answer questions, and inspire the next-gen of animators. Separately, they will also be showing Beavis and Butt-Head Do America and Office Space on the big screen.
Friday, March 20, 2:30 pm at David Brower Center
Sam Rolfes: A Mocap Walk On Stage
If the trippiest experimental music could be reimagined into even trippier visuals, that would be sort of what Sam Rofes does. Rolfes will be presenting and performing a “motion-captured walk through the fragmented 3D environments of past animations and stage shows.” And while a lot of the 3D animation shop talk will go over most people’s heads, it will be worthwhile to see and hear him deep dive into his futuristic form of digital art, as seen via Nike, Adult Swim, and Super Deluxe.
Sunday, March 22, 11:30am at David Brower Center
Cake (FX Networks) Presented by FX
Cake is the just-desserts of short films served up weekly on FXX and FX on Hulu. The format features animations and live-action filmmakers from around the world, and thanks to the one-off nature of the selections, the show offers an opportunity for independent animators to get their work in front of an audience, versus just big studios or large teams of creators. For GLAS, Cake has put together a special animation showcase, followed by a panel discussion with featured artists after the screening.
Sunday, March 22, 12:45 pm at David Brower Center
The New Wave of Latin American Independent Animation
It seems a lot of the animation tutorials, kick-ass motion designers, and animation festivals are all coming out of Latin America, despite a lack of funding or a market for short films. So, while there might be less mainstream recognition (yet), the underground is where many of these animators are growing roots and becoming unstoppable vines about to take over the animation world. Head to GLAS to catch a curated collection of films dubbed as the “new Latin American animation.”
Thursday, March 19, 5pm at Shattuck 4
Friday, March 20, 9:30pm at Shattuck 8
Saturday, March 21, 3pm at Shattuck 4
Competition 2
While I would suggest going to the Competition 2 screening, mainly to see what Jerron Braxton has cooked up (see trailer above), you should really check out any/all of the Competition screenings throughout the weekend. These screenings are a mixed bag of styles and the variety is really what makes GLAS special.
Thursday, March 19, 7:30pm at Shattuck 2 (Opening Ceremony)
Thursday, March 19, 7:30pm at Shattuck 4
Sunday, March 22, 5pm at Shattuck 4 + 8
GLAS Animation runs from March 19th-22nd. For more information on programs, the full calendar and attending the festival, there are various ticket options, visit GLASAnimation.com .