After School Special Screens Best Film, Television, Animation and Visual Effects Projects from Top SVA Alumni

September 9 – September 16, 2018

SVA Theatre

333 West 23rd Street

New York City

August 2018, New York, NY—School of Visual Arts presents After School Special, the College’s annual film and animation festival showcasing the work of some of its most accomplished alumni in film, television, animation and visual effects. This year, the festival, which is open to the public, extends to eight days, starting on Sunday, September 9, with a special event at Film Forum. The remaining screenings, continuing through Sunday, September 16, will take place at SVA Theatre.

After School Special features a curated roster of premieres and screenings that underscore the high caliber of talent produced by SVA’s academic programs. Audiences are invited to take a deeper dive into filmmaking with behind-the-scenes insights from industry-leading alumni during Q&A sessions and panels that will accompany select screenings. Guests will also be able to enjoy videos and virtual and augmented reality projects in the lobby.

• World premiere of Take a Look at His Heart, a documentary by Ben Duffy (BFA 2014 Film and Video) that takes a candid look at love and sexuality in the disability community.
• Black Panther (2018) in 3D, followed by a talk with acclaimed comics artist Shawn Martinbrough (BFA 1993 Illustration), a noted contributor to Marvel’s Black Panther series.
• Ferdinand (2017) in 3D, followed by an inside look at the Academy Award-nominated film with its director, Carlos Saldanha (MFA 1993 Computer Art).
• Coco (2017) in 3D, followed by a Q&A with Pixar’s first female animation supervisor, Gini Santos (MFA 1996 Computer Art), and Pixar artist/animators (and BFA Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects alumni) MontaQue Ruffin and Christina Faraj who also worked on the film.
• The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004), followed by a Q&A with Derek Drymon (BFA 1992 Cartooning), co-creator of the Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants series and executive producer and co-writer of the film.
• World premieres of the short films Mario and the Powerglove, by Joseph Petrick (BFA 2004 Film and Video); Tasteful, by Morr Meroz (BFA 2013 Computer Art Computer and Visual Effects); and Noise by Jim McKenzie (BFA 2011 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects).

For festival updates and a full list of programming, visit: http://svatheatre.com/events/afterschoolspecial2018/.

With the exception of the Sunday, September 9 screening at Film Forum, all events will take place at SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street, and are free and open to the public. Doors will open approximately 30 minutes prior to each screening. Seating is first-come, first-served. RSVPs via Eventbrite are appreciated, but not necessary, and do not guarantee entrance.

Sunday, September 9

1:00pm | Bisbee ’17 (2018)

Film Forum, 209 West Houston Street

Tickets: $15 at filmforum.org or the Film Forum box office // $9 tickets available with an SVA ID at the Film Forum box office

SVA is thrilled to present its first After School Special partner screening with Film Forum, the newly refurbished independent film cinema in Greenwich Village. This documentary, a Sundance Film Festival hit, explores the century-old, controversial deportation of immigrant miners from a town on the Arizona-Mexico border. Director Robert Greene will be on hand to discuss the film with two of his collaborators, both 2010 alumni of SVA’s BFA Film and Video program: producer Bennett Elliot and camera operator Robert Kolodny.

In addition to this screening, Bisbee ’17 will be shown daily at Film Forum from September 5 – 18.  

All events below will be held at SVA Theatre:

Monday, September 10

7:30pm | Take a Look at This Heart (2018)

SVA is pleased to present the world premiere of this documentary by director Ben Duffy (BFA 2014 Film and Video), who screened his film Tin Soldiers at last year’s festival. His newest documentary takes a candid look at love and sexuality in the disabled community. For the Q&A, Duffy will be joined by the film’s cinematographers, fellow BFA Film and Video alumni Wayland Bell and Michael J. Sassano, as well as one of the film’s subjects, Broadway actress Ali Stroker (Spring Awakening). Preceded by the short film Good Bones, by Anaïs La Rocca (BFA 2011 Advertising).

Tuesday, September 11

7:30pm | My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea (2016)

Graphic novelist, animator, writer and director Dash Shaw (BFA 2005 Illustration) will be on hand to screen his first feature-length animated film, which features the voices of Jason Schwartzman, Lena Dunham and Susan Sarandon. Preceded by the short-film series Makin’ Things and the world premiere of Noise, by another multi-hyphenate creator, Jim McKenzie (BFA 2011 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects). 

Wednesday, September 12

7:30pm | One of Us (2017)

This Netflix original documentary follows three Hasidic Jews who, in the wake of trauma and abuse, face ostracism, anxiety and danger as they attempt to leave their ultra-Orthodox community. Cinematographer Jenni Morello (MFA 2011 Social Documentary Film) will be on hand for a Q&A following the film. Preceded by the short-film series Dreamed, about DACA immigrants navigating the current political climate, created for Topic.com by director Raúl Paz-Pastrana (MFA 2012 Social Documentary Film).

Thursday, September 13

7:30pm | The Greatest Showman (2017)

Join visual effects artists Jasmine Carruthers, Mina Choe and Elana Lederman, all alumni of SVA’s BFA Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects program, for a screening and behind-the-scenes look at this movie musical blockbuster. Preceded by a short film created for Fatherly.com about drag kid Desmond Napoles (a.k.a. Desmond Is Amazing), directed by Adam Banicki and edited by Lucas Groth (both MFA 2012 Social Documentary Film). 

Friday, September 14

8:00pm | SVA Premieres

A 90-minute program spotlighting exceptional live action, documentary and animated shorts by 2018 graduates from 11 undergraduate and graduate SVA programs, including films nominated for Student Academy Awards. Join the filmmakers in the lobby following the screening for a special dessert reception. 

Saturday, September 15

2:00pm | Ferdinand (2017) in 3D

Join director Carlos Saldanha and artists/animators Mark Adams and Ricky Renna – all alumni from SVA’s MFA Computer Art program—for a screening and inside look at Blue Sky Studios’ Academy Award-nominated animated film about a lovable bull with a big heart. Preceded by the world premiere of the animated short Tasteful by Morr Meroz (BFA 2013 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects).  

5:30pm | The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) on 35mm film

Derek Drymon (BFA 1992 Cartooning), who will be on hand for a post-screening discussion, not only co-created the beloved Nickelodeon series SpongeBob SquarePants, he co-wrote its theme song and executive produced and co-wrote the character’s feature film debut. Preceded by the new animated short Frog Dog Log, by Jared D. Weiss (BFA 2012 Animation). 

8:00pm | Black Panther (2018) in 3D

Take a trip back to Wakanda with two of the film’s visual effects artists, Ruel Smith (BFA 2004 Computer Art) and Wendi Harris Wu (MFA 2014 Computer Art), as well as critically acclaimed comic book artist and author Shawn Martinbrough (BFA 1993 Illustration). Preceded by the world premiere of the short film Mario and the Powerglove, by Joseph Petrick (BFA 2004 Film and Video).

Sunday, September 16

2:00pm | Disney·Pixar's Coco (2017) in 3D

Follow your passion, like Coco’s Miguel, and see this Academy Award-winning film again on the big screen, followed by a special conversation with Gini Santos (MFA 1996 Computer Art), Pixar Animation Studios' first female animation supervisor. She will be joined by Pixar artist/animators (and BFA Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects alumni) MontaQue Ruffin and Christina Faraj. Preceded by a short film from the Heroes of Color series, by David Heredia (BFA 2002 Animation). Catch a special Coco VR experience in the lobby before and after the film. 

Music and Video Art/Augmented and Virtual Reality Experiences in Lobby

Audiences will be entertained from the minute they enter the SVA Theatre by a selection of augmented and virtual reality experiences by alumni JD Gardner (BFA 2015 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects), Remington Scott (BFA 1991 Fine Arts) and Kurt Young (MFA 2013 Computer Art). Videos by Abdul Malik Abbott (BFA 1987 Film and Video), Gina Bari (BFA 2004 Animation), Anney Bonney (MFA 2008 Computer Art), Pao Calderon (MPS 2011 Live Action Short Film), Graciela Cassel (MFA 2014 Fine Arts), Claire Christerson (BFA 2015 Photography), Weisi Dai (MPS 2017 Fashion Photography), Amanda DiMartino (BFA 2017 Film), Chris McDonnell (BFA 2001 Animation), Jim McKenzie (BFA 2011 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects), Rod Morata (BFA 2002 Photography), Sophia Peer (MFA 2006 Photography, Video and Related Media), Miwa Sakulrat (BFA 2017 Film), Alex Smith (BFA 2007 Photography) and Jared D. Weiss (BFA 2012 Animation) will also play throughout the festival’s duration.

SVA Theatre thanks its promotional partners for After School Special 2018, including Asian American Arts Alliance, ASIFA-East, BAFTA New York, Center for Communication, DOCNYC, Film Forum, GKIDS, Hudson Guild, Indiegogo, International Documentary Association, KIND Snacks, NewFest, New York International Children’s Film Festival, New York Television Festival, New York Women in Film and Television, Producers Guild of America, Queens Council on the Arts, Soylent, Tribeca Film Institute, Visual Effects Society and Women in Animation.

SVA alumni have been featured in film festivals across the globe, steering their own projects and making integral contributions to blockbuster releases. They have won Oscars, Emmys, Golden Globes and awards at festivals such as Sundance, SXSW and the Venice Film Festival. Filmmakers and artists as diverse as Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya), Yvette Kaplan (Beavis and Butt-Head Do America), Lynn Shelton (Hump Day) and Tom Sito (Shrek, The Lion King), as well as Crystal Moselle (Skate Kitchen, The Wolfpack), Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game, Passengers), and Ti West (The House of the Devil), have all studied at SVA.

For more information, contact svatheatre@sva.edu.