Sunday,
April 20 at 2pm + 7pm
Handmade
Puppet Dreams
Co-presented
Puppet Uprising
A
program of short films curated by Heather Henson with special
guests Maple Rabbit
 Showcasing
a new generation of puppeteers embracing film as a medium for
their individual expressions, this collection features films
that focus primarily on real-time performed puppetry, Handmade
Puppet Dreams brings together an assortment of puppet film shorts
by independent artists exploring their handmade craft specifically
for the camera. Stylistically, the films run the gamut from
marionettes to finger puppets to paper cutouts; each artist
articulating their own unique approach to animation and film.
Handmade Puppet Dreams is a compilation of contemporary artisans
who carefully weave the crafts of filmmaking and puppetry into
their work, building their visions, and breathing life into
their dreams.
Both
shows feature live music-with-puppet-film performance by Philadelphia’s
favorite keyboard trio Maple Rabbit
Handmade
Puppet Dreams For Kids at 2pm
Though
all the films in Handmade Puppet Dreams are suitable for all
ages, Heather Henson curated this program of nine short puppet
films (plus extra surprises!) with kids in mind. Running time
is just over an hour.
 Mother
Hubbard*
dir.
Paul Andrejco, 1996
Disney/Henson veteran Paul Alndrejco presents a new spin on
the old story of a bare-cupboarded woman who has no food, no
money and no clue how to deal with her eccentric little dog.
Hold Me Now
dir. Damien
Eckhardt-Jacobi & Vincent Bova, 2004
This film won an independent filmmakers contest to create a
video for a The Polyphonic Spree's song, and helped skyrocket
these artists out of the New York City Subway puppetry industry.
Dudley and the Toykeeper’s Chest
dir.
Patrick Algermissen, 2003
A toy lamb defends his home against a tyranical wooden wolf
in a battle for control over a toy mender's shop in tis stunning
short by renowned filmmaker Patrick Algermissen.
 A
Small World
dir.
Lyon Hill, 2005
Paper cutouts, shadow puppets, and dance beats are the stars
of the true story of an amusement park ride that led to a wedding
at a puppet theatre turned magical forest.
Ola's Box of Clovers*
dir.
Genevieve Anderson, 2004
Gorgeous rod puppets and lush scenery tell of one girl's journey
to understand her grandmother's unfulfilled dreams.
Popsicle
dir.
Mike Mitchell & Dan Brown, 2002
A filmmakers' portrayal of pop band The Starlight Mints as puppets
in a music video.
Piano Mouths
dir.
Jeanne Stern, 2005
Jeanne Stern treats us to a quick snippet of how an ordinary
instrument can be turned into a puppet with eighty-eight musical
mouths.
 Graveyard
Jamboree with Mysterious Mose*
dir.
Seamus Walsh & Mark Caballero, 1999
Cartoon Network animators Walsh and Caballero turn an old record
by Harry Reser and his Radio All-Star Novelty Orchestra into
a wild montage of live action puppetry, silhouettes and stop
motion animation.
The Amazing, Mysterious, & True Story of Mary Anning
& Her Monsters*
dir.
Laura Heit, 2003
Puppet master Laura Heit tells the true story of daring woman
whose love for monsters would change more than she bargained
for. Laura Heit's series of super short snippets Finger
Puppets Everywhere (2005) will also be peppered throughout
the program.
*Films marked with an asterisk can also be
seen in the 7pm program.
Handmade
Puppet Dreams Volume One at 7pm
Maple Rabbit are an acclaimed toy keyboard-and-vocal trio who
wear their hearts on their sleeves and play revolutionary love
melodies against a backdrop of handmade films, complementing
the eleven films in this first volume of Heather Henson's growing
puppet film series.
with
Q&A with Sammy & Sofa filmmaker Tim Lagasse
 Sammy
& Sofa
dir.
Tim Lagasse & Jim Napolitano, 2005
An eight inch tall mohawked psychic and his pet sofa are the brainchild
of UNIMA award-winning puppet artists Tim Lagasse and Jim "Nappy"
Napolitano, "Sammy and Sofa" was initially conceived
for performance at late night Puppet Slams, and was developed
in front of the live audiences.
Prelude #2
dir.
Hoku Uchiyama, 2003
A visual collage of hand and shadow puppetry mixed with flesh
and blood actors are enlisted to play the parts of two drunken
teens on a frightening drive homeward.
The Red Book
dir.
Janie Geiser, 1994
 Obie
and Guggenheim-winning filmmaker/puppeteer Janie Geiser explores
the realms of memory, language, and identity from the point
of view of a woman amnesiac, and reaches back into dismemberment
myths about the creation of different tongues through the breaking
apart of bodies.
Last Rites
dir.
Paul Andrejco, 1997
Paul Andrejco's first grade teacher dukes it out with Satan
Himself in the grudge match of the millennium—who will win all
of the lost souls in the universe?
Everloving
dir.
Steve Johnson, 2003
Inspired by the paintings of Beksinski and the music of Moby,
Hollywood special effects wizard Steve Johnson (Spiderman
2, Scooby Doo, The Cat in the Hat) shot
this film underwater at double speed in reverse, and then puppeted
the characters were upside down.
Herd
dir.
Mike Mitchell, 1998
A lowly fry cook becomes the unwitting accomplice to an alien
who instructs him to build a nefarious mysterious black box
in this film by this Shrek/SpongeBob/
Ren
& Stimpy screenwriter.
Also featured in Handmade Puppet Dreams Volume One are the films
Popsicle by Mike Mitchell and Dan Brown, The Amazing,
Mysterious, and True Story of Mary Anning and her Monsters,
Mother Hubbard, Graveyard Jamboree with Mysterious
Mose and Ola's Box of Clovers. For descriptions
of these films, see Handmade Puppet Dreams For Kids above.
For
more information, please visit www.puppetuprising.org.
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