One of the most profoundly influential television shows \u2013 at least, in my life \u2013 was \u201cInternational Animation Festival,\u201d a PBS presentation that aired during the mid-1970s. Hosted by Jean Marsh of \u201cUpstairs Downstairs\u201d fame, this weekly half-hour series was the rare program that offered a glimpse into the animation universe existing beyond the realm of the standard Saturday morning shenanigans or the old Disney and Warner Bros. shorts that dominated television.
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I was in elementary school when \u201cInternational Animation Festival\u201d aired and I was deeply invigorated by the depth and scope of work that it presented. Having not seen the series since its initial broadcast a half-century ago, I can still remember many of the cartoons with great fondness.<\/p>\n
The animated short films presented on this show spanned back to the early silent years, including pioneering works by the French filmmaker \u00c9mile Cohl\u2019s \u201cFantasmagorie\u201d (1908) and \u201cAutomatic Moving Company\u201d (1912). It also offered contemporary works, such as Will Vinton\u2019s Oscar-winning \u201cClosed Mondays\u201d (1974).<\/p>\n
Among the shorts that resonated with me were \u201cThe Hand\u201d (1965), a jolting allegory of totalitarian repression by Czech animator Ji\u0159\u00ed Trnka; \u201cThe Collector\u201d (1971), a psychedelic piece from Yugoslavian animator Milan Bla\u017eekovi\u0107 with a \u201cTwilight Zone\u201d-worthy plot twist; and Antoinette Starkiewicz\u2019s wildly stylish \u201cPutting on the Ritz\u201d (1974). <\/p>\n
\u201cInternational Animation Festival\u201d included a few Golden Age of Hollywood shorts that were not part of any television package at that time. Among those titles were the whimsical 1953 UPA version of James Thurber\u2019s \u201cA Unicorn in the Garden\u201d and Walter Lantz\u2019s politically incorrect \u201cBoogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B\u201d (1941).<\/p>\n
If online commentary is any indication, it appears that many people of my generation were infatuated with “International Animation Festival” and were enriched by its eclectic contents. However, I was saddened to see a recent Facebook post when someone claimed the series is now considered to be lost. <\/p>\n
I contacted KQED, the San Francisco PBS station that produced the series, to inquire about its status. A member of its Audience Service department responded with this message: \u201cUnfortunately, due to the transition to digital broadcasting and archiving systems, we do not have copies of this program. I will note that someone has uploaded a recording from the series onto YouTube, but unfortunately KQED does not have any official copies available to distribute or broadcast.\u201d<\/p>\n
Below is the YouTube recording that the station mentioned, recorded on March 23, 1975, are featuring \u201cPassing Days\u201d (1969) by Nedeljko Dragi\u0107 and the Oscar-winning \u201cThe Hole\u201d (1962) by John and Faith Hubley. I sincerely hope this is not all that remains of that wonderful series. Hopefully, other episodes are out there and can be made available again.<\/p>\n