Motivated by the Me Too movement, FilmScene in Iowa City is hosting "Women's March," a month-long series celebrating films directed by women filmmakers. At an Animation Camp on March 15 and 16, young filmmakers - specifically girls and genderqueer youth ages 11 to 13 - learned to make their own animated films.
On this Talk of Iowa, Charity Nebbe talks with FilmScene programming director Rebecca Fons about the motivation behind the animation camp as well as participants' experiences.
"As early as we can make these young people film lovers, cinephiles, and animators, the earlier they appreciate our space and the sooner we see them grow as artists," Fons says.
Kelly Gallagher, assistant professor of media arts at Antioch College in Ohio, led participants through a collage activity and helped them animate their creations on iPads using a free stop-motion app.
"You can add special effects, you can add like a subtitle, you can add anything you want," Amelia Douglas, a camp participant, says. "I encourage people to try it out."
The camp, like filmmaking itself, was intentionally collaborative. Students worked in groups of two or three to animate their films. Fons is well aware of the potential young artists hold for the future of cinema.
"It's a really exciting thing to think about what they're going to be creating in ten years," Fons says.
Later in the hour, Nebbe talks with Rosina Bierbaum, who has been a scientific advisor to two U.S. presidents. They discuss the divide between scientists and public policy, particularly in conversations relating to climate change.
