The 12th Marc Davis Celebration of Animation, "Drawing on the Future: Mentorship in Animation," will be presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on Friday, May 9, at 7:30 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Animation critic Charles Solomon will moderate an onstage panel discussion featuring James Baxter, Andreas Deja, Pete Docter, and Eric Goldberg. The panel participants will talk about the mentors who inspired them and will provide insights into their personal approaches to their art. The evening will also include clips from works created by both the mentors and the panelists.
Baxter (right) oversaw performances as the supervising animator for Belle in Beauty and the Beast (1991), Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), and Spirit in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (2002), as well as the animation sequences in Enchanted (2007).
Deja worked on Gaston in Beauty and the Beast (1991), Scar in The Lion King (1994), and Lilo in Lilo & Stitch (2002).
Goldberg served as the character designer and supervising animator for Genie in Aladdin (1992), and co-directed Pocahontas (1995) with Mike Gabriel, and directed the Rhapsody in Blue and Carnival of the Animals segments in Fantasia 2000 (2000).
Docter (right) earned Oscar nominations for Original Screenplay for Toy Story (1995), Best Animated Feature Film for Monsters, Inc. (2001), and Best Animated Short Film for Mike's New Car (2002).
Marc Davis (top photo), by the way, was an animator who worked in numerous Disney classics, including Bambi (1942), Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), and Sleeping Beauty (1959). He died in January 2000.
Tickets for the Academy's 12th Marc Davis Celebration of Animation are $5 for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID. They may be purchased online at www.oscars.org, in person at the Academy box office or by mail. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. All seating is unreserved. The Academy is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information, call (310) 247-3600.
Photos: Courtesy of Disney (Marc Davis / James Baxter), Long Photography/©AMPAS (Pete Docter)
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