OTTAWA (belatedly)

I know ...
I know...
Everyone has been like,

Dude, where WERE you from October 20th to approximately October 25?!

And I've been all like,

DUDE... I was TOTALLY in Canada for the 2010 Ottawa International Animation Festival!

And they were like,

WHAAAAAAAAAT?!

And I was shakin' my head like,

YEEEEEEEEAH!

Because the animated short we did for 1000 TIMES NO that's been airing on Nick Jr. got into the festival so I went to represent! And as ALWAYS, I had a blast. Ottawa is STILL my favorite festival. I mean, it's got EVERYTHING!

First off, Ottawa is a beautiful city. It's got that old world European flavor mixed in with awesome modern culture. There's great architecture, tons of public art, tasty restaurants, and of course...

Beaver Tails.


Secondly, you get to watch a TON of films from all over the world. And yeah... a good portion of these films aren't for everyone. In fact, as I get older I'm finding that I have even LESS patience for stark, suicidal, misery-inducing, artsy fartsy films that run on for 25 minutes.
But there's almost always something you can take away from every film.
(A good nap, oft times)
In general, I find the children's films to be the most satisfying since they involve the most storytelling blended with interesting new (and sometimes old) techniques.
And there are usually a couple fun features to check out as well.
This year I was psyched that the 10th feature-length One Piece movie was playing:



So okay then...

Great town

Great films

And, of course, great friends!

I spent most of the trip hanging with fellow decommissioned KND operative Numbuh of the Beast (aka Andy Rheingold to you adults out there) and a guy I had only met briefly many many years ago but now know WAY too much about:

Mr. Craig Kellman.

Aw, you know-- the guys who designed characters on Dexter's Laboratory?
And Powerpuff Girls?
Samurai Jack?
Foster Home For Imaginary Friends?
You KNOW... the guy who designed the characters for MADAGASCAR?!
Wait...
Maybe you'll recognize Craig from this picture of him eating bread budding:


Yeah.
That guy.

Mr.Kellman also designed and directed The Ricky Gervais Show for HBO, which had the honor of being accepted into the festival.

Andy, Craig and I spent most of the trip going to screenings, drinking root beers, seeing films, eating lunch and drinking root beers while comparing animation war stories, watching cartoons, and scarfing down dinner and root beers before attending parties where we ate hors de oeuvres and drank MORE root beers.

Rinse.
Wash.
Repeat.

I know... rough life, right?

And while NO didn't win the sooper big prize for Best Children's Film, it was awesome to be included.

So thanks Ottawa, for another ROCKIN' trip.

Can't wait to see you again!