Screening

Hubley Studio Retrospective PART 1: Faith & John

Still from MOONBIRD (1959) by Faith & John Hubley

Join us for a three-part retrospective of The Hubley Studio. The Hubleys have been pioneers of independent animation for over half a century. Their films transcend traditional animation narratives and techniques and delve into free-form color, motion, and emotion. As stated by John Hubley, “If you believe in this media as an art, and you believe yourself to be an artist, and you want to make films as an artist, you have to go ahead and do it; you have to make what you want to make, have control over it, and make it on your terms.”

Q&A with Emily Hubley following all screenings.

Suggested Donation: $10
RSVP: filmmakerscoop@gmail.com

The first screening consists of Faith and John Hubley’s films, with an emphasis on soundtrack. Numerous Jazz artists contributed and maintained collaborative relationships with the Hubleys, most notably Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Carter, Ella Fitzgerald and Quincy Jones. In addition to famous jazz figures, many of the soundtracks contain the voices of the Hubley children. Faith and John’s choice to use their children’s voices rather than hire actors underlines the very personal and truthful nature of their films. Critic Matthew Dessem observes, “the difference between an adult’s idea of how a child talks and the way children actually talk is immediately apparent; all of the films feature the strange leaps in logic and imagination that are difficult to simulate, but that children have easy access to.” Faith and John Hubley’s careful selection of their sound collaborators give their films a poetry and intimacy rarely encountered in American animation. 

The Hat (1964)
Voyage to Next (1974)
Moonbird (1959)
Cockaboody (1973)