A Child’s Christmas in Wales and Holiday Animation Film Festival
At Exploratorium in December 2008

Don’t miss the sound of Dylan Thomas’ voice in the December 20 Exploratorium screening of A Child’s Christmas in Wales, a film that presents the story, written and narrated by Dylan Thomas, of a boy’s memories of Christmas in Wales. Sound and image also come together in amazing ways during the Holiday Animation Film Festival, from December 26-28, at noon and 2pm. All events are included in the price of admission to the Exploratorium. The program is as follows:

Saturday, December 20, 2008, 2pm
Films: Holiday Memories
The Sweater (1980, 10 min.), directed by Sheldon Cohen, is an animated version of a story by Québec author Roch Carrier, set in the rural Québec of his boyhood. Carrier recalls the passion for playing hockey, which he shared with the other boys of his community. This funny, poignant story is animated in a style that evokes the late 1940s. Dylan Thomas’ A Child’s Christmas in Wales (26 min., black and white, 16mm) uses still photographs of the wintry Welsh countryside to evoke memories of childhood and snow. Produced, directed, and photographed by Marvin Lightner with narration from Thomas’ original recording for Caedmon, A Child’s Christmas in Wales is part of the Exploratorium’s 16mm film collection.

Friday, December 26 – Sunday, December 28, 2008
Holiday Animation Film Festival
Noon and 2pm
This selection of short documentaries and animated films captures many different playful situations, and includes the following:

Sour Death Balls (1993, 4 min.), by Academy-Award winner Jessica Yu, takes a humorous and quirky look at how people from all ages and backgrounds react to extremely sour candy. Fetch (2001, 5 min.), by Bay Area animator Nina Paley, is a funny and kinetic exploration of space, involving an animated dog chasing a ball, with music composed and played by Nik Phelps and the Sprocket Ensemble.

The Cinema Arts Program is funded in part by the Louis Goldblatt Memorial Fund and by a grant from Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund.