Press release from Boy Reporter Productions
Sydney filmmakers Mick Elliott and Brendan Cook’s animated short film Gluteus Maximus has been invited to screen at Annecy 2009, the festival often referred to as the "Cannes" of animation.
The film will screen in a specially curated programme themed around political incorrectness, alongside films from South Park creator Trey Parker and legendary US animator Bill Plympton.
Elliott and Cook co-directed the film as part of a Screen Australia initiative which commissioned thirteen teams of animators to produce comic shorts exploring the broad theme of ‘Great Moments in History.’
The collection of finished films was licensed to screen on BigPond TV. However, days before the films were due to premiere, Elliott and Cook were advised that Gluteus Maximus was being excluded from the line-up on the grounds of poor taste.
Ironically, the film – which tells the story of the creation of bottoms and their impact on the course of human evolution – has since had overwhelming success and popularity at film festivals worldwide.
In addition to the Annecy selection, Gluteus Maximus has screened at local festivals such as Flickerfest and the Mardi Gras Film Festival. In June it will screen at the Revelation Film Festival in Perth, the Melbourne International Animation Festival and Rushes Short Film Festival in the UK.
Gluteus Maximus is in the running for the 2009 IF Awards, and can be voted for at www.ifawards.com