Mary and Max: astonishing accomplishment
By Rama Gaind
PRAISE continues for the Australian feature ‘Mary and Max’ as the film is selected in competition for France’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival from June 8-13, 2009.
Mary and Max is one of only nine feature films selected for the prestigious festival, known as “the Cannes of Animation”.
Producer Melanie Coombs and writer/director/designer Adam Elliot will travel to France for the screening. In addition, Elliot has been invited to join the Short Film Jury for the Festival.
Mary and Max was the first Australian film ever to open the Sundance Film Festival, was awarded a Jury Prize at the Berlin Film Festival, and now in national release through Icon Film Distribution, it is the highest-grossing Australian film this year.
REVIEW
Adam Elliot employs an uncharacteristic form of animation (remember Oscar-winning Harvey Krumpet) to tell a compelling narrative.
The convincing and expressively fascinating story is told using plasticine figurines.
It’s the semi-autobiographical friendship between two unlikely pen pals: lonely eight-year-old Mary in Melbourne and a secluded older New Yorker.
Their friendship straddles two continents, runs over two decades and survives many ups and downs that life throws their way.
Among the stars are the voices of Toni Collette, Philip S. Hoffman, Eric Bana and Barry Humphries.
Mary and Max is an astonishing accomplishment, humble and unpretentious in some respects and daring and bold in others.
BACKGROUND
In 2003 ‘Harvie Krumpet’ was awarded three prizes at Annecy. These awards ensured that the film was eligible for the Academy Awards, resulting in Adam Elliot and Melanie Coombs winning the Best Short Animation Oscar!
Annecy also selected Harvie Krumpet in their top 100 animated films of all time. According to Melanie, "France has a grand tradition and long love affair with Adam’s short films, and so we are thrilled to be selected for this prestigeous festival”.
Adam says, " For some odd the reason my humour tickles the fancy of the French and so I’m looking forward to showing them Mary and Max, who they’ve been longing to meet”.
Gaumont has acquired the rights to Mary and Max for the French-language territories and while there for the Festival, Adam and Melanie commence the French leg of their world-wide publicity tour in advance of the release in France.
INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FILM FESTIVAL
Annecy has been showcasing the very best in animation for over 45 years, making it the industry’s leading international competitive festival. The competition is open to the following five film categories, each using different animation techniques:- feature films,- short films,- commissioned and TV films,- graduation films
The capacity to present and promote animation in all its different forms has made Annecy a world-wide point of reference for the animation industry.
