Flushing Town Hall is kicking off the Lunar New Year by hosting the Crazy Talented Asians & Friends’ (CTAF) 6th Animation Festival for Short Films and Motion Design at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21.
The special event, located at 137-35 Northern Blvd. in Flushing, will feature animated short stories and motion designs submitted by Asian American and Asian animators from all over the world, including an hour-and-a-half of screenings followed by a post-festival mixer with refreshments and the opportunity to meet with artists, jurors, and professionals from the animation industry. The event offers an evening of animated films, from lighthearted and funny to deeply touching pieces for all ages to enjoy.
“We want to make people realize there are so many talents and people should get to see them and talk about it, and as a result, connect everyone together as a community,” said Ming-I Huang, the festival’s organizer.
CTAF is a community-led program series that highlights the creative work of Asian and Asian Americans and their impact on the community, while bringing together families, friends, and audiences with backgrounds from all over the world to celebrate their stories. The organization hosts a range of events throughout the city, including Painting in the Park, creative workshops, stand-up comedy, fundraisers, and more to connect with others and highlight the many talented creators and artists in the Asian community. The film festival, which started in 2020 and had its first event virtually during the pandemic, has expanded to become a popular go-to event each year at Flushing Town Hall, which regularly highlights the diversity and creativity of the world’s borough with a range of events, from their global mash-ups to other live music events.
“Flushing Town Hall is excited to continue promoting works by emerging and professional Asian-heritage artists with the return of Crazy Talented Asians & Friends,” said Ellen Kodadek, Flushing Town Hall’s executive and artistic director. “Asian and Asian American artists and their stories need to be heard and cherished, especially in these times, and highlighting their talents is an important part of our mission.”
Huang said over 1,800 submissions were made for this year’s festival, with an independent jury comprised of film, media, and creative professionals who went through each one and narrowed it down to around 30 films that were chosen for their excellence in art direction, storytelling, animation, production quality, and sound design. The screening will feature 12-14 short films, including Bride of the Wind by Yunseo “Lupin” Kim, Nine Days by Yanzhang Song, and ADHD Designer by Zipei Zhang.
“Bride of the Wind is a heartbreaking, beautiful story, and Pond King is about a frog doing martial arts that’s very dramatically fighting with a bug, and it’s a one-minute short,” said Huang. “It’s a great way to get together, and it’s a family event that’s something fun to do. We specifically have it a five o’clock, so if people want to go to a restaurant afterwards, that’s the perfect timing, or just stay around for the mixer party.”
Tickets for the screening only are $20 for general admission, and $15 for members and students with ID. Tickets for those interested in both the screening and mixer are $30 for general admission, and $25 for members and students with ID. The event is a fun way to spend the weekend exploring animated films and connecting with others from around the community and beyond.
“You see the best and the latest on our screen, and we really promote an in-person experience, because in this day and age, I feel that’s very important to build community,” said Huang. So we show the films on a big screen, and people love the mixer party to talk to each other, be social, and network for their professional careers. It’s a lot of animators, students, recent grads, and they just love to get together.”
To purchase a ticket, visit Flushing Town Hall’s website or follow CTAF at @ctaf_ny.
