Sometimes amidst all the Comic-Con chaos, you just want to duck into a dark room and watch a movie. This year, in addition to the usual indie and genre films, you've got a menu of incredible documentaries to choose from. I know a lot of you skip the film programming, so I wanted to call attention to the selections. We've got documentaries about cosplay, steampunk, dinosaurs, women in comics, famous artists and more. Including one panel about a certain Back to the Future documentary that is sure to be highly popular. So without further ado...
Thursday
Floyd Norman Documentary
9:00 in room 9
This is just a panel, not a screening. Filmmakers Michael
Fiore and Erik Sharkey will show clips from their original feature-length
documentary and reunite Floyd Norman (legendary Disney and Hanna Barbera
animator and story artist) with many animators and artists that he influenced
and worked with over his 60-year career. Panelists will include notables
featured in the documentary includingPaul Dini (animation writer/producer), Gary
Trousdale (co-director of Disney's Beauty and the Beast), Scott Shaw!
(cartoonist, humorist, historian), Leo Sullivan (animator, producer,
publisher), Ken Mitchroney (writer, director, story artist), Adrienne Nichelle
Brown-Norman (illustrator, Disney Publishing), and Tom Sito (animator,
professor of animation, USC). The documentary also features interviews with
such notables as actress Whoopi Goldberg, cartoonist Sergio Aragonés, Disney
music composer Richard Sherman, producer Don Hahn, Maleficent), Ralph
Guggenheim and film critic/historian Leonard
Maltin. The filmmakers will moderate a Q&A session and celebrate Mr.
Norman's 80th birthday.
Friday
Dinosaurs: Terrible Lizards
2:15 pm at the Hyatt in Grand Ballroom D
Dinosaurs: the prehistoric titans who ruled the Earth for
160 million of years. Their name literally translates as "Terrible
Lizards." We follow them in this animated documentary to see whether they
deserved this fearsome moniker.
Going Back in Time: A Discussion and Q&A
with the Filmmakers Behind the Back to the Future Feature Documentary
6:30 pm in 24ABC
Director Jason Aron, executive producer Louis Krubich, and
producer Lee Leshen discuss, take questions, and show clips from their upcoming
film Back in Time, the feature-length documentary that shows the films'
influence on the public 30 years later. Dean Cundey (legendary cinematographer
for all three Back to the Future films, in addition to iconic movies such as Hook,
Jurassic Park and many more), will join the discussion and be available for
questions during the Q&A.
Doomed! The Untold Story of Roger Corman's The Fantastic Four
6:30 at the Hyatt in Coronado Ballroom DE
This feature-length documentary tracks the history of the
troubled 1994 Concord-New Horizon's/Constantin Films production of The
Fantastic Four. Nearly 20 cast/crew and others experts discuss the
behind-the-scenes shenanigans, legal troubles, career fallouts, and lasting legacy
of Oley Sassone’s “lost” film.
Saturday
These are all in Grand Ballroom D at the Hyatt.
She Makes Comics
1:05 pm
Traces the fascinating history of women
in the comics industry. Despite popular assumptions about the comics world,
women have been writing, drawing, and reading comics since the medium's
beginning in the late nineteenth century. And today, there are scores of women
involved in comics and its vibrant fan culture.
Dr. MegaVolt: From Geek to Superhero
2:35 pm
The story of America's first Electro-naut,
Dr. Austin Richards, a.k.a. Dr. MegaVolt, a Ph.D. in physics who has been
performing in a metal Faraday suit with Tesla coils since March 1997.
Participating panelists include writer/producer/director Victoria Charters
(Mistress MegaVolt herself), producer Austin Richards (Dr. MegaVolt himself),
and Gunthar Hartwig (himself).
Cosplay Dreams 3D*
5:10 pm
The first award-winning film about the
reality and fantasy of "costume play" shot in 3D! A diverse cast of
characters share their stories and dreams, as they join hundreds of passionate
and inspiring cosplayers at the most famous conventions and fantastical
gatherings in the U.S. Starring Yaya Han (Heroes of Cosplay), Traci Hines,
Fanboy Brandon, and featuring dazzling visual effects, the film brings the
world of cosplay to life like never before! Participating panelists include Gulliver
Parascandolo (director), Christine Parascandolo (executive producer), and Fanboy
Brandon (cast). *Presented in 2D.
The Art of Richard Thompson
6:35 pm
Richard Thompson is renowned
among cartoonists as an "artist's" cartoonist. Little known to all
but those close to him is the extent of his art talent. This warm and moving
portrait enlightens and delights the viewer with the sheer beauty of his work.
Howard Terpning: the Heart of the Canvas
7:10
Artist Howard
Terpning painted over 70 iconic pop culture movie poster images during the 50s
and 60s. Terpning discusses his poster art for classic films such as The Guns
of Navarone,The Sound of Music, Lawrence of Arabia, and Cleopatra to name just
a few. Filmmaker Paul Jilbert (Robert McGinnis Painting The Last Rose of Summer)
interviews and profiles Terpning in this film.
Vintage Tomorrows
7:40 pm
What is steampunk, and why is it
suddenly everywhere? The documentary examines the steampunk movement's origins,
explosive growth, and cultural significance. What can we learn about today and
tomorrow from steampunk's playful visions of yesteryear? Participating
panelists include Byrd McDonald (director) and Alan Winston (editor).
The Drybrush Master
9:00 pm
The story of artist and New York Times
bestselling author Greg Ruth and the creation of his newest graphic novel, The
Lost Boy.
Dark Star: H.R. Giger's World
9:30 pm
Surrealist
artist H. R. Giger (1940-2014) terrified audiences with his Oscar-winning
monsters in Ridley Scott's Alien. Sci-fi, horror, music, album covers, tattoos,
and fetish art have been influenced by his dark, intricate paintings and
sculptures depicting birth, death, and sex. Both a mesmerizing introduction to
Giger's oeuvre and a must-see for Giger devotees, Belinda Sallin's definitive
documentary shares the intimate last years of the artist's life and reveals how
deeply he resided within his own artistic visions.
Is everything in the programming free? Even if it's somewhere else?
ReplyDeleteYes, if it's official SDCC programming, it's free to anyone with a badge.
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