Plastic Paper is Winnipeg’s celebration of animation, illustration and puppet films, organized by the Big Smash! filmmaking collective. Their second annual event will be held on May 4-8 at the Park Theatre.

The big score for this year’s edition is a special screening of Ralph Bakshi’s 1981 feature-length musical opus American Pop with the filmmaker in attendance for a post-screening Q&A. For this groundbreaking work, Bakshi utilized the innovative technique of mixing rotoscoping, water colors, computer graphics, live action shots, and archival footage. This screening and discussion will be a real treat for animation junkies.

But that’s not to say that the rest of the festival isn’t also filled with other amazing films.

Because, speaking of groundbreaking work, the fest kicks off with Brent Green‘s simply astounding film Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, the first full-length film utilizing real-life actors in amazing stop-motion animation. This powerful, emotional film telling the story of man who builds a patchwork house to cure his wife of cancer was named the Underground Film Journal’s 2010 Movie of the Year.

Plus, there will be innovative films such as Viva the ‘Nam, which was produced all with old G.I. Joe action figures; the machinima feature film The Trashman; and the late Helen Hill’s The Florestine Collection.

As for special events, artist Rick Trembles will conduct an illustrated lecture about the secret origin of his infamous movie review comic strip Motion Picture Purgatory. Then, there will be a Keiichi Tanaami retrospective and a Saturday morning cartoon marathon. Also, good friend to the Underground Film Journal, Clint Enns has curated a collection of early computer animation, featuring work by Stan Vanderbeek and James and John Whitney.

For more info on the fest and to buy advance tickets, please visit the official Paper Plastic website. The full lineup of screenings is below.

May 4

8:00 p.m.: Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, dir. Brent Green. Based on a true story, a man builds a patchwork house with a tower reaching up to Heaven as an alternative cure for his wife, who is dying of cancer. The Underground Film Journal’s 2010 Movie of the Year!
Screening with:
Tussilago, dir. Jonas Odell

May 5

7:00 p.m.: The Florestine Collection, dir. Helen Hill and Paul Galiuna. This documentary profiles a New Orleans seamstress whose work was tossed into the garbage. Sadly, Hill was murdered in 2007 while she was working on this film, which has been completed by her husband.
Screening with:
Trade, dir. Kandis Friesen
Wild Blood, dir. David Jones
Of Unknown Origin, dir. Edwin Rostron
Light, dir. Emily Baxter
Amoeba, dir. Patrick Jenkin
City of Tomorrow, dir. Cami Lee
Black Moon, dir. Brandon Blommaert
Manskin Pants, dir. Emily Pelstring

9:00 p.m.: “Rick Trembles’ Motion Picture Purgatory: De-censortized!” Through a mix of PowerPoint presentation, spoken word and hand-drawn biographical anecdotes, Trembles will tell the story of how he got into art and the early, controversial life of his popular movie review comic strip Motion Picture Purgatory.

May 6

7:00 p.m.: American Pop, dir. Ralph Bakshi. In this animated classic from 1981, four generations of a Russian-Jewish family of musicians is chronicled along the course of 20th century American popular music.

9:30 p.m.: “Keiichi Tanaami Retrospective” A look at the work and career of the popular and influential Japanese artist and filmmaker.
Presented in Association with Asian Heritage Month and Angura!

11:30 p.m.: Viva The ‘Nam, dir. Paul Hanley and Kieran Healey. An American Marine must overcome Communist armies, games of Russian Roulette, USO riots and other chaotic situation in order to survive his stint during the Vietnam War. Filmed entirely with G.I. action figures!
Screening with:
Covers, dir. Jenny Lin

May 7

10:00 a.m.: “The Saturday Morning All-You-Can-Eat Cereal Cartoon Party” Watch classic Saturday morning animated TV shows while pigging out on sugary breakfast cereal.

2:00 p.m.: The Beast Pageant, dir. Albert Birney & Jon Moses. A hermit who has his every need taken care of ventures off into a grand adventure with a tiny singing cowboy who bursts from his stomach.
Screening with:
Supercool, dir. Goran Radovanovic
R. Stevie Moore’s Teen Routines, dir. Sam Hinsvark

4:30 p.m.: The Trashmaster, dir. Mathieu Weschler. A garbage collector decides to clean up his city’s streets of crime and human filth. This feature-length machinima film was made entirely using the video game Grand Theft Auto IV.

7:00 p.m.: “Code in Motion: Early Computer Animation” (curated by Clint Enns)
Catalog, dir. John Whitney, Sr.
Cybernetik 5.3, dir. John Stehura
Lapis, dir. James Whitney
Poemfield no.2, dir. Stan Vanderbeek and Kenneth Knowlton
The Artist and the Computer, dir. Lillian Schwartz
Around Perception, dir. Pierre Hébert
Metadata, dir. Peter Foldès
La Faim, dir. Peter Foldès
Various Commercials, dir. Robert Abel and Associates

May 8

9:00 p.m.: American: The Bill Hicks Story, dir. Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas. A profile of the world’s most dangerous comedian, who died way before his time.
Screening with:
Two Episodes of Felt Up!, dir. Simon Glassman