Editor

Two-time Oscar nominee Bill Plympton, whose animated shorts are a perennial Shortsfest highlight, will be the featured special guest for this year's Director Spotlight. Known for his twisted humor and keen observations of the absurd in everyday life, Plympton has directed more than 30 films, ranging from animated shorts (How to Kiss, 25 Ways to Quit Smoking, Guide Dog, his most recent Oscar nomination) to full-length features, both animated and live action (J. Lyle, I Married a Strange Person, Hair High). His films have played and won top accolades at festivals around the world including Cannes, Sundance and Annecy.

Plympton began his career as an illustrator and cartoonist; his work has appeared in magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, and The Village Voice. He segued into filmmaking in 1983, when asked to animate the short film Boomtown based on Jules Feiffer's song. Four years later his film Your Face was nominated for an Academy Award for animation. For his first full-length feature, The Tune (1992), Plympton drew and colored all 30,000 cels himself. He has also directed commercials and music videos, and his shorts frequently appear on MTV. He is nearing completion on a new animated feature, Idiots and Angels.

Fiercely committed to retaining control of his creative ideas (he once turned down a seven-figure offer from Disney), Plympton has successfully fashioned a lengthy career as an independent filmmaker, inspiring new generations of animators and cartoonists. At Aspen Shortsfest (April 2 - 6), Plympton will conduct an animation master class, demonstrating his creative process from the drawing page to the big screen and premiere a brand new short, Hot Dog. Audiences will also have a chance to see some of his finest shorts.

Director Spotlight recognizes influential filmmakers who began their careers by making shorts and have made an impact in their field. Past honorees have included Jason Reitman (Juno), Todd Field (Little Children), and Oscar-winning Australian animator Adam Elliot (Harvie Krumpet).

Tickets go on sale March 21st through the Wheeler Box Office (970.920.5770 or aspenshowtickets.com).

The complete Shortsfest program including this year's Oscar-qualifying International Competition line-up will be available online March 15th at www.aspenfilm.org.

Aspen Shortsfest is sponsored in part by The Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Kaye Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Colorado Council on the Arts, City of Aspen, and Town of Snowmass Village. For more information on Aspen Film and its year-round programs, please contact 970.925.6882 or visit www.aspenfilm.org.