Film lovers will have the opportunity to see the work of pioneering animation filmmakers on the big screen in 2010.

Film lovers will have the opportunity to see the work of pioneering animation filmmakers on the big screen in 2010.

Today, when animated films are typically made with armies of technicians, the Film Society takes a look at a time when animated films were made by one person, working alone. A series of works by the Canadian animation filmmaker Norman McLaren as well as a recent documentary on the work of NZ-born film artist Len Lye will feature in the Film Society programme which screens around NZ from March.

McLaren’s work is being presented with the support of the National Film Board of Canada and will be introduced by Dr Terence Dobson from University of Canterbury. Dr Dobson is an expert on animation and author of the recently published book The Film Work of Norman McLaren. 

McLaren’s Oscar-winning 1952 short Neighbours will screen alongside many of his famous works of animated cinema from as early as 1936.

“The collection demonstrates McLaren’s key areas of interest – movement, music and a strong social conscience – and traces the development of his many amazing film techniques that fused cinema, painting, music and dance. The screenings are a rare opportunity for audiences to see these important animated works on the big screen,” says Federation of Film Societies president Andrea Haines.

The work of NZ-born film artist Len Lye, a contemporary of McLaren, will also feature. Len Lye: Art That Moves, a new documentary tracing Lye’s development as an artist, will be introduced by the director Roger Horrocks. The documentary premiered at the NZ International Film Festival last year and is complemented by a new book of the same title by Horrocks.

“We’re delighted to be able to offer our members the chance to interact with film specialists and filmmakers. It enhances the whole experience and is one of the many bonuses of belonging to the Film Society,” Andrea says.

Also on the cards for 2010 are films from Iran and the Balkans; recent features from France and Germany; documentaries, classics and contemporary cinema from home and abroad.

“The Film Society takes you further into film. We offer an eclectic programme from accomplished and emerging filmmakers around the world who are pushing the boundaries. You’ll see films you may never have heard of – and be surprised how much you enjoy them. Film Society is a place for people to share the big-screen experience. And we offer exceptional value – exciting cinema at an incredibly low price,” says Andrea.

Film Societies typically hold screenings in a local cinema once a week, from March through October. Annual membership subscriptions entitle you to generous discounts at the NZ International Film Festival and at some local cinemas. Three-film sampler memberships are also available, and can be used to purchase full membership by instalments. Film Society brochures are available now at Film Society venues, public libraries and selected outlets around the country.

Formed in 1946, Auckland Film Society is a registered charity and is a member of the NZ Federation of Film Societies. Like all Film Societies around the country, it is run by volunteers from the general membership. With 30 screenings in 2010, full membership of Auckland Film Society is great value at $165 ($140 concession), which works out at only $5.50 a film. Three-film sampler card membership subscriptions cost just $30. Screenings are held at the Academy Cinemas every Monday at 6.30pm.

Kicking off the Auckland season on Monday 8 March is Lars von Trier’s provocative documentary, The Five Obstructions, in which the filmmaker challenges his mentor Jørgen Leth to remake his classic short, The Perfect Human, five times under increasingly bizarre conditions.

For more, please visit www.aucklandfilmsociety.org.nz

To find your local film society and for full details of the 2010 season, visit

www.nzfilmsociety.org.nz