Ingrid Pitt: Beyond The Forest

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"10-year-old animator Perry Chen and his team have created an impressive and often moving visual poem of the Holocaust." - Annette Insdorf, Film Professor, Columbia University; Author, Indelible Shadows: Film and The Holocaust

Bill Plympton and Perry Chen with a laptop

About the short film

Memories from the Holocaust have been portrayed in almost every medium, but rarely animation -- and never before by a child animator. Animated short film "INGRID PITT: BEYOND THE FOREST" is a cross-generational collaboration between a world-class animation master, two-time Academy Award-nominated Bill Plympton, and a first-time animator, 11-year-old artist Perry Chen. It is narrated by Ingrid Pitt herself.

Starting with Ingrid Pitt's poignant narration and Bill Plympton's 23 traditional pencil sketches as storyboard, award-winning artist and film critic Perry Chen brings this moving story and its contemporary implications alive. Read more

DVD replicator Reel Picture sponsors Ingrid Pitt: Beyond The Forest

We are pleased to announce our latest sponsor Reel Picture. Reel Picture has generously manufactured DVD copies of Ingrid Pitt: Beyond The Forest for distribution to press and industry personnel.

Pictured above, Perry Chen and Keith Wright, VP Sales & Marketing of Reel Picture, outside the Reel Picture offices in San Diego, California. "I am so happy to be a part of this DVD project," said Keith Wright. "Perry is an inspiration to all young people that with hard work we can do incredible things. This is a groundbreaking production and Reel Picture is proud to be a supplier for the DVD manufacturing and packaging on Beyond the Forest."

Thank you, Reel Picture! Others interested in supporting our independent film, please see our donor page.

Ingrid Pitt: Beyond The Forest wins Special Jury Award for Extraordinary Vision at Flyway Film Festival

We are thrilled to announce that Ingrid Pitt: Beyond The Forest won the Special Jury Award for Extraordinary Vision at the Flyway Film Festival, where it was an official selection and screened on October 22. Pictured above, Kevin Sean Michaels accepting the Flyway Ax award from Rick Vaicius of Flyway. The award itself is a sculpture made of solid granite, designed by nationally recognized Wisconsin artist David Culver. The photo is courtesy of James Ramsay.

Latest Press

Pacific San Diego Magazine,
November 28, 2011

Sitting Tall: Carmel Valley kid writes own ticket to fame by rating, and making, family films
by Dean Lamanna
(Excerpts)

At an age when most grade-schoolers are twiddling their thumbs (or, between fits of digital fury on their Wii systems, still sucking them), Perry Chen has become known for turning his up or down.

The 11-year-old Torrey Hills Elementary student is earning notice regionally and nationally, writing film reviews for The San Diego Union-Tribune, the online publication Animation World Network and his own blog. . . .

Meanwhile, a meeting with Oscar-nominated animator Bill Plympton and producer-director Kevin Sean Michaels at Comic-Con 2009 sent the youngster's mind in another creative direction. . . .

With approval from Chen's mother, Plympton and Michaels storyboards for Ingrid Pitt: Beyond the Forest, a true story about an eight-year-old girl who escapes from a concentration camp.

"I learned a lot about the history of World War II and the prisoners' lives during the Holocaust," says Chen, who had to learn how to use computer-based animation tools for the project.

Read full article

Dr. Jud Newborn concludes his work with Ingrid Pitt: Beyond The Forest team

As of November 30, 2011, Dr. Jud Newborn is no longer working on promotions, fund raising etc. for Ingrid Pitt: Beyond The Forest. Of course we continue to appreciate and thank him for his hard work as Co-Producer, Creative Consultant and Historical Adviser, and wish him luck in his future endeavors. All questions about the short should be directed to Kevin Sean Michaels, Theodora Michaels, and/or Zhu Shen.

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