The Light fantastick

A detailed retrospective of the animation film at the National Film Board of Canada, of the techniques employed, and of the men and women who used and sometimes invented them. Documentary footage explains the techniques, and clips from NFB films illustrate the often spectacular results. Topics include Norman McLaren, hand-drawn-on-film and pixillation techniques, the “sing-along” animated songs of the 1940s, Alexandre Alexeieff’s pinscreen, and Evelyn Lambart’s fairytale improvisations. (Awards: New York; San Francisco; Salerno.)