Disney Animation Rarities Showcased at 2009 Newport Baech Film Festival

Rare Theatrical Screenings Hosted by Oscarâ Nominated Film Producer Don Hahn and  Walt Disney Animation Studios Creative Director David Bossert

(April 14, 2009) On Wednesday, April 29, audiences at the 2009 Newport Beach Film Festival (April 23 – 30) will again enjoy a “Behind-The-Magic” peek at the art of Disney animation as Academy Awardâ nominated film producer and author Don Hahn and Creative Director for Walt Disney Animation Studios David Bossert present an evening of rarely seen Disney animated shorts. Hahn and Bossert will share with the audience a collection of short animated films that had very limited theatrical distribution or have not been seen theatrically by a general audience in decades (in some instances over 60 years) beginning at 7:30pm at the art deco Lido Theater in Newport Beach. Some of the films to be presented include:

• “Vincent” (1982, directed by Tim Burton)
• “Noah’s Ark” (1959, Oscarâ nominated stop-motion animated film with special introduction by Walt Disney)
• “Flowers and Trees” (1932, Academy Awardâ winning short and the first color animated film ever produced), the rarely “Hell’s Bells” (1929, rarely seen Walt Disney Silly Symphony)
• “Glago’s Guest” (2008, directed by Chris Williams who also directed the 2008 hit “Bolt”)
• “The New Spirit” (1942, starring Donald Duck - first animated film nominated for Best Documentary Academy Awardâ)
• “Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Firing Line” (1942, featuring Minnie Mouse and Pluto)
• “The Winged Scourge” (1943, featuring the Seven Dwarfs)

“Last year represented our first collaboration with The Walt Disney Studios and our Disney night was a standing-room only sell-out, a smashing success,” said Gregg Schwenk, executive director of the Newport Beach Film Festival. “We’re delighted to once again share with our audience many of Disney’s rare animated gems and we’re grateful for having two of Disney’s foremost animation experts provide fun, historical context for each film.”

One of the most successful producers working in Hollywood today, Don Hahn has been working creatively as a filmmaker at The Walt Disney Studios for over 30 years. Hahn produced Disney’s film classic Beauty and the Beast, which became the first animated motion picture to receive a Best Picture nomination from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences.

The Lion King, Hahn’s follow-up to Beauty and the Beast, broke box-office records all over the world to become the top-grossing traditionally animated film in Disney history and a long-running blockbuster Broadway musical.  Hahn also served as associate producer on the landmark motion picture Who Framed Roger Rabbit.  His other films include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Atlantis: The Lost Empire and the 2006 short, The Little Matchgirl, which earned Hahn his second Oscarâ nomination.

Hahn is currently developing the stop-motion animated feature Frankenweenie with director Tim Burton, and directing/producing several documentary projects.  He has also authored three books on the art of animation, including the 2008 book The Alchemy of Animation: Making an Animated Film in the Modern Age, which provides the definitive account of how animated films are created in the modern age.

As a 25-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company, David Bossert is a multi-faceted animation producer and director who currently serves as Creative Director at Walt Disney Animation Studios Special Projects unit. In this role he is the artistic supervisor for the painstaking restoration efforts for such film classics as Bambi, Jungle Book, Sleeping Beauty and most recently Pinocchio and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Bossert’s other film credits include The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas, Hercules, and Fantasia 2000 for which he served as Artistic Coordinator and Visual Effects Supervisor. He served as Associate Producer on the Oscarâ nominated short Destino and as the Artistic Coordinator and Visual Effects Supervisor on the Academy Awardâ nominated short Lorenzo.

David co-directed the animated short film One by One and directed The Cat That Looked at a King, an animated short that was produced exclusively for the 40th Anniversary DVD release of Walt Disney’s classic film Mary Poppins. He has also directed a number of Winnie the Pooh educational films and is currently producing and directing several Pumbaa and Timon Safety Smart educational projects including the award winning Safety Smart at Home and is also overseeing numerous other projects for The Walt Disney Company.

About Newport Beach Film Festival
The Newport Beach Film Festival celebrates its 10^th anniversary in 2009 by being one of the top 20 film festivals in the United States.  Presenting over 450 films from 37 countries, the Festival has featured many acclaimed films, including the U.S. premiere of the 2006 Academy Award® Best Picture winner  “Crash,” and the west coast premiere of “The Illusionist.” With its coastal location and warm weather, strong corporate sponsors, nightly events, music performances and industry seminars, the Festival has quickly gained recognition among filmmakers and audiences worldwide, hosting more than 42,000 attendees during its eight day run at Newport's beautiful Fashion Island and Lido Plaza in 2008. For ticket and hotel information please visit: www.newportbeachfilmfest.com.

-- Posted April 23, 2009