View source for The Animation Show

{{short description|Touring festival of short films}}
{{distinguish|The Animation Showcase}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}

'''The Animation Show''' was a touring theatrical festival of animated short films, created and curated by animators [[Mike Judge]] and [[Don Hertzfeldt]].<ref>[https://www.dvdplanetstore.pk/shop/animation/the-animation-show-volume-1-2003/ The Animation Show, Volume 1 (2003)-DVD PLANET STORE]</ref>

Following the demise of other American touring festivals of animation, such as [[Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation|Spike and Mike's Classic Festival of Animation]],<ref group="note">In the early 2000s, Spike and Mike phased out their general "Classic" festival of animation, but retained their adult "Sick and Twisted" festival; thus general animation did not have an outlet through this channel.</ref> the stated purpose of the ''Animation Show'' was to bring animated short films back into proper cinemas, where most of them were intended to be seen, and to "free these artists from the dungeons of Internet exhibition". It was the first-ever festival of animation to be curated by working animators and was described as a passion project by its creators, not something intended to turn a big profit. A sister series of ''Animation Show'' DVD volumes were also released through MTV Home Video and [[Paramount Home Entertainment]], but the producers stressed that the theatrical and DVD programs were different, to encourage audiences to not just wait for the DVD, but to visit the cinema. As stated in the ''Animation Show'' programs and flyers, once the theatrical edition of each Show was out of cinemas, it was "gone forever".<ref>[http://www.contactmusic.net/film/review/theanimationshow The Animation Show Review 2003-Movie Review-Contactmusic.com]</ref>

[[Mike Judge]] and [[Don Hertzfeldt]] programmed the first three ''Animation Show'' programs together, with the first edition released theatrically in 2003. [[Don Hertzfeldt]] parted ways with the festival in 2008 and the fourth season of ''the Animation Show'' was released without his involvement.

In 2025, Hertzfeldt returned to curation with ''Animation Mixtape'', a similar anthology of international animated short films. A non-profit venture, ''Mixtape'' is designed to only screen in theaters, with all net box office earnings to be paid directly to the animators in the program.<ref name="Mixtape">{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/features/interviews/don-hertzfeldt-animation-mixtape-interview-teaser-1235143301/|title=Don Hertzfeldt’s ‘Animation Mixtape’ Short Film Anthology Gets Teaser, Late August Release|date=August 6, 2025}}</ref>

==History==
===2003===
The first season's 2003 tour visited over 200 North American theaters with occasional appearances from the producers (Mike Judge and Don Hertzfeldt) and Q&A's with many of the award-winning filmmakers involved. The program included "everything from forgotten classics to the very latest in computer animation". This included many current [[Academy Award]] nominees, as well as the restoration of a 5-minute excerpt from [[Ward Kimball]]'s 1957 [[Disney]] film, "[[Mars and Beyond]]". The tour concluded with the DVD release of ''Animation Show, Volume One''.<ref>[https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/233035707 The animation show: press kit (Book, 2003)-WorldCat.org]</ref><ref>[https://www.videodetective.com/movies/the-animation-show-vol-1/521099 The Animation Show Vol.1 Trailer (2004)-Video Detective]</ref>

=== 2005 ===
The second ''Animation Show'' toured throughout 2005, featuring [[Bill Plympton]]'s ''[[Guard Dog (film)|Guard Dog]]'', the 1999 [[National Film Board of Canada]]'s classic ''[[When the Day Breaks]]'', [[Don Hertzfeldt]]'s ''[[The Meaning of Life (animated film)|The Meaning of Life]]'' and new films by animators [[Peter Cornwell (director)|Peter Cornwell]], [[Georges Schwizgebel]] and [[PES (director)|PES]].<ref>[https://www.austinchronicle.com/events/film/2005-04-15/266328/ The Animation Show 2005-Film Calendar-The Austin Chronicle]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVGZlG4TsC8 Year 3 Sneak Trailer-YouTube]</ref>

=== 2007 ===
The third season of ''The Animation Show'' began its nationwide release in January 2007, featuring the return of [[Mike Judge]]'s ''[[Beavis and Butt-Head]]''. The third tour also showcased new work by animators [[Joanna Quinn]], [[PES (director)|PES]], [[Bill Plympton]], and [[Don Hertzfeldt]].<ref>[https://www.cartoonbrew.com/old-brew/animation-show-2007-2346.html Animation Show 2007-Cartoon Brew]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a15V4cH1Fyk Animation Show Year 3 Trailer-YouTube]</ref>

=== 2008 ===
The fourth ''Animation Show'' was released in 2008. It included new work by animators [[PES (director)|PES]], [[Bill Plympton]] and [[Georges Schwizgebel]] as well as the Academy Award nominated short ''[[This Way Up (film)|This Way Up]]''.<ref>[http://www.bigpicturebigsound.com/The_Animation_Show_2008-1659.shtml The Animation Show 2008 Movie Review: This did not leave me animated-David Kempler, Big Picture Big Sound]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Rp7Uh61S0 Animation Show Year 4 Trailer-YouTube]</ref>

==See also==
* [[The Animation Showcase]]
* [[Animation Show of Shows]]
* ''[[Fantastic Animation Festival]]''
* [[International Tournée of Animation]]
* [[Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation]]
* ''[[Nicktoons Film Festival]]''

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{official website}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0372763|title=The Animation Show}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0436070|title=The Animation Show 2005}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0932930|title=The Animation Show 2007}}
* {{IMDb title|id=1319554|title=The Animation Show 2008}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrDVi6a5g0ZVpfxiyj_rCnQ Official YouTube channel]

{{Don Hertzfeldt}}
{{Mike Judge}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Animation Show}}
[[Category:2003 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Film festivals held in multiple countries]]
[[Category:Films directed by Don Hertzfeldt]]
[[Category:Films directed by Mike Judge]]
[[Category:Short film festivals in the United States]]
[[Category:Recurring events established in 2003]]
[[Category:2000s in animation]]
[[Category:Animation film festivals in the United States]]
[[Category:MTV animated films]]