Academy Center of the Arts

Join us at the Academy Center of the Arts for the Animation Festival – Featuring the work of Chuck Jones, a tribute to the legendary animator who brought to life some of the most beloved characters and stories in animation history. Doors open at 11:00 AM, and attendees can enjoy an exciting array of pre-film activities in the lobby, including local food trucks, hands-on art activities, and a special exhibit of original Chuck Jones character studies and cell animations, brought to us by The Daura Gallery from the University of Lynchburg.

The festival will feature a curated selection of Jones’ iconic work, starting at 12:00 PM, including his directorial debut The Night Watchman (1938), and beloved classics like Scaredy Cat (1948), featuring Porky Pig and Sylvester, and Rabbit Hood (1949), with Bugs Bunny and a live-action cameo by Errol Flynn, who famously played Robin Hood in the 1939 Warner Bros. feature The Adventures of Robin Hood.

Audiences will also enjoy the Warner Bros. cartoon with the most characters, The Scarlet Pumpernickel (1950), and fan favorites like The Rabbit of Seville (1950), Bewitched Bunny (1954), and the unforgettable One Froggy Evening (1955), starring Michigan J. Frog. The festival will include Jones’ later works such as Mad as a Mars Hare (1963), The Dot and the Line (1965), the last MGM cartoon to win an Academy Award, and The Bear That Wasn’t (1967), MGM’s final theatrical short. We will also highlight Duck Dodgers and the Return of the 24½ Century (1980), a revival of Jones’ iconic Duck Dodgers series, and his television production Rikki-Tikki-Tavi (1975).

Help the fight against hunger by bringing a canned food donation for Knights of Columbus!

This festival is proudly sponsored by Framatome, Scott Insurance, Advocates for the Arts Bo & Flow Hall, and the Virginia Commission for the Arts.

Image