- Korea´s very first Quay Brothers´ special exhibition and special focus introducing 26 films

The 21st JEONJU International Film Festival (JEONJU IFF, Festival Director LEE Joondong) will be holding a special focus on Quay Brothers to celebrate their achievements in creating a unique set of work with "Quay Brothers: Masters of Puppet Animation", while also holding a special exhibition called "Quay Brothers: Welcome to the ≫Dormitorium≪".

Born as identical twins in the United States in 1947, Quay Brothers were leaders in animation in the 1980s who worked for 40 years in the United Kingdom. The twins who majored in film and illustration at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, U.S.A and the Royal College of Art in the UK were influenced by surrealism in the works of Czech filmmaker Jan ?vankmajer, as well as Eastern European literature from Franz Kafka, Bruno Schultz and Robert Walser, leading them create their fantastical, magical, and poetic set of work. They were recognized all over the world for Street Of Crocodiles, which was invited to the Cannes Film Festival in 1986. Quay Brothers´ unique style made profound impact on Hollywood´s famous directors such as Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan, and the twins are also famous for Day of the Dead (2002), which featured in Julie Tamer´s film, Frida.

JEONJU IFF has introduced many shorts and feature films by the Quay Brothers over the years. Short films Street of Crocodiles (1986), Rehearsals For Extinct Anatomies (1988), and The Comb (1991) were introduced at the 1st JEONJU IFF in "Animation Biennale: Maze of Imagination," while feature films Institute Benjamenta (1995) was introduced in "Cinescape" at the 2nd edition, and The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes (2005) was introduced at the 7th edition.

This year, JEONJU IFF is planning to introduce the Quay Brothers´ world of art with their short and long animation films, as well as music videos, commercials, and documentaries never before shown in Korea in a special focus program called Quay Brothers: Masters of Puppet Animation. Including their masterpiece Street of Crocodiles and The Doll’s Breath (2019), a total of 25 titles are in the programming. In addition, Quay (2015), a documentary by Christopher Nolan who is a proud fan of the Quay brothers, will be screened. (Please note the lineup is subject to change.)

In addition, JEONJU IFF will hold the very first exhibition of Quay Brothers´ works in Korea which have high artistic value. The special exhibition called Quay Brothers: Welcome to the ≫Dormitorium≪ will be held at the Factory of Contemporary Arts in Palbok. It is a converging exhibition that crosses genres between films and arts. It is centered on the diorama box called "Dormitorium", which is an animation set created in the unique style of the Quay Brothers. The Quay Brothers´ dormitorium has been highly regarded for its sophistication, artistry, and perfection, and has been introduced at some of the world´s leading art museums, including the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and Amsterdam´s EYE Filmmuseum among many others. In addition, the drawings, illustrations and calligraphy works of the Quay Brothers, as well as the armature works of KIM Woochan, who is the only artist working with the Quay Brothers in Korea, will also be exhibited. The special focus to show the works of Quay Brothers will be presented at the 21st JEONJU IFF which is held on JEONJU Film Street from May 28 to June 6, while the special exhibition will open its doors at the Factory of Contemporary Arts in Palbok from May 15 to June 21. Also, this special exhibition will be continued at the Hangaram Museum in the Seoul Arts Center following the revelation at JEONJU IFF.

Meanwhile, JEONJU IFF is tracking the situation related to COVID-19 and working on the preparation of the festival. Festival Director LEE Joondong said, “We do our best for the opening of May 28 and making JEONJU IFF safe for audiences, guests and Jeonju residents.”

Special Focus | Quay Brothers: Masters of Puppet Animation

1. The Cabinet of Jan ?vankmajer, Prague’s Alchemist of Film (Quay Brothers, 1984)

2. This Unnameable Little Broom (Quay Brothers, 1985)

3. Street of Crocodiles (Quay Brothers, 1986)

4. Stille Nacht I: Dramolet (Quay Brothers, 1988)

5. Rehearsals For Extinct Anatomies (Quay Brothers, 1988)

6. Ex-Voto (Quay Brothers, 1989)

7. The Calligrapher (Quay Brothers, 1991)

8. De Artificiali Perspectiva or Anamorphosis (Quay Brothers, 1991)

9. The Comb (From the Museums of Sleep) (Quay Brothers, 1991)

10. Stille Nacht II: Are We Still Married? (Quay Brothers, 1992)

11. Stille Nacht III: Tales From Vienna Woods (Quay Brothers, 1993)

12. Stille Nacht IV: Can´t Go Wrong Without You (Quay Brothers, 1993)

13. The Sandman (Quay Brothers, 2000)

14. In Absentia (Quay Brothers, 2000)

15. Duet: variations for the convalescence of ´A´ (Quay Brothers, 2000)

16. The Phantom Museum: Random Forays Into the Vaults of Sir Henry Wellcome´s Medical Collection (Quay Brothers, 2003)

17. Alice in Not So Wonderland (Quay Brothers, 2007)

18. Eurydice: She, So Beloved (Quay Brothers, 2007)

19. Kinoteka Ident (Quay Brothers, 2008)

20. Inventorium of Traces: Jan Potocki at Ła?cut Castle (Quay Brothers, 2009)

21. Wonderwood: Comme des garcons (Quay Brothers, 2010)

22. Maska (Quay Brothers, 2010)

23. Through the Weeping Glass: On the Consolations of Life Everlasting (Quay Brothers, 2011)

24. Unmistaken Hands: Ex Voto F.H. (Quay Brothers, 2013)

25. Quay (Christopher Nolan, 2015)

26. A Doll´s Breath (Quay Brothers, 2019)

※ Please note the lineup is subject to change.

Special Exhibition | Quay Brothers: Welcome to the ≫Dormitorium≪

Jeonju

Factory of Contemporary Arts in Palbok, from May 15 to June 21, 2020

Seoul

Factory of Contemporary Arts in Palbok, dates TBD

Details

-Dormitorium (miniature sets) and puppets

-Drawings, illustrations and calligraphy