It's a wrap: scene from the animated video made to celebrate landmark
8½ Foundation – the brainchild of Tilda Swinton and Mark Cousins – is releasing a new animation by an award-winning director to celebrate sending their 2000th birthday film to a Scottish child.
Movie Magic in a Box takes you behind the scenes to see the foundation’s Catherine Payton wrapping the 2000th film on DVD to be sent to an 8½ year-old child as part of the foundation’s work with schools across Scotland.
For the last twelve months, children approaching their 8½ birthday have been sending hand-written letters to the foundation, asking for their favourite films from a short list devised by the foundation’s directors.
Their chosen films are then wrapped – as the animation directed by Alice Nelson shows – and an individually addressed Happy Movie Birthday card is added.
A Scottish-based not-for-profit organisation, the 8½ Foundation is the brainchild of Tilda Swinton and Mark Cousins and is dedicated to introducing world cinema to children.
Cousins explained: “This beautiful little animation captures the magic of what the 8½ Foundation is trying to be. We are so proud to be sending so many great films to so many kids across Scotland. We are being asked all the time to replicate the success of 8½ around the world. It's great that it started here.”
Swinton added: “We are beyond thrilled at the passion and wonder with which so many children are seizing on our invitation to take this beautiful, shared, adventure into magical, unknown cinema. First Scotland, next, the world…”
Its aim is to create a new birthday: a film birthday, at the age of 8½, that celebrates the power of cinema to expand children’s horizons and welcomes children into the wider world of movies.
The new animation is available on the 8½ Foundation’s website under the What We Have Been Up To section.
The film was scored by young Scottish composer, Callum Barton, with sound design by artist Zoë Irvine.
Iain Munro, creative director for Creative Scotland, commented: “Congratulations to the 8½ Foundation on sending their 2000th DVD.
“With investment from our Inspiring Communities funds, this fantastic initiative promises to excite and inspire children, welcoming them into a new world of creative experiences. It’s a great start to the Year of Creative Scotland and a beautiful animation to set the scene.”
