Amy Kravitz has made animated films and taught animation for most of her life. Her work is internationally recognized and has won many awards. She has received critical acclaim for technical excellence, innovation, and her powerful ability to communicate through abstract movement and imagery. Her work attempts to induce genuine experience through the usually vicarious medium of film.
She directed "River Lethe", 1985; "The Trap", 1988; and "Roost", 1998 among other works.
She holds an AB in Anthropology from Harvard University and an MFA from Cal Arts in Experimental Animation.
She is an Associate Professor of Animation at Rhode Island School of Design where both her innovative teaching methods and her students' work have received international attention.

Steven Subotnick is an internationally recognized independent animator. He is the recipient of many awards and grants. His works include "Devil's Book", a collaged and calligraphic abstraction, and "Hairyman", a subjective folk tale using a variety of animation styles. He has taught animation at Harvard University, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and at Rhode Island School of Design. In addition to teaching, Subotnick also works commercially as a free-lance animator and director. He has animated for CD and DVD-ROMs, web sites, and has directed commercials. He continues to produce his own independent animated films which include both computer-assisted and hand-made imagery, and abstract as well as narrative elements. He is currently working on an animated film set in 17th-century Central Europe, and a book about animating for the love of it to be published by Focal Press.

Amy's Films

"ROOST"
1998, 4.5 minutes, optical sound, 35 mm, b/w, hand drawn animationProduction, Direction, Animation: Amy KravitzMusic: Joan La Barbara
Synopsis: "Roost" describes, in abstracted imagery, a desolate place in which new life kindles belief in God.
"The wild hen at roost is blessed,
Delirious angels sing 'round her nest
Rejoice!
In the old barn, a new voice.

Jury Award Black Maria Film & Video Festival '00
Best Experimental Film New England Film/Video Festival '99

"TRAP"
1988, 5.5 minutes, optical sound, 16MM, b/w,
Production, Direction, Animation: Amy Kravitz
Music: Caleb Sampson
A film composed solely of stark abstract images animated with black lithographic crayon on paper. "The Trap" was inspired by a quote from holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel's book,Souls On Fire: "I try to imagine my grandfather in the train that carried him away."
Using the language of pure animation, "The Trap" articulates the difficult and disturbing sensations of that last journey.

Steve's Films