Catya Plate’s award-winning stop-motion short screens as part of the ‘Environmentally Speaking Bloc’ at the Queens World Film Festival, running April 17-27; tickets are now available.
Brooklyn filmmaker and artist Catya Plate’s award-winning stop-motion animated short Las Nogas makes its New York premiere at the Queens World Film Festival, which runs April 17-27, 2024. The film is part of the “Environmentally Speaking Bloc,” screening Saturday, April 27 at 3 PM at the Redstone Theater in Astoria, New York. Tickets are available here.
Plate describes Las Nogas as an animated metaphor that upholds environmental awareness using her quirky Clothespins Freaks stop-motion. The film tells the story of the Homeys, who, in 2523, are the struggling survivors of Earth, now a dry wasteland destroyed by humans. Dr. Alma, a fluffy, brilliant Vulkeet (a parakeet/vulture hybrid), is the only one capable of curing the remaining creatures by bringing back the rain.
The characters are voiced by Misty Lee (Alma), John McBride (Hitch & Homey), Phil Miller (Gormal & Albert), Clarissa Jacobson (Queen Bee & Marilyn Bee), and Alessandra Levy (Singing Bees & Homeys).
Plate produced, directed, wrote the script, animated, designed, and did cinematography along with co-producer Todd Aven, assistant director Carolyn Maher, editors Todd Aven and Alana Corwin, music supervisor Antoni Mairata, and sound designer Neal Benezra. Joe Bratcher consulted on the script. Additional songs featured include “Water Renewal,” written by Plate, and “Be My Little Baby Bumblebee” by Henry I. Marshall/Stanley Murphy.
In April 2023, Catya Plate received the 2023 NYC Women’s Fund Grant Award from the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) and New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) for Los Nogas. Since the film's July launch on the festival circuit, accolades received include the Green Planet Award at Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival (World Premiere), Best Animated Film at Fano International Film Festival (Italy Premiere), and Jury Prize: Best Short at the Green Film Festival of San Francisco.
Debbie Diamond Sarto is news editor at Animation World Network.
