Updates

A full slate of the most important UPA films, with an impromtu discussion that followed,

with Dave Hilberman, Steve Bosustow, Herb Klynn, Bill Hurtz, Jules Engel,

and others. The room was jammed packed .... and no one recored it.

Upper Left: Co-Producers, Tee Bosustow and Marsha Jeffers, with Filmex’s Steve Leiva.

Upper Right: Filmex Director, Gary Essert, UPA Co-Founder, Dave Hilberman, and Tee

Lower Left: Tee with father and UPA’s 40s & 50s President/Producer, Steve Bosustow

Lower Right: UPA Layout Artist/Director, Bill Hurtz, with UPA BG Artist, Jules Engel

(no, they weren’t at the Playboy mansion, Playboy was the big Filmex sponsor that year)

ASIFA-Hollywood sponsored a UPA Program, which Jerry Beck

and Tee Bosustow produced to a standing room only crowd. After

the showing of almost an hour of UPA landmark films, there was a

panel discussion (see photo to the right, moderated by Jerry Beck,

with veteran UPA artists, Bob McIntosh, Joe Siracusa, Alan Zaslove,

Eddie Friedman, Fred Crippen, and Mel Leven.

At the request of longtime Zagreb Festival Director, Margit Antauer, Adam Snyder and Jerry Beck assembled a pristine collection of UPA theatricals, through Michael Schlesinger, at Sony Pictures,

plus Tee Bosustow added the first edited sequence from the UPA documentary, then just in it’s very early stages. Tee also did a spontaneous Q&A at the end of the screening. In those couple

of short years, Tee had by now become a solid expert on UPA. Pictured to the left are attendees, Juan Pablo Zaramella, Silvina Cornillón, animation historian, Giannalberto Bendazzi, attendee, Sylvie Bosustow, and her father, presenter, Tee Bosustow.

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On the recommendation of John Canemaker, Anima Mundi hosted two UPA film screenings, plus a third program of clips and a Q&A with Tee, first in Rio, and then repeated in São Paulo. For the programers, which included Mark Walsh from Pixar, John Weldon from NFB, Mark Kelley from Laika, Mikhail Aldashin, from Moscow, and Tee Bosustow from Van Nuys, it meant more time seeing the sights, eating barbecue, and dancing salsa, than actually attending their programs. Pictured to the left are presenters Mikhail Aldashin and Tee Bosustow with one of the festival directors, Lea Zagury,

Anima Mundi then recommended a UPA program to CinAnima, in Espinho, a lovely little seaside resort in northern Portugal. Two UPA programs were scheduled, including a Q&A with Tee, one of which can be seen

to the left. And, like Rio, there was plenty of time for touring, eating and constantly taking in the breathtaking beauty of this coastal environment. To the right is one of the presenters’ lunches, where they not only had a great view, but became a part of the view.

Soon after the Egyptian tribute, Tee was invited to the annual animation festival in Ottawa,

to present four hour-long programs of UPA films, hence the “UPA 3” on the marquee to the left. Each program was shown twice, and each focussed on a different aspect of UPA, and was introduced via videotape on DVD, by a different animation expert; Tom Sito on the Early Trailblazers, Amid Amidi on the Designers, Mark Kausler on the Directors, and Jerry Beck on the Legacy of UPA. Tee Bosustow was on hand at each of the eight screenings for a Q&A.

1978: First Tribute, Filmex, Century City, California

2003: 1st Presentation,

Woodbury University,

Burbank, California

This was the presentation that got us

started again. Although, only about a

dozen students attended the hour-long

program of films, followed by a Q & A,

and only Tee Bosustow was there to

answer some very fine questions from

the small audience, it was the beginning

of breathing life back into the idea of making a documentary on UPA Pictures.

2004: AFI’s Ted Ashley Theater, Hollywood, California

2005: Animafest, Zagreb, Croatia

2006: Gala UPA Tribute, Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood, California

2006: Ottawa International Animation Festival, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

2007: Anima Mundi, Rio de Janeiro

and São Paulo, Brazil

2008: Festival Internacional de Cinema de Animação, CinAnima, Espinho, Portugal

2009: Weekend of Animated Shorts

Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood, California

Each year new films and information are discovered, which are added to that

year’s presentation(s), so, from 1978 to now, things keep getting better.

The following year, after many more interviews with UPA veterans, Tee put together an ambitious two hour program with, and for, many of the former staff members of UPA. The screening was broken into three parts with two panel discussions in between, featuring UPA veterans and animation experts. To the left is a collage of the two panels, Fred Crippen, Sam Clayberger, Alan Zaslove, and Mark Kausler, for the first panel, & Bill Melendez, Willis Pyle, Amid Amidi, & Lou Romano, for the second. Both were moderated by Jerry Beck.

On the right and below, the grand buffet gathering we had just prior to the event, in the Egyptian colonnade entrance.

By 2009 Tee Bosustow was invited to two more animation festivals to present UPA programs, but the AniMazing Spotlight festival and feedback project had just been launched and left no time for traveling. So, UPA took a temporary back burner. Although, even their big November festival couldn’t completely get away from the influence of UPA. Several of the presenters mentioned its indisputable legacy, and each of the programs included a word of wisdom from animation luminaries, among the 160+ interviews videotaped for the UPA feature documentary. To the left are four of those luminaries, who appeared posthumasly, via videotape/DVD;

upper left, Derek Lamb, former director of the National Film Board of Canada,

upper right, Jules Engel, UPA BG artist, and founder of Cal Arts experimental,

lower left, Mel Leven, UPA composer, as well as many other animation tunes,

lower right, Bill Melendez, UPA animator, and director of the Peanuts specials.

2005: Continuing a Busy Year: MP Academy in Beverly Hills, ComiCon in San Diego, and ASIFA-Paris

First of all, the Motion Picture Academy invited Bill Melendez and Tee Bosustow to speak at one of their “It’s Great to be Nominated” series, where they screened nominated features and shorts from past years. Normally, they only invited folks who had been involved with features, but since UPA has won some 15 nominations, Bill and Tee were up on the dais with, AMPAS Special Events director, Randy Haberkamp.

Then, that same year, a UPA discussion left the quiet dignity of the Academy to the raucous mayhem of ComiCon, where Larry Loc, Fred Crippen, and Tee Bosustow, showed some UPA films and discussed more of the legacy of UPA.

Finally, for ASIFA-Paris, Sebastien Dabadie produced a program that was shown to its members in L’Ecole de L’Image” theater at the Gobelins Institute in Paris. Sebastien gave a wonderfully detailed introduction, in French, of course, and at the end, brought Tee up for an interview, which was conducted in a sort of Franglais, French-English, which both men seemed comfortable with, as was the audience. Although, they ran long and had to leave the theater, the discussion continued outside on the sidewalk of Boulevard Saint-Marcel, in the 13th arrondissement. It was chilly out there, but no one seemed to notice, except the two Southern Californians, Tee Bosustow, and his daughter, Sylvie.

2007: Pixar Presentation, Emeryville, California

At one of the many dinners thrown for the presenters at Anima Mundi,

in Rio, such as the one on the right, presenter, Mark Walsh, on hearing

Tee Bosustow’s name, leaned over and asked, “Are you related to the

Steve Bosustow of UPA?”. This began a conversation that ultimately

resulted in a UPA Presentation of films and Q&A at Pixar Animation,

in Emeryville, just for Pixar staff. Tee has kept in touch with

some of the people he met that day, and you might say

it led to Jim Capobianco’s Hollywood Premier of

“Leonardo” at the “Weekend of Animated

Shorts” at the Egyptian Theatre,

in November, 2009.

Click Mister Magoo for the latest update

on the progress of the UPA Documentary feature.

The hour-long film program included seven UPA shorts, primarily from the early 50s, to coincide with the mid-century modern period of Modernism Week:

Tom Sito (give a concise introduction to UPA)

Gerald McBoing Boing (UPA’s very first Oscar)

Ragtime Bear (the first Mister Magoo was grouchy)

When Magoo Flew (one of two Mister Magoo Oscars)

Rooty Toot Toot - (nicknamed the Citizen Kane of UPA)

Unicorn in the Garden (the wry humor of James Thurber)

Fudget’s Budget (a tale just as relevant 60 years later)

Christopher Crumpet (parenting only in animation)

Updates on the documentary production progress are on the

“Doc Progress” page, a button to the page is provided above.

This “Update” page is for the Updates on the UPA Presentations and Tributes at festivals and other venues.

For the early events, from 1978 through 2009, scroll down to

the “Complete History of UPA Presentations & Tributes” which,

of course, isn’t “complete” because our more recent events, and

up-coming events are up here, starting with the upcoming events.

2011: Melbourne Intn’l Animation Festival

Three UPA Presentations, featured guest

Tee Bosustow was the featured guest, presenting three UPA programs, answering questions, and meeting with animators

in the Center for Moving Images cafe. On the right, Bosustow, and Festival Director, Malcolm Turner, are interviewed at a Melbourne radio station.

2010: UPA Tribute (films & UPA panelist)

Woodbury University, Burbank, California

Two 40 minute programs featuring UPA veterans panelists; Fred Crippen, Ervin Kaplan, Martha Sigall, and June Foray, moderated by Magoo Flew author, Adam Abraham. Including, special video presentations from Gene Deitch and Ron Dias.

Film program included classic theatricals, rare television shorts and commercials, including one from Cuba, the Wazir

& cute animals scene from the Magoo feature, and the first showing of the long lost Howdy Doody and his Magic Hat.

2012: Magoo at the Alex, Glendale, California

Distinguished Panel presents UPA & Oscars

A unique tribute to UPA, showing all 15 of UPA’s Oscar nominated and winning shorts, from pristine 35mm prints, recently restored by Sony Pictures, followed by an “I ♥ UPA”

panel of distinguished animators; Tom Sito, Bob Kurtz, and UPA’s own Fred Crippen, discussing UPA’s influence on their own work and modern animation in general.

2010 through 2013

Howdy Doody and his Magic Hat directed by Gene Deitch

actually 1978 through 2009

Here is the

front and back

of the flyer we’re

putting out at

Modernism

Week

The next UPA presentation, after AniFilm 04, if it happens, is set for the end of July, at the BAFICI International Animation Festival, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, although the exact dates have yet to be locked down. BAFICI will actually host three UPA programs, which we will announce here in this space, as they’re each finalized.

Another UPA event is starting to percolate, a major retrospective that may not happen until 2014, so we don’t want to say more until we’re sure about how “major” we want to make it, and how much time we will need to mount it, and which of two large venues we want to present it ... more soon.

2013: Mid-Century Modern Animation

February, Palm Springs, California

This UPA Presentation, during Modernism Week

in Palm Springs, was a little different than most

of our presentations, as the yearly Palm Springs

celebration focusses primarily on architecture,

so our program this time was tweaked a bit to

include John Lautner’s design of the UPA studio.

John Lautner is probably best know for his design

of the Elrod House in Palm Springs, which was

used as a location in the James Bond movie,

“Diamonds are Forever”. Unfortunately, his

UPA studio was torn down to build a high-rise.

Modernism Week has been running for a dozen years or so and brings in over 30,000 visitors from

all over the world. After our Presentation several audience members joined presenter, Tee Bosustow,

in the Museum’s Sculpture Gardens, one couple had come down from British Columbia for the event.

Testing the UPA screening at the Annenberg Theater,

with the custom designed podium in the foreground.

Palm Springs Museum Sculpture Garden

a giant Marilyn Monroe statue attracted tourists between Modernism Week events, and perhaps a few even during MW events.

Modernism Week banners lined the streets

AniFilm 04

International Festival of

Animated Films, Třeboň, Bohemia,

Czech Republic

3 - 8 May, 2013

We head off on May 5 to do our next UPA program at the AniFilm 04 festival in Trebon, Czech Republic, see image below. There will be a UPA Classics program and one on UPA Design, with panelists including; Emily Hubley, Gene Deitch, and Amid Amidi. I’m unable to attend those early programs due to my daughter’s wedding, heck, who would give her away? But, we will be doing a “New UPA Directors” program shortly after I arrive. We’ll also videotape interviews for the UPA documentary in Trebon, as well as in Prague after the festival, and Paris, Amsterdam and London, before leaving Europe.

If you think there is anyone we should be interviewing for the documentary, please let is know. This is going to

be the last round of interviews,

before we say, this is enough

of this fun, we gotta get to

working on putting this

epic doc together.

Thanks, the UPA Doc Team