Anapoda

Directed by Yuriy Norshteyn and written by Lyudmila Petrushevskaya and Yuriy Norshteyn.

Description: To my shame I have to admit I’ve been so busy lately I haven’t gotten around to watching this fully, just skipped through a few scenes, was impressed, so I’m just going to throw in a comment from IMDB that makes a good case: “Using a mix of puppet, cutout, and cell animation, Yuri Norstein made in Tale of Tales a heartbreaking, tenderly poetic meditation on Russian history as well as one of the most stunningly beautiful animated films ever. Very hard to get, but don’t miss a chance to see this film.”. Apparently this was also named the greatest animated film of all-time by the 1984 Animation Olympiad jury held in conjunction with the 1984 LA Olympics.

IMDB link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0079986/

Directed by Tex Avery.

Description (Reidar Lyng): Most of you probably know this classic cartoon already. Instead of the usual bit, the characters of the fairy-tale absolutely refuse to do the tale in the same old way. Little Red Riding Hood turns herself into the hottest singer in town, the wolf becomes a skirt chaser and grandma turns into a nymphomaniac. Mayhem ensues. Enjoy.

IMDB link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0036295/

Directed and written by Adam Elliot.

IMDB link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0382734/

Directed by Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby, written by Wendy Tilby.

Description: This Oscar nominee will seem strange at first seeing as it’s about people, but represented as animals, in a daily human environment, performing typical human actions. The point of the animation, as far as I can tell is to illustrate the interconnections between the lives in a big city, lives that even though at first sight may seem totally uninfluenced by one another, are actually connected, and sometimes in quite meaningful ways. However, I have not been able to elucidate the mystery of why the characters in this animation are animals. Maybe you have an idea?

IMDB link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0200282/

Directed by Yuriy Norshteyn, written by Sergei Kozlov .

Description: This is yet another wonderful piece of russian animation, and it has that specific feel to it too. It is the story of a little hedgehog that embarks on a journey to see his friend, the bear, but gets lost in the fog and has to face his fear of the unknown, while enjoying the momentary company and assistance of a friendly dog, an strange owl and a helpful fish. This is a very cute and touching piece of animation that brings back memories of childhood experiences and quests for new and unknown things. Make sure to share this with the kids, they will surely enjoy it.

IMDB link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0073099/