Bring your lawn chairs, blankets, family and friends — the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art’s Family Outdoor Film program returns Wednesday, Aug. 2, to the quad in front of the museum with “Nocturna.”
From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., before the 8:45 p.m. screening, is the 20x21 Eugene Walls Artists Reception, a chance to meet the artists of the 20x21 Eugene Murals Project. Starting at 7:30 p.m. there will be family friendly art activities and snacks provided by Cosmos Creations.
The 20x21 Eugene Murals Project is an initiative of the city of Eugene’s Public Art Program that will create at least 20 world-class outdoor murals before the 2021 International Association of Athletics Federations World Track and Field Championships.
Directed by Adrián García and Victor Maldonado, “Nocturna” is an animated film that offers a visually stunning narrative exploring the mystery of the night in a sweeping nocturnal adventure filled with Alice in Wonderland-like characters and moody, dream-inspired landscapes.
The story focuses on a young boy named Tim, an orphan who has a paralyzing fear of the dark and whose only solace is stargazing. On one unusual night, Tim finds himself plunged into the secret world of Nocturna, a realm inhabited by curious creatures that control the night. There are hairdressers who specialize in bed-head, dream writers and a vast herd of guardian cats led by the gigantic Cat Shepherd.
Yet this world is in danger; the stars in the sky are disappearing, kids are becoming restless at night and a mysterious shadow creature is haunting the empty streets, extinguishing anything that gives off light. If Tim and the Cat Shepherd can’t set things right, nighttime will never be the same.
Bold, animé-influenced character design and fluid 2-D animation help create a dream world that balances the magical and a touch of menace. Tim and the audience eventually learn that the night doesn’t have to be so scary after all.
In the event of rain, the program will be moved inside the museum.
For questions, contact Debbie Williamson Smith at 541-346-0942 or debbiew@uoregon.edu.