Award-winning Filmmaker and Animator Osbert Parker to Speak on May 2

An Afternoon with Osbert Parker” will be presented by the New Jersey City University (NJCU) Media Arts Department and MFA program IMAP, on Monday, May 2 at 4:00 p.m. in the Media Arts Department IMAP Studio Space, Room 5 in Fries Hall, on the NJCU Main Campus at 2039 Kennedy Boulevard in Jersey City.

The event will feature an artist’s talk, screening, and Q & A session with the award-winning director and animator Osbert Parker. Admission is free and open to the University community.

A three-time BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) nominated director, Parker is perhaps best known for his signature style of using photo cut-out animation, mixed with objects and live action to create one-of-a-kind imaginary landscapes within commercials and his independent short films.

Parker is a freelance director and animator who consistently over 30 years has worked on a wide range of industry projects. From Quentin Tarantino’s production company A Band Apart as their first commercial director in 1995 to Steve Barron’s second unit director on Hallmark’s TV special ARABIAN NIGHTS and short films for E4 hit series, MISFITS to his commercial credits include such clients as Coca-Cola, Nike, Budweiser, Orange, The World Wildlife Fund, Gatorade, BBC TV, Channel 4, and MTV.

Parker's multi award-winning short films have received great acclaim on the international film festival circuit. “FILM NOIR” was nominated for best short animated film by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in 2006 and also was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. "YOURS TRULY" aka "HEAD OVER HEELS" best short animated film winner at the British Animation Awards was also nominated for a BAFTA in 2008 and selected for Sundance. Both films have screened at over 150 film festivals worldwide and won the jury’s prize at Black Maria Film Festival 2009.

For more about “An Afternoon with Osbert Parker” contact Professor Joel Katz, chairperson of Media Arts, at (201) 200-3494 or jkatz@njcu.edu, or Professor Jane Steuerwald, Executive Director of the Black Maria Film Festival at (201) 200-2043 or jane@blackmariafilmfestival.org.

For more about NJCU visit http://www.njcu.edu/about.