The Coolidge Corner Theatre has chosen animation luminaries the Quay Brothers as the recipients of the 2009 Coolidge Award. The extraordinary Quays are two of the world’s most original filmmakers. Identical twins who were born in Pennsylvania in 1947, the Quay Brothers studied illustration in Philadelphia before going on to the Royal College of Art in London, where they started to make animated shorts in the 1970s. They have lived inLondon ever since, making their unique and innovative films under the aegis of Koninck Studios.
Influenced by European writers, composers, and animators – particularly Bruno Schulz, Robert Walser, Kafka, Laidislaw Starewicz, Jan Svankmajer, Janacek, and Stravinsky -- the Quays display a passion for detail, a breathtaking command of color and texture, and an uncanny use of focus and camera movement. Best known for their classic film Street of Crocodiles, which filmmaker Terry Gilliam recently selected as one of the ten one of the ten best animated films of all time, they are masters of miniaturization and puppetry, and on their tiny sets have created an unforgettable world, suggestive of a landscape of long-repressed childhood dreams.
The Quays’ exquisite body of work includes many stop-action animation shorts, live action feature films (Institute Benjamenta, The Piano Tuner of Earthquakes), television commercials, music videos, set designs for theater and opera, and two dance films, Duet and The Sandman. In 2002, they contributed an animated dream sequence for Julie Taymor’s film Frida. They are currently in production on THE MASK, a film based on the short story by Stanislaw Lem.
The Quays will be at the Coolidge May 6-7 for three unique events honoring their achievements. In honor of the Quays, the Coolidge is also presenting retrospective screenings of their films throughout April. See below for information about all of these exciting programs. For more details, visit
www.coolidge.org/award or call 617/734-2500.
In conjunction with the Coolidge Award events the gallery space of The Fourth Wall Project in Boston will host DORMITORIUM: AN EXHIBITION OF FILM DECORS BY THE QUAY BROTHERS – A special exhibit of the Quays original handmade and highly detailed puppet décor sets used in their animated works. The exhibit will be hosted throughout the month of May, at The Fourth Wall Project, 132 Brookline Avenue, Boston. Opening date to the public for the exhibition is Thursday, April 30.
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