James Gibbons, in a Michael C. Rockefeller Arts Center animation lab, with his a scene from his documentary displayed on a monitor.
A film by Visual Arts and New Media student James Gibbons has been accepted at Squeaky Wheel’s Animation Fest.
“WIYMMEIN?,” his documentary, will be shown along with 10 other films at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, 1285 Elmwood Ave., on Friday, Oct. 3, beginning at 7:30 p.m.
“It is a great achievement for any animator to make a film worthy of screening at the festival,” commented Assistant Professor Abbey Paccia.
Mr. Gibbons, a junior majoring in Animation and Illustration from Salisbury Mills, NY, created “WIYMMEIN?” for ARTS 385: Intermediate 2D Animation during the Spring 2025 semester.
He's taken these real stories and brought them into the imaginative space of retelling. Screening work in a film festival is a great achievement and I'm proud of James for all his hard work and for putting his film out there.” - Assistant Professor Abbey Paccia.
“WIYMMEIN?” (What Is Your Most Memorable Experience Involving Nature) presents interviews with three people who share a memorable experience in their lives that involved nature. “It’s a pretty open-ended question, but the whole point is for them to just kind of explore where that goes, what comes up in their mind,” Gibbons explained.
“The common bond is that it involves nature in some capacity,” he said.
Its mixed-media format of animation, live action and visual images includes scenes from the campus and nearby Point Gratiot Park. “And the results are pretty good,” Gibbons added.
Gibbons was initially reluctant include live-action segments, but Ms. Paccia – who's also Gibbons’ academic adviser – was enthusiastically on board with that novel idea. “She was very helpful; she’s a great professor,” said Gibbons, who plans to attend the festival.
In fact, Paccia suggested that Gibbons submit the film, along with another he created in the course, to the festival for consideration.
“He's taken these real stories and brought them into the imaginative space of retelling. Screening work in a film festival is a great achievement and I'm proud of James for all his hard work and for putting his film out there,” Paccia said.
Gibbons goes above and beyond class assignments in each animation course he’s taken, according to Paccia, finding creative ways to bring his voice to each work and taking them beyond what a standard student project looks like. Students had the freedom to explore any topic in any way they chose, “and James really made it his own,” Paccia said.
“I love the way he mixes different video and animation techniques throughout ‘WIYMMEIN?.’ The interviews themselves are very playful, and he does a great job pairing and juxtaposing what we hear in the audio with a range of visual elements stitched together,” Paccia explained.
“He works really hard and takes creative risks that often pay off.”
Now in its 22nd year, the festival traditionally showcases artwork that can feature animation techniques such as stop-motion, claymation, 3D animation, hand-painted film, special effects and motion graphics. Past festivals have presented works by both rising artists and established artists.
Gibbons investigated animation programs at other schools but found none of them fulfilled his needs like SUNY Fredonia’s program did, and it had everything else he sought in a university. “I wanted to focus on animation, and that’s what this school offered,” he said. The region’s rural character is also consistent with his hometown.
“I'm excited to see his work on screen in this context and I hope people join me in the audience!” Paccia said.
