Ruth Lingford - Tutor

Born in 1953. In 1990, after working as an occupational therapist with mentally ill old people (and bringing up a family), she completed a BA in Fine Art and Art History at Middlesex Polytechnic. She moved on to the Animation School at the RCA.

In 1993 she was awarded an Arts Council of England animate! grant to make What She Wants, an experimental film produced entirely on a home Amiga computer. Subsequently, after a 3-month Animator's Residency at the Museum of the Moving Image, she received a Channel 4 commission for Death and the Mother, another Amiga-based work which has won prizes at many international film festivals.

In 1998, she completed Pleasures of War for Channel 4 and the Arts Council of England, devised in collaboration with the novelist Sara Maitland and again created on desktop computers. She has recently completed 'The Old Fools' for animate! Meanwhile she made a 20-minute educational film on glue-sniffing, worked on animated commercials and television series, and contributed to Peter Gabriel's Real World CD-ROM multimedia project Ceremony of Innocence. She was a principal animator on Silence (1998, Halo Productions for C4), winner of a Gold Hugo at the Chicago International Film Festival and Special Prize at the Hiroshima International Animation Festival. In 2001, she collaborated with Shynola on a music video 'An eye for an eye' with UNKLE, which won the McLaren Award at the Edinburgh Festival 2002.

She teaches at the The National Film & Television School, Harvard University & RCA.

Her films include:

The Old Fools (2002, an animate! production through Finetake for Channel 4 and the Arts Council of England, 6 mins)
A film of a poem by Philip Larkin, voiced by Bob Geldof.
The poet looks with a mixture of fear, disgust and compassion at old age and the inevitability of death. The animation is drawn digitally, based on footage of the film-maker's father.

Pleasures of War (1998, Finetake Productions for Channel 4, 11 mins)
An ancient tale retold, of a city under siege and the terrible action taken by one woman to save it. Devised in collaboration with the novelist Sara Maitland, and drawn on desktop computer incorporating archive footage.
'Cruel and lovely ... a bold, ravishing vision of la grande morte and its petite cousin.' Time Out magazine
Best Animation Film L'Alternativa99, Barcelona International Independent Film Festival 1999
Special Mention of the Youth Jury Festival Tous Courts, Aix-en-Provence 1999
Critics Award Brisbane International Animation Festival 2000
Best Animation Surprise International Short Film Festival, Taichung Taiwan 2000
Best British Animation FAN Norwich 2000
Best Women's Film FAN Nowich 2000
Toured: UK Regional Film Theatres 'Best of Brief Encounters Festival' 2000
Broadcast: C4 'After Dope Sheet' 1999

Death and the Mother (1997, Ownbrand Animation for Channel 4, 11 mins)
Black-and-white drawn computer animation, based on a Hans Christian Andersen story.
A sick child is taken by Death. The Mother faces obstacles and ordeals to win back her child. But the greatest test of her love is still to come...
Award for Best Graphic Direction Annecy World Animation Festival 1997
Special Prize of the Jury European Cartoon d'Or 1997
Best Experimental Film Bradford Animation Festival 1997
Best Film 6-13 mins Cinanima, Espinho International Animated Film Festival 1997
First Prize Public Awards Stuttgart International Animation Festival 1998
Best Film over 10 minutes British Animation Awards 1998
Best Animation St Petersburg International Short Film Festival 'Message to Man' 1998
Toured: UK Regional Film Theatres
Broadcast: C4 'Four-Mations' 1998 Prize-Winning Animation

What She Wants (1994, Arts Council of England & Channel 4, 4 mins)
About sex and shopping, the social deployment of sexuality, and capitalism in detumescence. Created entirely on an Amiga 1500 home computer.
Selected: Cardiff International Animation Festival 1994, Dublin Animation Festival 1994, Edinburgh Film Festival 1994, Carrefour Belgium 1994,
Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 1995, Cinewomen Festival Norwich 1995, Stuttgart International Animation Festival 1995
Short-listed: ICA Dick Awards Most Controversial Short Film of the Year 1994
Distributed: Arts Council, British Film Institute, British Council, London Electronic Arts.
Toured: London Electronic Arts Sexual Visionaries UK travelling programme
Broadcast: C4 'Four-Mations' 1995 Secret Passions

Crumble (1992, Royal College of Art, 4 mins)
Vignettes of life in an old-people's home. Drawn and computer animation.
Selected: Espinho Animation Festival 1992, Edinburgh Film Festival 1992, British Animation Week London 1993, Zagreb World Animation Festival 1994

Baggage (1992, Royal College of Art, 4 mins)
A film about fertility. Drawn animation.
Selected: Edinburgh Film Festival 1992, London Film Festival 1992, Women and Animation Event Cardiff 1992, Women in the Director's Chair Festival Chicago 1993, Zagreb World Animation Festival 1994
Broadcast: C4 'Four-Mations' 1993 Secret Passions

Sea in the Blood (1990, Middlesex Polytechnic, 3 mins)
A woman surfaces after motherhood. Drawn animation.

Whole Lotta Love (1989, Middlesex Polytechnic, 3 mins)
A post-AIDS take on the Led Zeppelin song. Drawn animation.