Dates: 4 & 5 December | Location: Barbican, London

APEngine recommends the 3rd Fashion in Film Festival: Birds of Paradise, taking place at the Barbican this December.

Exploring costume as a form of cinematic spectacle, these sumptuous and rarely screened European films of the silent era comprise a captivating conclusion to the Barbican’s Autumn/Winter silent series. This programme highlights the hypnotising allure of film costume, as worn by the diva, the showgirl and the dancing fairies and spectres of the silent era. With live musical accompaniment from Lilly Henley, Jane Gardner, Stephen Horne and John Sweeney.

For more information about these stunning works, visit Barbican Film.

Un chien andalou, Luis Buñuel, 1929

Dates: 11 June – 22 July | Location: Barbican, London

Complementing The Surreal House exhibition at the Barbican Art Gallery, Barbican Film presents as season that explores the myriad trails of Surrealist thought by visionary filmmakers that both preceded and followed in the wake of Luis Buñuel’s 1930s classic L’âge d’or. Films being screened include the silent film comedy of Buster Keaton, Blue Velvet by David Lynch, Jean Cocteau’s fantastical Beauty and the Beast, and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland in 3D.

Special offer: To mark the opening of the Surreal House season, Barbican Film will be offering a special 2 for 1 deal on all Surreal and Silent films (Fri 11–Thurs 17 June). This offer is only available when booking in person or by ringing Barbican box office on 0844 848 8270, quoting the reference “Surreal 2 for 1.”

Competition: The Barbican has also collaborated with jotta to offer artists and designers from the jotta community the chance to be exhibited during The Surreal House season at the Barbican Centre. To enter the competition, submit a piece of work to jotta.com relating to the theme of Surrealism that incorporates motifs from the films in the Barbican’s season. Deadline: 19 July. More information about the competition can be found at jotta.com.

The Paper Cinema

Dates: 22-27 May | Location: Barbican, London

The Barbican’s annual celebration of animated film is back with another bravura showcase of the best new animated features and shorts from around the world. With special events, a jam-packed Junior programme, a special focus on the work of influential Czech animator Karel Zeman and distinctive animation workshops for kids and adults and more, they guarantee there will be something for everyone.

‘Re-animate’ is an unmissible chance to see the landmark features and festival hits of the past year, including Metropia (Vincent Gallo, Juliette Lewis), the award-winning Up in 3D and Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox. The long-running ‘Japanimation’ strand at the Barbican continues with an action-packed anime double bill, introduced by Helen McCarthy, and Japanese film specialist Jasper Sharp screens an exclusive selection of influential pre-war animations, exploring the ‘Origins of Anime.’

For further information, games and competitions visit http://www.barbican.org.uk/animate

Birds Eye View Film Festival 2010

Dates: 4 – 12 March | Location: BFI Southbank, ICA and Barbican

Birds Eye View is back for its 6th annual Film Festival of celebrating, championing and showcasing women filmmakers.

‘Nine jam packed days, 8 inspired features, 7 penetrating documentaries, 21 visionary shorts, 22 retro movies starring iconic blondes, cutting-edge fashion and music films plus BEV’s already-famous commissions of new scores by hot female talent to classic silent films. Expect a glittering bevy of celebrities and filmmakers, parties, special events and much more. This year we’re at the ICA, BFI Southbank, Cinema Renoir and Ritzy Picturehouse.’

For further information, visit Birds Eye View Film Festival.

Disney by Hand at the Barbican

Dates: 6th-27th February | Location: Barbican, London

The Barbican is screening some of the best Disney classics over February. They are also offering a kids go free deal to any Disney by Hand screening with a booking of Disney’s latest release The Princess and The Frog.

Celebrating the greatest hand-drawn animations in the history of Disney with the studio’s latest feature The Princess and the Frog and a programme of the best classic titles, from its very first animated feature Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and including Oscar-nominated Beauty and the Beast and one of the most popular Disney hits, The Lion King.

For further details, visit Barbican.

Joanna Quinn, Dreams and Desires: Family Ties (2006)

Barbican Film celebrates International Animation Day with a special focus on the work of the multi-award-winning, internationally acclaimed British animator Joanna Quinn on 28 October.

Joanna’s work explores the politics of gender and the eccentricities of the human body through brilliant characterisation, superb draughtsmanship and wonderful animation technique. The screening will include Joanna’s 1987 debut film Girls Night Out, winner of 3 awards at the Annecy Film Festival, and follow-ups Body Beautiful (1990) and the multi-award-winning Dreams & Desires: Family Ties (2006). Other works include Elles (1992) a celebration of Toulouse Lautrec, the Oscar nominated Wife of Bath (1998), and her masterpiece Britannia (1993), a savage indictment of British Imperialism.

Joanna will discuss her films and upcoming projects with Jayne Pilling, Director of the British Animation Awards.

Find out more and book tickets via the Barbican website.

To win two tickets to see Joanna Quinn at the Barbican on 28 October, answer the following question: what was the name of Joanna Quinn’s film that won a Public Choice Award at the 2008 British Animation Awards? To be in with a chance to win email your answer to engine@animateprojects.org by 21 October, one winner will then be picked at random.