RAY GUNN

Presentation of Spotlight Animation Award and Q&A with director Brad Bird following the screening.
From Academy Award–winning writer-director Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant) comes Ray Gunn, a stylish, grown-up sci-fi noir. In Metropia, a sprawling city of an alternate future imagined from the vantage point of 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn (Sam Rockwell) accepts a job and finds himself dangerously entangled with aliens, murder, and pop superstar Venus Nova (Scarlett Johansson). With his alien partner Eyera (Tom Waits) at his side and a ruthless mob boss (Matt Berry) in his way, Ray uncovers a conspiracy far bigger than one murder. Previously shelved in the 1990s as too daring for animation, this long-awaited labor of love, set to a fantastic score by Bird's longtime collaborator Michael Giacchino (MFF’s 2023 Distinguished Composer Honoree) blends hard-boiled detective drama with dazzling spectacle and sharp humor. From the very first frame, Brad Bird's animation leaves you awestruck, takes you on a thrilling ride, and never lets go.