Special EventsBlood Tea and Red String w/ Christiane CegavskeSaturday, June 20, 2026 at 7:00 PM, from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM
Academy Theater is ecstatic to present a one-night-only screening of the beautifully horrifying stop-motion film BLOOD TEA AND RED STRING (2006) with creator Christiane Cegavske in attendance!
The film will feature a 10-minute introduction from Museum of Stop Motion Animation director Brian Capati, and begin with a never-before-seen snippet of Christiane's upcoming film SEED IN THE SAND! Christiane will be present to give a 30-minute Q&A session after the film as well (moderated by Rosśa Crean of the Broomsticks and Bloodshed podcast) and will be sticking around to meet fans after the film.
Itinerary is as follows (subject to change):
- 6:30 pm - Auditorium doors open.
- 7:00 pm - 10-minute introduction from MOMSA director Brian Capati.
- 7:15 pm - Blood Tea and Red String begins. A previously unseen snippet from Christiane's upcoming film 'Seed in the Sand' will play prior to the film.
- 8:30 pm - Blood Tea and Red String ends. A Q&A with Christiane moderated by Rosśa Crean begins.
- 9:00 pm - Q&A ends. A meet and greet with Christiane begins in the auditorium.
- 9:30 pm - Event ends.
We hope you look forward to joining us for a wonderful evening of mischief and whimsy!
Bio: Christiane Cegavske is a Portland-based artist and 2019 Guggenheim Fellow, blending fine art and stop-motion animation. Her debut feature, Blood Tea and Red String (2006), is internationally recognized for its haunting, dialogue-free narrative. Currently, she is working on Seed in the Sand, a stop-motion feature exploring identity, transformation, and ecological collapse through a cast of threatening rag dolls, anthropomorphic creatures, and a crooning sea monster. Cegavske’s industry experience spans animation, sculpting, and puppet-making for projects on Fox, VH1, Disney Channel, and NBC, as well as a number of commercials and films. A San Francisco Art Institute alum, she is currently an Associate Professor of Animated Arts at Pacific Northwest College of Art at Willamette University.
Back of the Box:
BLOOD TEA AND RED STRING (2006) is a surreal handmade stop-motion fairy tale for adults created and animated entirely by director Christiane Cegavske over a period of 13 years. It tells the story of aristocratic white mice who commission gentle oak dwelling artisans to create a doll for them. When the Oak Dwellers fall in love with the doll they refuse to give her up. Resorting to thievery, the jilted mice abscond with her in the middle of the night. The Oak Dwellers must journey through their mystical and dangerous land to reclaim their love.
The film is dialogue-free, which has enabled it to reach audiences worldwide and allows viewers to find their own interpretations of the story. It features a heart-rending musical score composed and performed by Mark Growden.
Blood Tea and Red String has grown in acclaim since its release in 2006, when it won Best Animated Film in the San Francisco Independent Film Festival, Best Director in Spudfest Film Festival and Silver Public’s Prize in Fantasia International Film Festival. It received rave reviews in the New York Times, New York Post, Variety, Fangoria, and many more. It's in critic’s lists including: 10 Best Stop Motion Films according to Letterboxd reviewers; 49 Best Animated Movies of All Time according to Rotten Tomatoes critics; 7 Best Stop-Motion Animated Movies of All Time, Cinemaholic; 15 Best Surrealist Movies of The 21st Century, Taste of Cinema, Animated films by Solo Artists, Cartoon Brew, Top 17+ Animated Horror Movies, Creepy Catalog; 10 Stunning Animated Movies Directed by Women, Screen Rant; and 8 Best Sci-Fi Films With Minimal Dialogue, Syfy.
(Please note: free ticket passes and b1g1 free tickets will not be valid for this event.)