Taking inspiration from the classic horror story Frankenstein, this film follows a boy named Victor Frankenstein. Obsessed with scientific experiments, he uses the power of electricity to resurrect his beloved bull terrier, Sparky, after it is run over by a car. When his peers discover what he has done, they try to reanimate their own deceased pets, but to unintended consequences.

As the title suggests, Frankenweenie is a homage to Frankenstein, told through the story of a boy and his pet dog. A 3D stop-motion animated remake of Tim Burton’s 1984 short film of the same name, it ranks among Burton’s most famous animated productions alongside The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and Corpse Bride (2005).

Stop-motion animation is arguably best suited to bring Tim Burton's whimsical world to life, and fans will have no problem recognising the references to his other works (such as Edward Scissorhands (1990) and Ed Wood (1994)), as well as his homage to a range of genre classics from 1920s and 1930s Hollywood horror films, such as Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), and The Sea Beast (1926), to Japanese monster movies and the 1980s film Gremlins (1984).

The screening on 7 September will be followed by a post-screening talk with artist Takashi Tateoka, who worked on the film as a sculptor and character designer. He will discuss the stop-motion animation processes behind the scenes. The talk will be held in English.

Tim Burton (b. 1958, United States) is a director, producer, writer, and animator. He is famous for his gothic horror and fantasy films and was honored with the Venice International Film Festival's Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2007. Burton made his directorial film debut with the comedy Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) and gained prominence for Beetlejuice (1988) and Edward Scissorhands (1990).

Other notable films include Batman (1989), Batman Returns (1992), Ed Wood (1994), Mars Attacks! (1996), Sleepy Hollow (1999), Big Fish (2003), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007), Frankenweenie (2012), and Big Eyes (2014).