Program highlights are announced for the 20th edition of the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film, which runs next week from April 23 through April 28.

Jean-Francois Laguionie’s “The Painting” (“Le Tableau”) opens May 10 in New York followed by expansion to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Atlanta and other cities beginning May 24.

FMX 2013 to include talks on “Iron Man 3,” “Oblivion,” “Despicable Me 2” and “Assassin's Creed 3” in addition to the “Virtual Production” and “Virtual Humans Forum” track highlights.

Geneva Film’s stop-motion animated short “Foxed!” will premiere in 3D at Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film on April 25.

Chaos Group announces that they will demonstrate V-Ray, spotlight ILM’s production pipeline, and host a day of presentations and tutorials for 3D artists in training at FMX 2013.

Film Club Productions partners with Em Cooper to animate sequences of the documentary, “Kiss the Water,” set to premiere at the 2013 edition of the Tribeca Film Festival.

The deadline for submission to the Ottawa International Animation Festival is May 17, with preview DVDs due by May 31.

Designed to serve as a full blown visual effects and animation event -- complete with expert panels, presentations, educational sessions, and speakers -- the Production Pipeline Expo is a two-day event to be held May 3 and 4 at the Barker Hanger in the Santa Monica Airport.

Syfy’s groundbreaking transmedia event “Defiance” becomes the channel’s most-watched scripted series premiere since 2006 with 1.3 million adults aged 18-49, matched by more than six million hours of gameplay since the game’s April 2 launch.

Do you remember the moment of inspiration when you first decided to work in animation?