My flight to Geneva leaves tomorrow morning at 7:50, an ungodly hour to begin 24+ hours of delirium shuffling through airports, getting groped by stink-eyed security drones, squeezing into airline seats designed for anorexics, all the while wondering why I’m not home asleep in bed, or watching Archer reruns while sipping a delicious Kamikazee.

The debut edition of BE THERE! CORFU ANIMATION FESTIVAL was the first animation festival to be held on this beautiful Greek Island. A large audience from throughout the island enjoyed a wide array of programs and workshops as well as the opportunity to meet Greek and international artists from the world of animation.

Household favourites including Rolf Harris and Richard E Grant are backing animated television programmes for children despite the lack of government support for the UK animation industry.

SEGA® Studios Australia are pleased to announce their new name and corporate image.

See great animated shorts ON THE BIG SCREEN in Toronto On.! Thursday, JUNE 23 
There'll be:
EXCITEMENT! See fabulous films from local Canadian animators and amazing animations from around the globe! This year is an especially good year with a great selection of short animated films from independent animators. 

ADVENTURE! See many styles of short films, both hilarious and thought provoking.. in a theatre..in the uh..wilds of downtown Toronto.

THRILLS! and SPILLS! ..largely at the after party where you can hob nob with animators and animation enthusiasts, enjoy a beverage or two and a bite! 

PLUS! 
BUNNIES! 
This year's TAIS Anijam theme is "BUNNYJAM". Animators have created 10 sec animations, All strung together into a MEGA-ANIMATION! and screened for your viewing pleasure ALSO ON THE BIG SCREEN!

Thursday, JUNE 23
7:30pm at Innis Town Hall Theatre 
2 sussex Ave Toronto, ON.
(off St. George street just a couple blocks south of Bloor, or just north of Harbord St if you are coming from the other direction)

Come and BE AMAZED and ENTERTAINED!


TICKETS:
$8 TAIS members, 
$10 general public. 

Free admission to the filmmakers who's work is being screened.

Stay afterwards where there will be prizes given out for BEst of TAIS Showcase, Best BunnyJAM, audience award and others.

For the Past few years the Annual TAIS SHOWCASE has sold out! So we've moved to a larger venue. You may still want to get there early enough to get a decent seat!

Don't miss out!
See you THERE! 

 

TAIS! (The Toronto Animated Image Society) Promoting the art of animation and animators as artists since 1984!

ENCOUNTERS BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (16 – 20 NOVEMBER)4 WEEKS LEFT TO SUBMIT (DEADLINE 30 JUNE)Powered by Vast BlueThere are only 4 weeks left to submit to the 17th Encounters Bristol International Film Festival (16 – 20 November).Encounters is now the leading UK gateway to the world’s most prestigious short film and animation awards, including the BAFTAs, Cartoon D’Or, European Film Awards, and Oscars®. Submit your short film or animation by Thursday 30th June, for an opportunity to showcase your creative talent and a chance to win a major award. This year’s awards and prizes for competition strands Animated Encounters and Brief Encounters include;- 2 Grand prix Awards. Prize: £2,000* (& Academy Award® short-listing)- 2 European New Talent Awards, eligible to European Graduating films or first time European director credits. Prize: €1,000*- 2 Best of British Awards. Prize: £1,000* (all films qualify for BAFTA live action & animation awards)- 2 Best of the South West Awards. Prize: £500*- A Documentary Award. Prize: £1,000*- An Experimental Award. Prize: £1,000*- A Children’s Jury Award. Prize: £500*- DepicT! Awards (details at www.depict.org)Short films and animations are eligible from all over the world, completed from 1 Jan 2010, under 30 minutes in length from every genre (animation, live action drama, documentary, experimental and music video). The festival is offering a £5 discount for digital submissions, and a reduced fee for multiple submissions.Visit encounters-festival.org.uk for submission criteria and to enter your film. Sign up to the festival newsletter for the latest on Encounters events. Join our online community on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news.Depict! – Can you do it in 90 seconds?Free submission, upload at depict.org. (Deadline 5 Sept 2011)A Watershed project www.depict.org*All cash prizes are up to the value of the amounts stated.

The Toronto International Stereoscopic 3D Conference is a one of a kind international gathering of experts in the stereoscopic 3D art and entertainment arena. From June 11 to 14, 2011 major figures from Canada, Germany, Russia, UK and USA will meet to discuss, analyze and contextualize the “new era in 3D cinema.”

Speakers include:
• acclaimed director WIM WENDERS, on his latest masterpiece PINA
• CATHERINE OWENS, co-director of U23D and installation artist
• international film historian THOMAS ELSAESSER
• master cinematographer and stereographer PETER ANDERSON
• veteran filmmaker GRAEME FERGUSON, co-founder of IMAX
• vision scientists, scholars, filmmakers, artists and the major S3D industry players.

Screening:
• Bugs! 
• Resident Evil: Afterlife 
• Hubble 3D 
• and excerpts from speakers’ latest films including Neue Road Film’s PINA (premiered last February at Berlinale) and SK Film’s Flight of the Butterflies (to be premiered)

   

On June 12, 2011 I turn 65. Thought I would have been killed long before this.

Years ago a bank manager asked, with a sneer, if I had a goal.

I told him my goal was that if I lived to be 100 I wanted to be in my own home with people around me who love me. "I do not want to be ekeing out an existence in a home for senior citizens being spoon fed and sponge bathed by people who don't give a damn whether I live or drop dead." I told him.

Grim Natwick, the creator Betty Boop and principal animator on the character of Snow White for Walt Disney, celebrated his 90th birthday in Toronto with me at a special ANIMAFEASTIVAL EVENT I held in his honour in 1980.

He celebrated his 100th birthday in Hollywood with practically everyone who matter in attendance in 1990. He lived all his life in his own home and was as sharp the day he died as any of us could wish to be.

A few years before that the Academy threw a tribute to Grim. I went out for it. Afterwards he pulled out the bottles of hard liquor. We drank. We got drunk beyond madness. Grim lectured. I listened. I learned more in that one night than I had in all the years before that put together.

65 is one of those numbers.

Grim is my mentor. Chuck Jones called him the Merlin of Animation.

I decided to celebrate my 65th birthsday by honoring the man who animated me.

I have put together a short program of five of the best short films involving Grim's work or characters.

As well, for those who would like copies I have a cd of the talk Grim gave in 1980 and a dvd of the talk Grim gave at ANIMAFEASTIVAL 1982 with special guests Tisse David, Shamus Culhane and Frank Nissen.

THE CINEFORUM is listed in THE LONELY PLANET GUIDE as number 4 of places to see in Ontario. A lot of people around the world think very highly of what happens here.

ANIMACAMPUS TALLINN 2011

November 15-19, 2011 / Tallinn, Estonia

CALL FOR TALENTS

Deadline for application: September 5, 2011.

 

AnimaCampus Tallinn is a brand new networking platform and training event for up-and-coming young filmmakers working in the field of animation. The five-day creative summit takes place in parallel with the Animation Film Festival Animated Dreams, the sub-festival of Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. 

In the frame of several lectures, presentations, discussions, screenings and workshops international animation experts share their experience in making cinéma d'auteur animation films as well as commercial productions. A mix of animation art and industry. A mix of traditional animation techniques and new media technologies. AnimaCampus Tallinn provides young professionals from East and West the opportunity to learn from top animation experts and build international networks in  inspiring European Capital of Culture atmosphere.

PROGRAMME

The programme of AnimaCampus Tallinn consists of the following activities:

Inspiration talks:

• Lectures, presentations and panel discussions to address the breaking issues in the animation history and today. * Open to all participants, guests and public.

 

Hands-on trainings:

• Practical workshops, case studies and meeting-the-expert sessions in different fields of work promoting direct interaction between young and experienced professionals. * Open to participants and guests.

Mentoring and guidance:

• Specialized master classes. * Open only to participants.

• Individual project consultations. * Open only to participants.

 

Networking and entertainment:

• Film screenings at the Animation Film Festival Animated Dreams. 

• Excursions to Estonian animation studios and Museum of Puppets.

• Match-making sessions.

• Social events and concerts in the evenings.

REGIONS IN FOCUS

In 2011 AnimaCampus Tallinn is setting its focus on the following regions: Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland), Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), South Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan) and Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). Emerging animation filmmakers from the above mentioned countries are eligible to apply through the open call for entries. However, motivated applicants from the other European countries wishing to explore the animation scene in those regions are also encouraged to send their application.

Animated Dreams, the oldest and biggest Estonian animation film festival, offers Estonian animators a chance to display the state of their art as well as promotes high-quality international animation culture. From its beginnings as an offshoot of Black Nights Film Festival back in 1999, the event has evolved into a small independent festival. The festival consists of the short animation competitive programme and several special programmes. Traditions include lectures by foreign guests, meetings and workshops.

The short film competition is open to films of any genre and animation technique.

Eligible films must be:

a) short and medium-length (-45 min) animated films;
b) premiered after 1 January, 2010;
c) screened in 35 mm, HDCAM, DigiBeta, or Blu-ray;
d) with English subtitles, if not in English.

Deadline for application is August 15, 2011.
By this date online entry form must be completed (http://vp.eventival.eu/poff/15/films) filmography of director, stills of the film, synopsis of the film) on CD and a preview copy (DVD) with English subtitles should be sent to our office.

The competition selection will be announced to the applicants by October 1, 2011.