This summer the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will offer "Oscar Noir: 1940s Writing Nominees from Hollywood's Dark Side" at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.

The SDAF showcases unique independent animation from all over the world as well as commercial content from the region. The SoDak Fest also hosts special guest artists to share ideas and inspiration with the public audience. Animation workshops are also held for festival attendees and members of the community. Student work is especially emphasized to support animation education. Prizes are awarded in the form of the coveted "Golden Cowbell Award"!

Past guest artists include animator Patrick Smith, filmmaker and animator PES, indie filmmaker Todd Rohal and Reid Thompson, creative director from Troika Design Group!

The SDAF is operated by faculty, staff and student volunteers of South Dakota State University, The Animation Club of South Dakota State University and the surrounding community. 100% of submission fees go directly to support animation education.

On FFAF's big 5-week anniversary celespectaculation, Joel expunges another special circuitous grievance about inconsequential matters pertaining to his favorite subject, Animation, with no real concluding statement. Alan's face reacts quizzically. Later, Director and Animator Dan Abdo enters The Forum to discuss comics, commercials, censuses, corporate identities, and exactly why Vermont is for lovers.

The National Film Board of Canada is taking its long-time relationship with animation filmmaker Cordell Barker in an exciting new direction.

Larry Lauria highlights the thumbnail process that precedes the animation process.

VARIETY reports that San Diego's Tourism Marketing District board is offering Comic-Con hotel tax revenue as an incentive to stay in the city.

CGTEXPO organized by CGTantra is India's Largest Expo on Animation, VFX & Gaming Industry & has been a tremendous success witnessing footfalls as good as 4500 people turning up for the 2 day exhibition in 2008 & 2009 each.

The line-up of activities included a Job Fair for Placement Agencies, Studios and Production Houses as well as an Education Fair for all institutes and Animation Schools, Technical Exhibition, Master classes, Showcases, Seminars, Student Competitions, Art Galleries, and Entertainment Zone covering all possible activities in Art and Technology.

Sprockets Toronto International Film Festival for Children announced today the award winners from the 13th annual festival.

A five day animation festival and conferences to celebrate the best of African and Caribbean animation in the city of Accra, Ghana. In its second year, ANIMAFRIK, again will offer the platform for African and Caribbean artist to showcase their works. Two nights will be dedicated to African And Caribbean Animation and will host conferences on the African animation industry, folklore in African and Caribbean Animation and teaching Animation in Sub Saharan Africa. The event will close with an award ceremory for best entries in West Africa's biggest animation gathering.

This week on the Forum, Joel attempts to summon the wisdom of ghosts while Alan has an identity crisis of historical proportions and unwittingly reveals one of Hollywood's best-kept summer blockbuster secrets. Then, Dave "David B." Levy stops by to talk about how to juggle animation multitasking, authoring books on pitching and job-getting, Ben Franklin, industry infestation, Mad Men, and popping one's bubble. And, you actually can rewind a clock, not that hard.

The 3D live action/cg integration short Slightly Fishy made by students from Auckland's Media Design School has been selected for screening at both the London and Melbourne International Animation Festivals.

Now in our 7th year, CSU Animation and Visual Effects are proud to present the Australian International Animation Festival 2010. The internationally renowned event has gone from strength to strength since its modest start in 2004 and this year has secured amazing exclusives from more than 2,200 submissions from over 40 countries. The range of styles, genres and techniques is testament to the vibrancy and relevance of creative animation and the premiere screening of this highly acclaimed collection is happening right here in Wagga Wagga!

The International Competition programs are made up of an eclectic mix of films and will give audiences a complete, up-to-date snapshot of the international creative animation scene. In addition to these there are programs that focus on digital animating, stop motion, and Australian made films. Rounding out the line-up are programs for younger audiences and even a “Late Night Bizarre” program for those whose tastes lurch to the truly odd and unfathomable.

A series of free talks and workshops given by filmmakers from Australia and overseas will provide those with questioning minds a chance to learn more about how and why these films get made. Buy a Full Festival Pass and you’ll save over 60%, guarantee seating, be in the running for unbelievable prizes, see bonus films, network with key people, be invited to the after-party which includes complimentary food & drinks, and then some...

Door-prizes include full commercial versions of Adobe Creative Suite 5 Production Premium, Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk Mudbox worth over $7,000 in professional creative software!

Venue: Forum 6 Cinema
Date: Friday 14th – Sunday 16th May 2010
Cost: $12 Single Session or $35 Full Festival Pass
Only $5 for Kids Program

AIAF2010 Schedule

Friday 14th May
5:30pm - Doors Open
6:00pm - Official Opening & International Program #1
8:00pm - SIGGRAPH Wrap-Up

Saturday 15th May
2:00pm - Kids Screening (4-7 years old)
4:00pm - Animation 101 “Adventures In Ancient Animation”
5:00pm - Animation 102 “Blending Animation & Live Action”
6:00pm - Australian Panorama
8:00pm - International Program #2
9:30pm - Late Night Bizarre

Sunday 16th May
2:00pm - Kids Screening (4-7 years old) [Repeat]
4:00pm - Animation 103 “Lucy Izzard (UK) & Slinky Pics”
5:30pm - Animation 104 “Adobe CS5 in Action”
6:00pm - International Program #3
7:30pm - Digital Panorama

Important:
Please be aware that admission is restricted to 18+ (except for Kids & Official Opening /International Program #1). Film classification regulations in Australia require all films to either be formally classified or restricted to an audience of 18 years of age and over. Most festivals do not have the resources to do this and it for this reason alone that we are not able to admit any person under the age of 18 years to the main AIAF screenings.

Kids Program – Specifically programmed towards 4 – 7 year olds whilst still entertaining more mature patrons, this screening gives children the world’s best animation for a just $5! Pricing includes adults.

The workshops are free for anyone to attend but may contain mature content.

6th Animation Short Festival

As part of the 6th. annual Convention of Comics, Animation and Games named "Montevideo Comics" Animation Campus is calling for entries to animators from all over the World to submit their works to be screened at the big size screen of Cine Plaza Theater in the city of Montevideo, Uruguay.

This is a unique opportunity to show realizer's work to over 3.000 people, according to last Convention's assistants. During two days people from all over the regios assist to this Convention, the biggest of his kind in this area, merging people highly interested in Animation, Games and Comics Art.

Animation Campus is the main sponsor for this Convention, joining artists from Uruguay, Argentina, Spain, Portugal and United States.

CONDITIONS:

1. The submitions are opened to either individual artists or studios of animation who work in this art, no matter what kind of art or concept they develop. All kind of techinques and stories are welcome.

2. Selected works are going to be screened next May 15th., 2010 during the Convention of "Montevideo Comics" at the Plaza Cinema Theater in the city of Montevideo, Uruguay (big screen).

3. Techinque and stories are free. According to the audience's profile, it is recommended to submit stories related to either the world of Comics, action & adventures or Sci Fi. Non traditional artistic animation and/or hilarious stories are welcome too by this audience.

4. Animation Campus will publish in both its official website (www.animecampus.edu.uy) and the official magazine of the Convention the names and data of the selected animations and their respective authors.

5. Works must be submitted in either digital format (CD -AVI or MOV for PC- or DVD) or VHS plus all data referred to the author to: Animation Campus - Bulevar Artigas 1085, CP 11.200 Montevideo, Uruguay. All costs related to the delivery are under author responsability exclusively.

6. Optionally, author can submit his work electronically using some service of file exchanging of his preference. In this case, please contact us at: talleres@animecampus.edu.uy

7. Submission deadline is: Friday, May 7th. of 2010 at 10 pm.

8. Author authorize Animation Campus to screen this animationv just one time, exclusively during the Convention, in the date and place previously indicated. This material cannot be used for any other purpose that the Festival screening during the convention.

9. Selected animations will be announced by Animation Campus and opportunitely communicated to the authors via email.

10. Animation Campus will not return any material submitted for this festival.

11. The solely submition of a work implies the completely acceptation of these conditions.

12. For questions and answers please contact us at: talleres@animecampus.edu.uy

Good Luck!

“Animated Films from Germany”, a new touring exhibition and film show has opened its world tour in Israel. After a month at The Israel Cartoon Museum, Holon, the exhibition is about to move on to Ankara, Turkey, where it will open on May 26.

A Million Movies a Minute, an independent distributor specializing in short documentaries, has announced its newest release, ANIMATING REALITY.

Philips and ad agency DDB approached RSA Films to commission five films under the banner Parallel Lines. 45 RSA Directors submitted concepts surrounding a single script supplied by the agency. From those, five diverse concepts were chosen for production; the result is a testament to both directorial interpretation and social media promotion.

Author, animator, and 80's cartoon voice reenactor, The Definitive Tim Finn, stops by to discuss coffee-table books, animation based on colors, and 3D Chess. Joel and Alan then engage Tim in a very brief but colossal battle of capitalism in FFAF's newest radio game, "Two Minute Monopoly". All is then put classier when the beautiful, the insightful, and the ever effervescent Lorelei Pepi reveals her unorthodox recipe for Italian Wedding Soup, her thoughts on animation and art, and why FFAF's other newest radio game, "Brain Cloning", is a good excuse to beat up on Joel's face.

Honayn's Shoe, an animated tale about a lost nomad’s search in the desert, with his camel, for his lost shoe, was named Best Animation at this year’s African Movie Academy Awards.

Runaway, Cordell Barker’s tale about a driverless train filled with happy passengers careening towards an unknown fate, picked up the prize for Best Animated Short at the 2010 Genie Awards.

How hard will you work to get the Princess? Dan the Man goes as far as his pixels will carry him, destroying robots, even getting a day job. But is fantasy better than reality, what do you do with a rescued Princess?