The 7th Annual Taos Talking Picture Festival showcases over 150 new independent films and videos, including features, documentaries, videos and shorts. Highlights include tributes, Hispanic and Native American programs, panel discussions, workshops and demonstrations focusing on the state of media. The Taos Land Grant Award gives 5 acres of land to be awarded to a filmmaker with a narrative, documentary or experimental film or video, 70 minutes or longer, which takes a fresh approach to storytelling and/or the cinematic medium. The town of Taos was originally established as an artists' colony.

I.D. Magazine is recognizing outstanding interactive work for the year 2000. Eligible for the awards are CD-Roms, Websites, games, kiosk interfaces, promotional demos and unpublished prototypes. A panel of judges will choose gold, silver and bronze prizewinners. All winners will be featured in the June issue of I.D. MAGAZINE. Last entries will be accepted no later than January 15, 2001 and any entry postmarked after January 8 must include an additional US$25 late fee.

The fifth annual KC Filmmakers Jubilee is a celebration of independent filmmaking. All experimental and animation entries must be 30 minutes or less. A US$1000 prize will be awarded in each category.

The Sundance Film Festival is one of the premiere independent film festivals in the United States. From over 3,000 submissions, the selection board chooses over 100 feature-length films and 60 shorts for exhibition. The event attracts more than 20,000 people from around the world. The World Cinema program of the film festival presents new works by today's most innovative international filmmakers. Animation bad boy Bill Plympton will premiere his new feature MUTANT ALIENS at this year's Sundance Fest. This year's event will also feature a screening of online work from Mondo Media, Cartoon Network.com and Hypnotic.

Cartoons on the Bay is the only festival in the world dedicated to television animation. Promoted by Rai Radiotelevisione Italiana and conceived and organized by Rai Trade, the festival is an international event with awards, workshops, lectures and events centering on the ever-changing world of television animation. The International TV Cartoons Competition (Pulcinella Awards) and the International Conference of Television Animation are two of the many events held during the festival. The various Pulcinella Awards presented include best character of the year, programme of the year, and many other categories involving animated series, movies and films. For the first time in the 2001 edition, Cartoons on the Bay will hand out awards for Internet animation.

The 22nd Annual International Monitor Awards were established by the Association of Imaging Technology and Sound to showcase the best in electronic production, post-production and digital media. The nine craft areas are editor, visual effects, graphic design, 3D animation, color correction, sound design, audio mixing, original scoring and best achievement. The event accepts entries from film, television, shorts, PSAs, music videos and interactive media.

The Phoenix Film Festival is a celebration of the movie image. The event features many screenings, seminars, tributes and answer and question discussions.

The Turku Animation School is hosting a new animation event entitled the Tough Eye Festival. The event will feature about 40 screenings and other art programs ranging from circus performance to music. There is one competition with one category for animation, the Timeless Competition. Any living animator can send one film, his or her best, for the competition. There are no limits concerning the date of premiere. Films must be independent productions and not exceed 30 minutes. Only 35 mm prints are screened, but for selection, video cassettes are accepted. A Grand Prix is given by an international jury and will be awarded 5,000 euros (US$4748.98). Two Special Jury Awards will be handed out of 800 euros ($759.84) each. The selection committee is composed of three young animators from Finland and Estonia. The festival will also hold a review of new international animations, a panorama of Finnish and Baltic animation, a program of politically incorrect films, plus a presentation of films from other festivals.

Milia New Talent Competition is designed to recognize students who excel in content design and development. As part of Milia 2001, the world's interactive content marketplace, the New Talent Competition gives interactive and new media content professionals a chance to discover burgeoning talent from around the world. For each project selected, the students will be invited to present their work in a special area at the festival.

The 41st Monte Carlo Television Festival is set up to highlight the best in television from around the world. In conjunction, the 23rd Market of Television will gather over 2000 participants for more than 70 countries. The market will feature debates and round-table discussions of various topical subjects.