Jeffrey Scott will be guest speaker at the Women In Animation Writers' Group Seminar Series at Saban Entertainment, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., at 7:30 pm. Jeffrey has written over 500 animation scripts, including the recent PBS DRAGON TALES.

The Montreal International Festival of New Cinema & New Media (FCMM) will screen 72 features, 93 shorts and 50 new media presentations in a celebration of cutting edge filmmaking. Besides the screenings the event will hold tributes and seminars including a salute to animators Mich

Thursday, October 12 - Sunday, October 15, 2000. Montreal, Canada.

Wednesday, October 18 - Saturday, October 21, 2000. New York, New York, U.S.A.

Wednesday, November 1 - Saturday, November 5, 2000. Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Thursday, November 16 - Sunday, November 19, 2000. Seoul, South Korea.

Friday, November 24 - Sunday, November 26, 2000. Tokyo, Japan.

Saturday, December 2 - Sunday, December 3, 2000. Osaka, Japan.



RESFEST is an international festival that brings new innovative films to cities around the world. One of the two feature films presented at the festival will be the animated film WAVE TWISTERS from up-and-coming San Francisco directors Eric Henry and Syd Garon. This year RESFEST launches Net Cinema, a new program dedicated exclusively to films made for the Internet. In the short film section, animated short AVENUE AMY by Joan Raspo and Amy Sohn will be screened. As part of RESFEST, Cinema Electronica will present music videos from around the globe. Accompanying the festival is a panel discussion entitled "The Future of Filmmaking" where top industry leaders will discuss the digital revolution.

The Nan Desu Kan Japanese Animation Convention celebrates the art of anime. The festival's guest will be Hiroki Hayashi, animation director at AIC in Japan and creator of the series TENCHI MUYO! Nan Desu Kan will also feature Japanese and American voice-over artists, three 24-hour video rooms, video gaming rooms, an art and model show, an art seminar, guest panels and cultural seminars on Japanese language, music, culture and clothing. The event is expecting approximately 1,500 people this year.

911 Media Arts presents an Animation Sensation Weekend to celebrate the opening of its new Hands-On Animation Lab (HAL). On Friday at 8 pm, the Animators' Social will screen "Animated Worlds," a collection of world class animation curated by the Northwest Film Center in Portland. The audience is invited to bring animated works on VHS for an open screening after the main program. On Saturday from 2 - 6 pm, Russian master animator Yuri Norstein will screen his acclaimed cut-out animated films, including TALE OF TALES and HEDGEHOG IN THE FOG, as well as scenes from THE OVERCOAT, the incredible animated film that he has been working on for over 20 years. After the screening, Norstein will present an intensive workshop to demonstrate his specialized technique of multi-plane, cut-out animation using the delicate paper puppets from his films. Seating is extremely limited for both events. Finally on Sunday at 6 pm, the official ribbon cutting and open house of the new Hands-On Animation Lab (HAL) will commence. Examples of animated works created by children and teens in 911 workshops will be showcased, and demonstrations of animation equipment will be given. Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist, David Horsey will also share his thoughts about the role of animation in the newspaper industry.

Teen Comic Age 2000 is a festival highlighting teen comic and animation artists. Presented by the Los Angeles Public Library, the event will feature portfolio reviews, comic and animation workshops, panel discussions, celebrity signings and student, computer and anime animation screenings. The festival takes place from 10 am - 5:30 pm and admission is free.

The Independent Film Project/Midwest is holding their ninth annual conference to highlight independent filmmaking in the Midwest region of the United States. On Saturday, the conference will hold E-Cinema Expo, which will be devoted to DV, HD and Internet-based filmmaking. On Saturday evening, The Flyover Zone Film Festival will showcase short subjects created by IFP/Midwest members or in the "Flyover Zone" (i.e. the Midwest). During the festival, the IFP/Midwest will announce the recipient of this year's Independent Production Fund grant. Annually, IFP/Midwest takes submissions for a new film project from members and the winner receives US$40,000 to help in the production of the short film. The conference will feature independent feature premieres and various panel discussions.

This year, Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival will be featuring its 13th international competition and 23rd French competition. Filmmakers and buyers can also take advantage of the short film market, which attracts more than 50 TV channels, 50 distributors and 60 international festival organizers. Last year's competition saw films from 44 countries. The 2001 addition will feature programs on South Korea, S & M and Fetish Films, Hitchcock, Spain, African Perspectives and a Children's Programme.

The Melbourne International Student Animation Festival (MISAF) is being organized by the Melbourne Animation Posse in partnership with Cinemedia specifically to showcase the best of student animation from around the world. A jury will select the films to go forward into the competition screenings. Tapes of all films (including those not selected for competition screenings) will be available on request to festival-goers who wish to view them on a monitor in the festival lounge. All MISAF screenings are from tape rather than film print. All selected films will receive a certificate. Additionally they are also eligible for "Best of Programme" and "Best of Festival" awards. All submission tapes will be retained by MISAF as part of an on-going archival resource for Australian animators.

The Toronto Animated Image Society will be hosting a storyboarding for animation seminar. Sam Agro, a freelance storyboard artist and an instructor at Studio M, will host the event. Agro has worked in the animation business for over seventeen years. He is currently doing storyboards for Fox Kids' new animated series RIPPING FRIENDS directed by John Kricfalusi of REN AND STIMPY fame. The seminar will take place at 8 pm.