Side Effects Software will host a free seminar at SIGGRAPH 2001 to address increasing worldwide demand for Houdini skills and Certified Houdini Trainers. The event will appeal to school staff with plans to expand their 3D animation offerings and trainers interested in augmenting their existing skill set to take advantage of employment opportunities. Ray Corbett, Training Supervisor at Digital Domain, will share his experience providing Houdini training at one of the world's leading effects companies and review job opportunities for Houdini users and trainers. Randy McCrimmon, Associate Director, 3D Animation, from the Academy of Art College, San Francisco, will discuss their successful Houdini program, and Richard Kidd, Certified Houdini Trainer, will speak about industry opportunities available as a freelance Houdini Trainer. This event provides a great opportunity to learn about Side Effects Software's support of educational institutions and trainers and to get details about the Houdini Trainer Certification Program, including requirements and how to apply. All seminar attendees will be eligible for a 50% discount on the introductory certification application fee should they choose to enroll. The event will take place on Sunday, August 12, 2001, noon to 12:45 pm at the Westin-Bonaventure Hotel (Downtown LA), San Jose Room. Reservations required.

The Vancouver Film School (VFS) is holding a three hour presentation that includes detailed descriptions of their classical, 3D and Maya programs. Student works will be shown and portfolios will be reviewed. The presentation will be held at the Sheraton Pasadena Hotel, 303 East Cordova Street, Pasadena, on Saturday, August 11 from 2-4pm. The event will include refreshments and prizes. RSVP to rebecca@vfs.com or call 1-800-661-4101

The first ever Georgetown Independent Film Festival will present narrative, documentary, animation and experimental films, as well as live performances and random art happenings. Entries will not be juried and there will be no entry fee. The festival welcomes submissions from all countries, in all languages, shot on all formats.

Student Entry Deadline: 4 30, 2001



The 4th Annual Crested Butte Reel Fest is a competitive short film festival. The event accepts animation, drama, comedy, experimental and documentary films. The Student section is broken down into the following 5 categories: student animation, student drama, student comedy, student experimental and student documentary. The festival includes workshops/seminars and panel discussions that are designed for both the filmmaker and the film buff.

The 2001 SHORT ATTENTION SPAN Film and Video Festival
will be a touring event bringing two hours of two minute movies from around
the world. It will showcase the best of short animation, comedy, sci-fi,
documentary, poetry and more.

Festival locations and dates are:

PACIFIC NORTHWEST:

VANCOUVER B.C.,
The Blinding Light Cinema - August 3rd and 4th - 8:30 pm;
SEATTLE, WA,
911 Media Arts Center - August 9th and 10th - 8:00 pm;
PORTLAND OR,
Northwest Film Center - August 12th and 13th - 7:30 pm;
SAN FRANCISCO CA,
The Castro Theatre - August 17th -8:00 pm & 10:00 pm;
SAN RAFAEL CA,
The Rafael Film Center -August 18th - 7:00 and 9:15 pm;
OAKLAND CA,
The Parkway Theatre - August 19th - 9:00 pm;
BERKELEY CA,
The Jupiter Outdoor Cinema - August 20th - 9:00 pm
BERKELEY CA,
Fine Arts Cinema - October 26th and 27th - TBA.



SOUTHEAST:

ATLANTA GA,
The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center - August 24th - 8:00 pm;
ATHENS GA,
The Georgia Museum of Art - September 5th - 7:30 pm;
ATLANTA GA,
Cinefest Theatre- September 14th and 15th - 9:00 pm and Midnight;
ATHENS GA,
The Georgia Theater - September 18th - 10P:00 pm;
SAVANNAH GA,
Trustee

The Hollywood Documentary Film Festival (HFF) is seeking submissions for its 5th annual festival. Non-released, completed features, documentaries and shorts, including animated shorts, are all eligible. Entries must be submitted on a 1/2" VHS tape (all formats accepted). Entry fees are: Animation, Children, Documentaries, Shorts and Young Filmmaker: $35 per project; Features: $50 per project. Foreign language films must have subtitles. The first Hollywood Documentary Film Festival will run concurrently with HFF. It will showcase up to 20 documentaries from around the world. The selected documentaries will be competing for the Hollywood Discovery Awards in the Festival's main film competition. In addition, a conference will be held that will focus exclusively on documentaries.

The 15th Annual Wine Country Film Festival highlights outstanding work in features, shorts, documentaries, animation and graduate and student films. Awards include Best First Feature (Domestic and International), Best Short in various categories, David L. Wolper Documentary Film Prizes and Audience Choice Awards. The entry fee is US$35.

Join the Vancouver Film School (VFS) for a presentation of their 3D, classical and Maya programs; see award-winning student work; bring your portfolio for review and meet the roadshow team. The evenings will include refreshments and prizes. The VFS roadshow team will be in Dallas on July 16 at the Sheraton Suites Market Center Hotel from 6-9pm; in
Austin on July 17 at the Sheraton Austin Hotel and Conference Center from 6-9pm; in
Houston on July 18 at the Sheraton Brookhollow Hotel from 6-9pm; and in
Denver on July 20 at the Westin Tabor Center Hotel from 6-9pm. RSVP to rebecca@vfs.com or call 1-800-661-4101

Earlybird Entry Deadline: 4 13, 2001



The Second Annual PlanetOut Short Movie Awards highlights films and videos by, for, about or of-interest to gay, lesbian, bi or transgender audiences. Picture This! Entertainment will be screening finalists for potential inclusion on the 2001 PlanetOut Short Movie Awards DVD release. Cash awards include: one Grand Prize of $10,000 and five First Prize awards of $1000 in each of the following categories: drama, comedy, documentary, animation and experimental. Finalists will also be screened on AtomFilms.com. The awards will be part of Outfest: The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

DISCOP is a television market covering over 30 emerging television markets in Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus. In conjunction with the market, DISCOP 2001 will present two new features: The WebTV East Exhibition, an exhibition of technological Web-based solutions that promote television brands and video content on-line; and the DISCOP Campus Sessions, a program of thematic sessions covering the production, marketing and promotion of television content in Central and Eastern Europe. Sessions include television format production in Central and Eastern Europe; historical documentary co-production; sports programming; the Internet as a marketing tool for TV stations; European union funding and training sources available to central and eastern European audiovisual professionals; and key audience data.