The KLDW Festival is the first mega Creative Event of its kind to be organized in Kuala Lumpur. To be making its inaugural mark in KL soon, KLDW 2009 promises a wide mix of creative thoughts and eclectic ideas, of imaginative programs and inspiring showcases, plus loads more under one grand event of "Show + Shine", to showcase what we don't have, and to enhance what we do have.

Sara Berliner, who is now building the children's and teen business at ScrollMotion, a mobile content and technology company based in Tribeca, will be talking to Women in Animation about mobile content. Berliner will give a beginner's overview of the mobile space, then talk about the revolution of the touch-screen device with ScrollMotion's technologies and applications as example, and then discuss what the future may hold. Date: Wednesday, March 25 Time: 6:30-8 p.m. Place: SVA (School of Visual Arts), 209 East 23rd St., between 2nd and 3rd Aves in Room 502 RSVP: Email Lisa Goldman by Monday, March 23 at lisaggoldman@yahoo.com If you are not a member, WIA asks for a $10 donation. If you want to join, visit the website at wia.animationblogspot.com Students are free with a valid ID.

The Game Developers Conference (GDC), returns in 2009 to the Moscone Center in San Francisco with world-class programming for the art, science and business of developing digital entertainment. This year's conference produced by the Think Services Game Group features five days of top selected keynotes, sessions, panel discussions, and roundtables aimed at furthering the skills and opportunities for game developers and business. A new set of summits that encompass the expanding scope of the games industry are also included in the lineup as well as evening events aimed at promoting learning, networking and inspiration. Registration and conference information is available online at the official GDC website, www.gdconf.com. The conference takes place from March 23-27, 2009. GDC continues to serve as a forum addressing the most current game development methods, trends, technologies and issues facing the community with session tracks focusing on game audio, business management, design, production, and visual art. The conference will continue to offer core educational one and two day tutorials and sponsored developer days. The slate of new specialized summits added to this year's lineup includes the AI Summit -- focusing on the increasing importance of cutting-edge artificial intelligence in video games -- and the Localization Summit—focusing on the importance of developers learning to adjust to the linguistic and cultural differences between a constantly expanding set of national audiences. The entire GDC Summit Lineup for 2009 now includes: --AI Summit --Casual Games Summit --Game Outsourcing Summit --GDC Mobile --Independent Games Summit --IGDA Education Summit --Localization Summit --Serious Games Summit --Worlds in Motion Summit The enhanced myGDC online networking tool for the Game Developers Conference allows users to create customized profiles, save and share personalized schedules and discuss session topics in myGDC forums. The aim of this tool is to reconcile the increasing scope of the conference with the limited time of the attendee. myGDC is also introducing the new myGDC Vault, a virtual hub with video, audio and other premier content from GDC. All GDC09 registrants gain lifetime access to the myGDC community of more than 5,000 designers, programmers, publishers and game professionals. The week-long event will continue to feature popular GDC mainstays, like the GDC Expo, GDC Career Pavilion, the 11th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF), the ninth annual Game Developers Choice Awards, and the Game Career Seminar. GDC will also play host to a number of networking events for publishers and developers of all platforms, including serious, casual and mobile companies, these events include the annual GDC Booth Crawl, Suite Night, Game Connection and the GDC World Mixer. Additional details, prices and registration for attendee passes, and information on the GDC advisory board are available now at www.gdconf.com.

The Tokyo International Anime Fair 2009 (TAF2009) will be held Wednesday, March 18 to Saturday, March 21 at the Tokyo Big Sight in Japan. The eighth anniversary of this event is one of the world's largest anime exhibitions. Featuring extensive programs, TAF has been drawing international attention as the leading anime festival. Online pre-registration for buyers will start January 15, 2009 at http://www.tokyoanime.jp/en/. During the event, they offer business matching space for free of charge to assist buyers in finding new business opportunities. Questions or concerns: tokyo-animefair@jtbcom.co.jp.

Capcom will usher in the launch of RESIDENT EVIL 5 (on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3) on Friday, March 13 by partnering with the American Red Cross to host a blood drive. On the way to pick up copies of RESIDENT EVIL 5, gamers in the L.A. area will be invited to give back to the community by donating blood at the World of Wonder gallery on Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, California from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In addition, fans of the series will have the chance to get exclusive limited-edition RESIDENT EVIL 5 Blood Drive collectibles, win copies of the game, enter a raffle for one of several exclusive red Xbox 360 RESIDENT EVIL limited edition consoles and most importantly, do their part to help a good cause.

Kiosks showcasing the game will also be on-hand for fans to get a sneak peek at the eagerly anticipated new game before heading to retailers to buy their own copy. Generous fans who donate blood will receive exclusive RESIDENT EVIL 5 limited edition items created specifically for this event, including a series of hand-numbered stylized posters, bumper stickers, buttons and a chance to win a copy of the game or an exclusive red Xbox 360 RESIDENT EVIL limited edition console.

All "Type O" fans will learn that they can "B Positive" agents for their community, and they will find that "AB"-it of blood can go a long way.

Those who would like to participate can pledge and schedule appointments by visiting Capcom-Unity.com. For more information on blood donation eligibility requirements visit http://www.givelife2.org/donor/faq.asp.

When:

Friday, March 13, 2009
11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Where:
World of Wonder Gallery
6650 Hollywood Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028

The Cartoon Art Museum's Annual WonderCon Weekend Party will be held on Friday, February 27, 2008, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.. Admission to this ticketed event will be on a sliding scale from $10 to $35, with guests encouraged to contribute whatever they can to support the Cartoon Art Museum. Many of the featured artists and special WonderCon guests will be in attendance, including featured guests WATCHMEN co-creator Dave Gibbons and USAGI YOJIMBO creator Stan Sakai. Rare and signed books, prints and artwork will be raffled and auctioned throughout the evening, and additional special events and guests will be announced as the event approaches. Special exhibitions featuring the comic art and props from the upcoming Warner Bros. film WATCHMEN; a look back at 25 years of Stan Sakai's critically acclaimed comic book USAGI YOJIMBO; a spotlight on legendary Silver Age comics creator GENE COLAN; and highlights from the Cartoon Art Museum's archives will be on display. Visit http://www.cartoonart.org or call (415) CAR-TOON for an updated list of special guests and events, as well as additional information about the museum. WonderCon takes place February 27-March 1, 2009 at San Francisco's Moscone Center South. For more information on WonderCon, visit Comic-Con International's official website, http://www.comic-con.org.

Coming off its biggest and most successful year ever, WonderCon is gearing up for its 23rd year as a Bay area tradition. The comics and popular arts convention returns to Moscone Center South for another three-day weekend run on February 27 through March 1. More than 29,000 people attended the show in 2008, and 2009 promises to be another incredible convention experience for fans from all over.

Details are still being worked out, but you can count on a few WonderCon mainstays: a huge Exhibit Hall filled with some of the coolest stuff in the world; a large and comprehensive programming schedule featuring presentations from the very best in comics (including the Comics Arts Conference for a second year in San Francisco) and from Hollywood movie studios and TV networks; gaming; anime screenings; and special nighttime events such as the WonderCon Masquerade in its fifth year, plus much, much more (including a very popular Comic-Con 2008 "musical" event that will be a crowd-pleasing end in San Francisco, too).

Special guests include Sergio Aragones, Brian Azzarello, Ed Brubaker, Mark Evanier, Matt Fraction, Gary Friedrich, Dave Johnson, Jim Lee, Aaron Lopresti, Wendy Pini, Trina Robbins, Alex Robinson, James Robinson, Stan Sakai, Roy Thomas and Jill Thompson.

If you are itching to create your own website or you already have one but are looking for a way to improve it, come join WIA for an evening with Richard Carey. This meeting is produced by Masako Kanayama.

Carey is a digital media visionary, veteran producer and developer of social media and games, e-learning and e-business solutions for the web. Over more than 20 years he has pioneered the use of emerging technologies in work for the entertainment, educational, corporate and professional markets. As Managing Director of RC/A Digital Media, Carey currently leads the strategic planning, design and development of digital media products for clients like Konami, Numedeon, Model Games and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Previously, he has held senior product development roles at Pearson, Scholastic and Houghton-Mifflin, and has been a founding principal of several successful media ventures.

Also a sought-after speaker, writer and blogger on games, social media and emerging web technologies, Carey has appeared on panels at ProMax, the Software and Information Industry Association, Game Developers Conference and the Seybold Conference, and has blogged or video-blogged recent Games, Learning & Society, Dust or Magic and SIIA events.

Website: www.richardcarey.net

Date: Thursday, Feb. 26
Time: 6:30-8 p.m.
Place: SVA (School of Visual Arts), 209 East 23rd St., betwn 2nd and 3rd Aves, Room 502
RSVP: Masako Kanayama by Tuesday, Feb. 24 at masakokanayama@yahoo.com

If you are not a member, WIA asks for a $10 donation. If you want to join, visit the website at wia.animationblogspot.com.

The 2009 D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit. The event will be held at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, February 17-20, 2009 and feature a line-up of industry leaders, visionaries and decision makers that are shaping the future of interactive entertainment. The incomparable line-up includes Jun Takeuchi, who is the producer of the most anticipated game of 2009, Harrison Ellenshaw, Academy Award nominated artist, Ralph Osterhaut, a serial inventor who has worked with the Defense Department, and David Perry a game designer who has sold over 1 billion dollars of games, among many other accomplished individuals. There will also be two powerhouse panel discussions, the first moderated by Julianne Greer from The Escapist, and features Rich Hilleman, CCO, Electronic Arts, Chris Taylor, Creative Director, Gas Powered Games, Mona Hamilton, VP Marketing, Capcom and Dan Bilson, SVP Creative Director, THQ. The second panel closes out the conference and will be moderated by Ted Price, President and CEO, Insomniac Games, and features N'Gai Croal (NEWSWEEK), Mike Snider (USA TODAY), Geoff Keighley (Spike TV) and Seth Schiesel, (NEW YORK TIMES). The D.I.C.E. Summit 2009 will also play host to the 12th annual Interactive Achievement Awards ceremony on February 19, where industry leaders and members pay tribute and recognize the individuals and products that contribute to the growth of the interactive entertainment software business. Comedian, actor and proud game enthusiast, Jay Mohr will return for his fourth year to host the award festivities. For more information and registration: www.dicesummit.org.

Offering an up close view of the latest in cinema, television, and related technologies, and insight into the ideas that will shape the industry's future, the Hollywood Post Alliance's 15th Annual HPA Technology Retreat will be held February 17-20 at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, California. The 4-Day Tech Retreat has become the premier event in the broadcast and post production industry, providing a forum for industry leaders and technologists to review new technology developments and exchange ideas in an environment unadulterated by sales and marketing hype. Featuring top executives and researchers from Hollywood studios, broadcast networks, manufacturers, artists, and even the military, the event draws from all over the world. Highlights of this year's event include a Super Session entitled "Insight/Foresight: Visions of the Future." Speakers will include Steve Weinstein, CEO of MovieLabs, the research organization established by the major Hollywood studios, who will discuss emerging technologies for the distribution and use of motion pictures. Other presentations at that session will cover the evolution of human perception and such seemingly impossible laboratory technologies as the ability to change focus after a scene is shot. The Technology Retreat this year will also feature special presentations from the BBC on the extraordinary sharpness of high frame rate viewing, from the European Broadcasting Union on the issue of concatenated-compression, and from a Bollywood lab on maintaining a cinematographer's desired look via online techniques. Warner Bros.' Wendy Aylsworth will moderate a session on new advances in stereoscopy, from shooting through transmission to display. Other presentations will cover such topics as the future of broadcasting, the quest for a new reference display, advanced processing hardware, software, and storage technologies, and spatial hearing. The program will also include two days of the famed Breakfast Roundtables, with no-holds-barred discussions of dozens of hot topics, from the impact of the current economic downturn on the digital-cinema rollout to the brand-new industry DVP initiative for file-based masters. The Demo Room, where Panasonic once introduced its variable-frame-rate digital camcorder technology (later sold as the Varicam) and Sony once introduced low-compression high-quality HDTV recording technology (later sold as HDCAM SR) each year features new technologies not shown before. Among this year's more-than-60 demonstrations are full-color, motion holography and a "telepresence" system that allows separated work collaborators to appear to be in the same room. A special post-retreat feature will be a presentation on the Metropolitan Opera's Emmy-award-winning Live Global Cinemacasts and how alternative content is providing new revenue streams for theaters and new outlets for content developers. In addition, on Tuesday morning, ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) will present a half-day summit on "Audio Loudness & Lip-Sync," and Charles Poynton, the person who came up with the 1080-line figure for HDTV, will hold a half-day workshop on the mathematics of HDTV and Digital Cinema. Registration and a complete program are available on the HPA's website at www.hpaonline.com. For additional assistance, please contact the Hollywood Post Alliance office at 213-614-0860. The Technology Retreat is sponsored by the Hollywood Post Alliance, serving the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide expertise, support, tools and the infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television, commercials, digital media and other dynamic media content.