Cartoons on the Bay and the Pulcinella Awards will take place in Rapallo, Santa Margherita Ligure and Portofino from April 15-18, 2010.

New aspects of the festival include a new cross-media and interactive animation categories and a free branded new business area to strengthen meetings among all the delegates.

The Oklahoma Electronic Game Expo and Multimedia Conference (OEGE) is a one day conference that seeks to bring together students, educators, professionals and enthusiasts in all areas of Computer-Aided Technology and highlight Oklahoma as a creative outlet for these industries.

Computer-Aided Technology encompasses all creative industries that use computers for the development of their designs, such as video game, multimedia, graphic design, web design, CAD, GIS, video editing, animation, and digital art.

By offering an educated workforce, we strive to make Oklahoma a prime location for game development, multimedia, animation, etc., thus expanding this growing creative industry.

NATURE’S TOOLBOX : call for entries

ART WORKS FOR CHANGE INVITES VIDEO ARTISTS TO SUBMIT SHORT VIDEO ARTWORK
FOR CONSIDERATION FOR EXHIBITION IN CHINA AND JAPAN, 2010

Art Works for Change (www.artworksforchange.org), in cooperation with the United Nations Environ-
ment Programme is pleased to announce a call for entries for “Nature’s Toolbox,” an art installation to
be exhibited at the United Nations Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo, from July 4-31, 2010. In addition, the
work may be shown in Nagoya, Japan, as part of the United Nations COP10 meeting on biodiversity in
October 2010.

We will be creating a multi-screen digital media installation addressing the theme of urban biomimicry
and biodiversity, incorporating state-of-the-art technologies.


WHAT IS BIOMIMICRY?

Biomimicry (from “bios,” meaning life, and “mimesis,” meaning
to imitate) is a new discipline that studies nature’s best ideas and
imitates these designs and processes to solve human design prob-
lems. Studying a leaf to invent a better solar cell is an example.
Think of it as “innovation inspired by nature.”

The core idea is that nature, imaginative by necessity, has already
solved many of the problems humans are grappling with. Animals,
plants, and microbes are the consummate engineers. They have
found what works, what is appropriate, and most important, what
lasts here on Earth. This is the real significance of biomimicry:
Over the past 3.8 billion years, nature’s designs provide the secret
to survival for humans and other species.

http://biomimicryinstitute.org/about-us/what-is-biomimicry.html


VIDEO CRITERIA
1. Up to 3 minutes in duration.
2. Visually compelling video artwork
3. Tell a simple story about an urban creature (a plant, animal, microbe, fungus, insect) and show
 how it teaches us lessons for solving humans’ pressing problems — environmental, social, food,
 shelter, water, etc. Include an urban context.
4. The story can be reality-based, visionary or science fiction
5. We want to stress the importance of what we lose if these “critters” disappear
6. Animation and entertainment are encouraged
7. We discourage the usage of words or language. Music or abstract sound is acceptable.

For guidance, visit the website of the Biomimicry Institute (http://www.biomimicryinstitute.org/) or their
Ask Nature database (http://www.AskNature.org/), which provides hundreds of examples of how nature
inspires design solutions.

For more information on Art Works for Change and its programs, visit www.artworksforchange.org

The South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Conferences & Festivals offer the unique convergence of original music, independent films, and emerging technologies. Fostering creative and professional growth alike, SXSW is the premier destination for discovery.

Year after year, the event is a launching pad for new creative content. New media presentations, music showcases and film screenings provide buzz-generating exposure for creators and compelling entertainment for audiences. Conference panel discussions present a forum for learning, business activity thrives at the SXSW Trade Show: The Exhibition for Creative Industries and global networking opportunities abound. Austin serves as the perfect backdrop for SXSW®, where career development flourishes amid the relaxed atmosphere. Intellectual and creative intermingling among industry leaders continues to spark new ideas and carve the path for the future of each ever-evolving field, long after the events' conclusion.

Introducing our Conferences and Festivals...

The SXSW® Music and Media Conference celebrates its 25th Anniversary in 2011. Reaching a quarter of a century of being the biggest and most anticipated convergence of all things music, SXSW is ready to keep the reputation alive by programming the best event yet.

By day, thousands of conference registrants network in the halls of the Austin Convention Center on their way to do business at the SXSW Trade Show: The Exhibition for Creative Industries, sit in on informative panel discussions featuring some of the industry's key players, gain insight from legendary keynote speakers or plan out their abundant party schedules. At night, SXSW showcases hundreds upon hundreds of musical acts from around the globe on over eighty stages in downtown Austin. All this and so much more, combine to make SXSW one of the most revered music events, year after year.

The SXSW® Film Conference and Festival is a uniquely creative environment featuring the dynamic convergence of talent, smart audiences and industry heavyweights. A hotbed of discovery and interactivity, the event offers invaluable networking opportunities and immersion into the art and business of the rapidly evolving world of independent film.

The Film Conference buzzes as world-class speakers, creative minds, and notable mentors tackle the latest filmmaking trends amidst the unmatched social atmosphere of the SXSW experience. Simultaneously, the internationally acclaimed, nine-day Festival celebrates raw innovation and emerging talent, featuring a truly diverse program that includes provocative documentaries, subversive comedies, DIY narratives, genre standouts and more.

The 18th annual SXSW® Interactive Festival challenges you to envision the future of innovative technology. Featuring five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging media and scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders, SXSW Interactive offers an unbeatable line up of special programs showcasing the best new websites, digital projects, wireless applications, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer. From hands-on training to big-picture analysis, SXSW Interactive has become the place to preview of what is unfolding in the world of creative technology. Join us March 2011 for the panels, the parties, the 14th Annual Interactive Awards, SXSW ScreenBurn, the SXSW Trade Show, SXSW Accelerator and, of course, the inspirational experience that only SXSW can deliver.

The Game Developers Conference® (GDC) is the world’s largest professionals-only game industry event. Presented every spring in San Francisco, it is the essential forum for learning, inspiration, and networking for the creators of computer, console, handheld, mobile, and online games.

The GDC attracts over 17,000 attendees, and is the primary forum where programmers,artists, producers, game designers, audio professionals, business decision-makers and others involved in the development of interactive games gather to exchange ideas and shape the future of the industry. The GDC is produced by the Think Services Game Group, a division of United Business Media.

This market defining conference features over 400 lectures, panels, tutorials and round-table discussions on a comprehensive selection of game development topics taught by leading industry experts. In addition, the GDC expo showcases all of the most relevant game development tools, platforms and services helping to drive the industry forward. The conference also features the twelfth annual Independent Games Festival, where new, unpublished games compete for the attention of the publishing community, and the tenth annual Game Developers Choice Awards, the premier accolades for peer-recognition in the digital games industry.

The D.I.C.E. Summit® 2010 is the home of the 13th annual Interactive Achievement Awards® ceremony on February 18th, 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 spirited game enthusiast, Jay Mohr will return for his fifth year as host. The Independent Film Channel will be streaming the Awards, as well as filming the show for a TV broadcast to follow.

Sponsors to date include: Microsoft, Nintendo, Sony, Electronic Arts, IFCTV®, Electronic Entertainment Design and Research, Hansoft AB, Gigamedia, MTV Networks, Day 1 Studios, Intel, Infernal Engine, Insomniac Games, Boesky & Company, The Guildhall at SMU, The Strong National Museum of Play, PR Newswire, and GameIndustry Biz. Immediately following D.I.C.E.® this year, will be the Indie Games Challenge winners announcements.

About the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences:

The Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences (AIAS) was founded in 1996 as a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote, advance and recognize common interests and outstanding achievements in the interactive arts and sciences. To further enhance awareness of the Academy’s vision, the organization created the D.I.C.E. (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) Summit in 2002, a once yearly conference dedicated to exploring approaches to the creative process and artistic expression as they uniquely apply to the development of interactive entertainment. With the success of D.I.C.E., the Academy took the exclusive event to Singapore to launch the first ever D.I.C.E. Asia this year. The Academy also conducts an annual awards show, Interactive Achievement Awards, to promote and acknowledge exceptional accomplishments in this field. With more than 20,000 members, including Electronic Arts, Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, Day One Studios, Epic Games and Insomniac Games, The Academy is the leading advocate of video games worldwide.

Since its inception, The Academy has created and collaborated on a number of unique programs that promote the industry. AIAS oversees Into The Pixel, a juried exhibition of art from video games. In addition, the Academy sponsors several education programs including the Randy Pausch Scholarship, which awards students pursuing their dreams of becoming an interactive entertainment creator, and The Academy Scholar, a program sponsored with The Guildhall at Southern Methodist University (SMU). The AIAS is currently collaborating with Gamestop and SMU on the Indie Games Challenge, a contest for professional and non-professional video game developers to create their own video game and the chance to win up to $300,000 worth of prizes. More information is available at http://www.interactive.org and http://www.intothepixel.com.

Future Film Festival presents the news about the programme of the 12th edition that will take place, as usual, in Bologna, Italy, from 26th to 31st January 2010 at Teatro Duse (Via Cartoleria 42) and Palazzo Re Enzo (Piazza del Nettuno) that will host the Future Village (press conferences, accreditation office, workshops, kids area, cocktails and relax area) and for the first time will be a screenings venue too.

Since eleven years, the Bolognese event dedicated to animation and special effects is the most important date in Italy to notice the changes of digital imaginary, and to analyse the evolution of cinema and animation. The Future Film Festival has made known also in Italy important names of the International cinema, now well known by the audience and valued by International festivals as Hayao Miyazaki, John Lasseter, Osamu Tezuka, Satoshi Kon, Bill Plympton, Tsui Hark, Phil Mulloy, Nobuo Nakagawa and Paul Driessen or animation companies at the top of box offices as Pixar Animation Studios, Aardman Animations, Blue Sky. Moreover, in its history the FFF has explored cinematographies not well known like the Iranian and the South American cinema, and the new generations of artists from all over the world.

The Future Film Festival 2010 programme, directed by Giulietta Fara and Oscar Cosulich will present the news of cinema but not only. The focuses on stop-motion and on Motion Graphics will take stock of the contemporary uses of these techniques. The 3dDAY, after the success of the last January, will reveal the secrets of stereoscopic technique with key figures (distributors, theaters owners, producers) and the works for the cinema, tv and videogame. A special thanks to the City of Bologna, Province of Bologna, Emilia-Romagna Region and Emilia-Romagna Film Commission which support the event.

Since its first edition, Future Film Festival for its image has created a strong link with visual arts: every year the Festival asks an artist of the last generation to create an original work that will become the image-icon of FFF, looking for links and synergies between cinema, visual arts, photography and street-art. The FFF2010 has entrusted its image to the young writer UFO 5 who will realize a wallpainting that will be the symbol of the new edition. Amongs symbols and signs of his imaginary, UFO 5 will interpret the Future Film Festival changeable identity.

FUTURE FILM FESTIVAL 2010 FOCUSES

Saul Bass & Motion Graphics
Future Film Festival 2010, following its constant analysis of animated image, will dedicate a focus to the Motion Graphics, one of the most contemprary techniques used by young artists, in which the graphic applications give the illusion of movement.

The Future Film Festival will focus on some key figures of contemporary motion graphics as Mischa Rozema, cofounder of Post Panic, the production company based in Holland, and author of commercials and videos for well known brands as Nike and MTV, and the English artist Rob Chiu, (alias The Ronin)  author of a lot of works for Nokia, BBC, EMI, Greenpeace and many others. The FFF will focus on also their source of inspiration: the work by Saul Bass, great opening titles’ author and pioneer of motion graphics.

Saul Bass (1920-1996) is one of the key figure on graphic headlines for cinema. Thanks to Saul Bass, this work became an art. When he was young, he became his carreer as assistant in the art department of Warner Bros. based in New York and he gained experience in the field of Costructivism and Bauhaus. After some experiences as graphic designer, in 1954 Bass collaborated with Otto Preminger for the Carmen Jones poster and opening titles. After that, he realized The Seven Year Itch (1955), The Big Knife (1955), The Man with the Golden Arm (1955) title sequences. In 1959 he realized the Preminger’s Anatomy of a Murder poster and opening animated sequence with the original jazz score by Duke Ellington.

Mumbai, India: About 300 animation students will converge in Mumbai for the year’s biggest animation meet, the National Students Meet (NSM). Organised by Maya Academy of Advance Cinematics (MAAC), the pioneer of 3D animation and visual effects education in India, the 7th edition of NSM 2010 will see international studios like Dreamworks, Rhythm & Hues and other renowned studios like Prime Focus, Eye Qube, Prana showcase their animation work for popular movies like Aladin, Blue and Monster v/s Alien.

For the first time in India eminent international artist Ms. Shelley Page from Dreamworks, will share her knowledge on a unique and untouched topic ‘Design for Animation’ amongst the students. The National Students Meet is an distinctive initiative by MAAC to congregate the students studying 3D Animation & VFX on national level and take them for a week long journey where they are exposed to high-end seminars, workshops and case studies of Indian & International projects which includes making of Feature films, games, gaming technology, specialized workshops on various aspects of 3D Animation and Visual Effects industry, panel discussions, team building trainings, live contests, studio visits and various other edutainment activities.

Mr. Gaurav Markan, Industry Relations Vice President, MAAC expressed, "One of the main objectives of organizing such an event for the students is to give them exposure to the industry work and standards. An important aspect is that they come to know the about the changing requirements of the industry and learn how to shape themselves to be part of the industry. The important things that the studios these days look in a student or fresher are aptitude, creativity and confidence. The Outbound training is an aspect of the meet that takes care of all the elements to make the students a complete personality.”

About MAAC:

MAAC, the education division of Maya Entertainment Limited (MEL), is the pioneer of 3D animation and visual effects education in India since 2001. MAAC presently imparts professional training in animation and visual effects to over 14,000 students across 70 centers in India and International. MEL is backed by leaders in finance, media and technology, including Enam Securities, Intel Capital and Bhukhanwala Holdings. It has an exclusive association with The University of Cambridge International Examination, London to validate its diploma courses. MAAC also has the largest network of Authorized Training Centre (ATC’s) of Autodesk and WACOM Authorized Training Centers (WATC). The institute has pioneered animation training in the country and has also taken initiatives for the growth and development of the industry by promoting young talents through events like 24 FPS Animation Awards – an annual event conceptualized by MAAC that helps in seeking the finest talents in animation in the country. Its other divisions include an award winning international production studio engaged in outsourcing and own IP production work, and also a creative development enterprise MAAC Junior Toon Club (MJTC) for school children.

“US-Korea Digital Entertainment Investment Forum”

On behalf of Minister Knowledge of Economy and KOTRA (Korea Trade–Investment Promotion Agency), it is our privilege to invite you to “US-Korea Digital Entertainment Investment Forum,” as part of KMCM USA 2009 at the Los Angeles Marriott Downtown Hotel on December 4th.

The attendance is free of charge, but space is limited (50 spacing available for luncheon and networking with senior Korean government officials).

We are inviting key players and executives from US and Korea Digital Entertainment, global investors (US and Korea Fund Managers), and government officials who will discuss about digital investment opportunities and monies available for investment in U.S. digital entertainment companies and Korean game companies interested in co-development and co-distribution in the US and Korean Market.

21 Korean Digital Media Companies and 3 Fund Managers will be available for one-one meetings after the luncheon section with the selected attendees.

If you would like to attend, please fill out and submit the attached registration forum by fax to 323.954.1707, or e-mail to connecttoasia@gmail.com by November 27, 2009.




Date    Time    Program Schedule
12/4    09:30-10:00    Registration    Exhibition/B2B Meeting
    10:00-10:20    “Business Opportunities in Korea”    
    10:20-10:40    “Seoul Initiative for Digital Entertainment Industry”    
    10:40-11:00    “Korean Funds for Promoting Digital Entertainment Industry”

The Southwest Video Game Expo (SWGE) has announced it would be postponed due economic reasons. Li-Fi, the consumer electronic side of SWGE was cancelled previously. The Southwest's largest technology and video game expos for consumers, Li-Fi and the Southwest Video Game Expo (SWGE), today announced they would hold their premier shows at the Dallas Convention Center from November 20-22, 2009. Consumers and industry professionals are invited to experience over 400,000 square feet of the newest technology products and video games. The two separate expos will work in concert with one entrance and only one admission price to attend both shows. However, they will both have unique personalities at the convention center with completely different exhibitors, looks and feels. The Southwest Gaming Expo is the next big event in the gaming industry. With over 200,000 square feet of the latest in video games, SWGE is the first event in the southwest of this size and magnitude. SWGE is a place for gamers and industry insiders to come together to discover the latest trends in gaming and explore the culture that revolves around games. SWGE will feature play for free areas, concerts, exhibitors, and a marketplace. SWGE has something for every gamer to see, and will be the event of the year for both the casual and hardcore gamers. Happening simultaneously will be Li-Fi, the largest consumer electronics and entertainment show in the Southwest. With over 200,000 square feet of the latest in technology, Li-Fi is the first event in the Southwest of this size that's open to the general public. Li-Fi is the ultimate showcase of consumer technology featuring the latest innovations and trend setting concepts. Visitors will be able to see new technology in digital imaging, robotics, personal computing, home theatre, audio, mobile computing, digital music, green living, auto and wireless. Both shows take place before the critical Black Friday and Tech Monday shopping days allowing visitors the chance to tryout the gifts they plan on buying and will even include free personal shoppers to help everyone find exactly what they want. For more information see www.lifiexpo.com and www.swge.com.