I-CON is a science-fiction, fantasy and comics show. The anime program will feature dubbing workshops, guest speakers and panel discussions. This event is a student run festival and one of the largest in the northeast United States.

Frames 2001 is the first global convention on the business of entertainment in India. The two-day event will bring together artists and producers from around the world. The convention will feature discussions, meetings, seminars, interactive workshops, screenings and previews. Last year's festival featured an in depth study entitled, "Indian Entertainment: Strategy and Vision."

SKYY Vodka has partnered with the American Cinematheque to launch the SKYY Short Film Awards, to celebrate excellence and vision in the short film format. Short films may be entered into four categories: fiction, non-fiction, animation and a special themed category for films that contain a "cocktail moment." The competition is open to anyone 21 years and older and there is no fee to enter. The SKYY Short Film Awards Grand Prize will be $5,000 to the winner of each category. Other prizes include an all-expenses-paid trip to Hollywood for the Awards Ceremony, a full-page advertisement in DAILY VARIETY that will feature the four award-winning shorts, an airing of the winning shorts on the Sundance Channel and the chance for each filmmaker to meet with an agent or manager. The winners will be determined by a jury comprised of: Barbara Smith, executive director of the American Cinematheque; Trevor Groth, head of the Sundance Film Festival Short Film Section; Graham Fuller, film writer-at-large of INTERVIEW MAGAZINE; Anne Thompson, West Coast editor of PREMIERE MAGAZINE; Doug Liman, director (SWINGERS, GO); Luis Mandoki, director (WHEN A MAN LOVES A WOMAN); and Maurice Kanbar, founder of SKYY Vodka.

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 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.

he Images Festival is an exhibition of artists' film, video and new media. The event searches out cutting-edge work from inventive filmmakers.

Fantasm 2001 is a leading multimedia science-fiction, fantasy, horror, art, film and gaming convention. Foundation Imaging's computer animation wizard, Mojo, will be on hand to discuss his work on the TV series BABYLON 5, STAR TREK: VOYAGER and STARSHIP TROOPERS. Visitors can bring their demo tapes and questions on how to break into the computer animation business.

The second Outer Limits Film and Video Series is a collaboratively organized series of short experimental, documentary, animation and independent narrative film and video, with an emphasis on work from the far geographic and cultural reaches. The 2001 series will focus on (but is not limited to) three areas of the global experience: global tourism and tourists; individualism, eccentrics and vernacular culture; and time and distance. Outer Limits is organized by Video Lounge, the New York Animation Festival and Perimeter Media + Culture Projects.

The 44th San Francisco International Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the Americas. Narrative features are eligible for participation only if the film has never been screened in the San Francisco Bay Area. A feature is over 60 minutes long and must have finished production within the past two years. First features by emerging filmmakers that do not have a U.S. distributor at the time of the festival are eligible for the festival's US$10,000 SKYY Prize for Outstanding Filmmaking. The SKYY Prize winner will be announced at the Festival's Awards Brunch on May 3, 2001. Last year's festival competition drew nearly 1600 entries from 58 countries. The competition is comprised of 29 categories in four divisions: Film & Video, for independently produced documentaries, short narratives, shorts for children and animation; Television, for current commercial, non-commercial and cable television production; New Visions, for experimental works that challenge the language of film and video and where personal expression and aesthetic exploration are the primary concerns; and Bay Area Film & Video, for works that reflect the rich selection of documentaries and shorts that have established Northern California as a major center for independent production.

The Sprockets Toronto International Film Festival For Children highlights animated, live-action and documentaries made for children. The event features school screenings geared toward children ages 8-17. This year's program will feature 13 films from 9 countries. The event will feature educational classes and workshops. The Writers Guild of Canada and YTV will conduct classes on turning stories into screenplays and film critics will teach children how to write film critiques.