The Australian Effects & Animation Festival 2002 is a unique opportunity for Australians to learn the creative and technical secrets behind some of the biggest VFX/animation projects from Hollywood and around the world. It provides an exclusive access pass to the leading personalities in the global VFX and animation community. BLOCKBUSTER SESSIONS Leading industry figures from Australia, New Zealand, the US and the U.K provide the lowdown on projects such as Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Ice Age, Band of Brothers, Moulin Rouge & more .... A dedicated screening room will be running the greatest animation and VFX work from around the world throughout AEAF 2002: the latest and the greatest from industry pioneers such as ILM, Blue Sky VFX and Cinesite along with all the entries submitted to the AEAF Awards 2002. AWARDS NIGHT & PARTY The AEAF Awards are Australia's peak industry awards, recognising and rewarding excellence and creativity in 12 categories of competition. Now in its seventh year the AEAF Awards attract entries from Australia and all around the world. All the finalists will be screened at the prestigious Awards night on February 27, 2002 followed by a gala party

Australia's leading digital arts forum. Insightful conference sessions on the latest techniques for creating computer-generated visuals for film and television, led by industry experts from major US, European and Australasian post houses. Comprises of conference sessions, masterclasses and technology labs and incorporates the annual AEAF Awards in 12 categories of competition which draw entries from around the globe. Events held in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

CALL FOR ENTRIES

Organisers of the Australian Effects and Animation Festival are now accepting entries into the AEAF Awards to coincide with the December conference in Sydney, Australia.

The AEAF Awards are designed to reward innovation and expertise in digital content creation for film, television, games and the web. You can enter as many individual entries as you wish, as long as they've been completed between July 1, 2001 and October 27, 2002. Entry into the AEAF Awards is free.

There are 12 categories into which you can enter:
_ Commercials: Animation
_ Commercials: VFX
_ Feature Film: Animation
_ Feature Film: VFX
_ Music video
_ Short Film
_ TV Series
_ Titles, Idents & Stings
_ Web Animation
_ Student
_ Games
_ Education & Training

To enter, visit the web site at http://www.dmw.com.au and follow the links to the AEAF and the Awards entry form. Fill it out online or print it, and send entries to AEAF: PO Box 369, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012 no later than 5pm Monday October 28, 2002. Your entry must be PAL formatted and supplied on Beta SP or Digital Beta and be accompanied by a document of no more than 100 words explaining its special features. For further information, contact aeaf@dmw.com.au.

The Australian Effects and Animation Festival Melbourne 2003, will be held on May 12-13 at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image. Leading visual effects specialists from Weta Digital, ILM and The Moving Picture Company will share their secrets behind film and TV

AEAF Sydney 2003 will feature new events including the AEAF Short Film Festival screening films from around the world and Digital Video Fest. Digital Video Fest will showcase the latest technologies and techniques in digital video creation and post-production including: video cameras, editing systems, hardware, software, DVD authoring, lighting, audio, storage and workstations. AEAF Sydney will also include: four evenings of screenings and networking opportunities; AEAF Awards presentation night; AEAF Tech Labs - technology demonstrations and new product launches for 3D, effects, computer animation and compositing; and demonstrations and hands-on experience. For more information e-mail: info@dmw.com.au or visit www.dmw.com.au.

Now in its 13th year Flickerfest 2004, Australia's premier international short film festival will consist of a main competitive program, a short documentary competition, Australian competition. The event will also include a number of workshops, programs and forums. For more information contact tel: +61 (0)2 9365 6877; fax: +61 (0)2 9365 6899; e-mail: flickerfest@bigpond.com; or Web: www.flickerfest.com.au.

The School of Multimedia Systems Monash University will be having an exhibition at the Federation Square Melbourne. The objective of our Third Year Exhibition is to showcase to the public and industry, innovations and the high skill level of our final year students in the fields of Multimedia. The Exhibition will showcase nearly 130 students third year final works. It will include game development, 3D animation, flash animation, short films, Web sit design, interfaces, e- commerce, programming etc. Awards will be given as a part of the event. For more information, visit www.multimedia.monash.edu.au.

As part of the Digital Media Festival, Melbourne, the Australian Effects & Animation Festival Short Film Festival will screen submissions alongside renowned international work from artists at Passion Pictures (U.K.), La Maison (France), Sony Pictures Imageworks (U.S.) and Vinton Studios (U.S.). The event will take place at the Melbourne Convention Centre, corner of Spencer & Flinders Streets.

Digital Video Fest will showcase the latest technologies and techniques in digital video creation and post-production including: video cameras, editing systems, hardware, software, DVD authoring, lighting, audio, storage and workstations. AEAF Sydney will also include: four evenings of screenings and networking opportunities; AEAF Awards presentation night; AEAF Tech Labs - technology demonstrations and new product launches for 3D, effects, computer animation and compositing; and demonstrations and hands-on experience.

Full event programs for AEAF, DVFest and Digital Imaging (Melbourne) are available at the Digital Media Festival Website at http://www.dmw.com.au/.

William Kentridge was born in Johannesburg in 1955. His animated films, or 'drawings for projection', explore personal and social conflicts in the context of both apartheid and post-apartheid landscapes, using mainly pastel and charcoal drawings on paper, which he changes and sets in motion by rubbing out and drawing over things. Originally a fine art painter, draughtsman and engraver, Kentridge turned his attention to animation in the late 1980s through his increasing interest in time; its passing, the traces it leaves, the memory that events, beings and objects leave when we close our eyes on the past. What technique besides frame-by-frame animation could better render an account of this phenomenon? 'All of my work is about Johannesburg in one form or another.thematically I suppose I work with what's in the air, which is to say a mixture of personal questions and the broader social questions. Questions this year, questions last year, responsibility, retribution, recrimination, before issues of what histories are hidden in the landscape. Often they're fairly broad questions but generally they arrive through quite a personal or particular starting point.' Interview with William Kentridge

The Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF 04) is a celebration of the very best of international and Australian animation showcasing the work of artists and filmmakers who have discovered that in this medium they can go anywhere their imagination leads them. The festival will also travel to Sydney as the Australian International Animation Festival (formerly Sydney International Animation Festival) in July. The event will take place at the Australian Centre for The Moving Image (ACMI) at Federation Square in the heart of the city. One of the retrospectives will highlight the career of John K, creator of REN & STIMPY, who got his animation start working on THE SMURFS. For more information, visit www.miaf.net.

The Flickerfest International Short Film Festival is a celebration of short cinema. The event is open to any production available for screening on 35mm or 16mm. All films must be under 30 minutes and must have been completed within 2 years of the closing date. Films must be in English or have English subtitles. Due to the competitive nature of the festival, it favors Sydney premieres and films that have not been broadcast in Australia. An International jury will award prizes in the following categories: Best Film International Competition, Best Film Australian competition, Best Animation, Best Documentary and Best Cinematography. For more information, visit www.flickerfest.com.au.