Anima 2004 provides a showcase for the entire range of animation. The 100 plus films that are screened in the official selection, the original retrospectives, exhibitions, film lectures and workshops, events such as "La nuit anim

Futuranima, held as part of the Anima Festival, is a group of discussions and workshops centered on current trends and topics concerning animation and its many applications. Targeted mainly at young professionals and students, these four days focus on the future of animation. In setting up base at the Botanique, Futuranima intends to highlight several topics in particular: the current state of play in multimedia, storyboarding both in live-action feature filmmaking and animation, as well as in animation, relationships between comic strips, video games and animation. For more information visit www.awn.com/folioscope/gb.html.

The 30th Flanders International Film Festival has introduced a new policy to encourage quality film distribution in Benelux. Money attached to the festival

The 9th edition of International Short Film Festival "Leuven Kort" is a celebration of short cinema. The festival holds an international competition for live-action short films and a non-competitive program for digifilm and music videos. Two prizes will be awarded in the live-action competition: the "Prize of the Audience" and the "Prize of the Jury.

The Independent Arts Festival offers space to exhibit, show and perform any form of creativity especially those in the independent scene. The event is focused to up and coming young artists who have never exhibited their art before. The festival also invites international, independent and professional artists to share their artwork. The motto of the event is: "Art is not boring." The festival also wants to give attention to the comic and zine scene. The event will feature a reading corner where visitors will be able to read comics and zines, and give comic artists and zine publishers the possibility to come and show or sell their products. For more information visit www.sztuka-fabryka.be/festival/.

Anima 2005 provides a showcase for the entire range of animation. The 100 plus films screen in the official selection, the original retrospectives, exhibitions, film lectures and workshops, events such as "La nuit anim

Anima 2006 provides a key showcase for the entire range of quality animation, right in the heart of Europe. More than 200 films screened in the international competition or in retrospectives, exhibitions, film lectures and workshops, events such as "La Nuit anim

Anima 2007 presents an international competition for animation films in various categories: feature films, shorts, shorts for children, student films.The Festival includes also a national competition and nominates, from the European films that have been submitted, its candidates for the "Cartoon d'or". Anima 2007 provides a key showcase for the entire range of quality animation, right in the heart of Europe. More than 200 films will be screened in the international competition and in the retrospectives, with a special focus on animation documentaries and on the restored work of Norman Mc Laren. Exhibitions, film lectures and workshops, events such as "La Nuit anim

Anima 2008, the next Brussels Animation Film Festival, will take place from Feb. 1-9, 2008. For the first time in 2008, the competition will include best musical video award and best commercial award. Anima provides a key showcase for the entire range of quality animation, right in the heart of Europe. More than hundred plus in the International competition for long and short films, original retrospectives, exhibitions, film lectures and workshops, events such as "La nuit animee," the professional forum Futuranima, and representative guests make Brussels a major international meeting-place for thousands of local people and overseas visitors. For the latter it's also an opportunity to discover Belgian animation production and to meet students and up-and-coming young professionals. Anima also nominates, from the European selection, its candidates for the "Cartoon d'Or." Best Feature Film Award Best Short films Awards Best Short student films Award Best Commercial Prize (new) Best Musical Video Prize (new For more information, visit folioscope.awn.com.

Anima, the International Animation Festival, will take place in Flagey, Brussels, from 20th to 28th February 2009 The latest feature from Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, PONYO ON THE CLIFF BY THE SEA, will be the opening film for Anima 2009. A selection of sneak previews to discover the latest WALLACE AND GROMIT: A MATTER OF LOAF AND DEATH, three new NARUTO features and the first images from much awaited projects like PANIQUE AU VILLAGE or GASTON LAGAFFE. There will be 200 films in the international competition (shorts and features, commercials, music videos) or in panorama, as well as a competition and a Belgian focus to take the pulse of animation in all its entertaining, creative and prospective dimensions. Bill Plympton will be a festival guest, along with Samuel Lord Black, Steven Woloshen and many others, who are visiting Anima to present their films or take part in the "Futuranima" professional days. The retrospectives will be a merry mix of genres, delving into animation's history or the latest hot news, with films by American director Ralph Bakshi (FRITZ THE CAT, LORD OF THE RINGS, FIRE AND ICE) rubbing shoulders with the most recent work selected at the Computer Animation Festival at SIGGRAPH 2008. The Zagreb studios, the Channel 4 years, early work by French filmmakers Ocelot, Girerd and Laguionie and a focus on Nick Park's old school the National Film and Television School will complete this great line-up. The 2009 edition will also be looking at the relationship animation has with comic books in the "Bruxelles BD" event, with sneak previews, a cosplay, artist performances and the "From Strip to Screen" exhibition. There's also a "Cosplay" competition with lots of prizes to win, giving Anima visitors the chance to attend the event dressed as their favourite characters. A meeting with Bill Plympton, a one-day workshop given by Kyle Balda (formerly of Pixar), workshops for the children, the Futuranima professional days, round table discussions, the "Nuit animee", the Cartoon d'Or and a closing ceremony with VJay will make Brussels the most animated place to be in 2009. Part of the program will be decentralized to a number of towns in Flanders and Wallonia. Check out www.animatv.be for regular updates.