The Orlando ACM SIGGRAPH Chapter in Orlando, Florida is having its first meeting event at Universal Studios Florida Tuesday, June 24, 2003 at 8:00 pm.

Visit www.orlando.siggraph.org for more info.

Confidential, extensive explorations of how visual effects and digital animation were achieved in films such as X-MEN 2, THE MATRIX RELOADED and FINDING NEMO; will be part of the 5th Annual VES 2003: A Festival of Visual Effects line-up at The Los Angeles Film School in Hollywood from June 27-29, 2003. Presented by the Visual Effects Society (VES), the festival offers detailed, frequently proprietary, looks at the visual effects process through viewing certain segments of the works featured.

While the VES usually will focus on the big summer effects releases and TV series, this year the society is featuring music videos, titles and shorts as interesting aspects of visual effects.

The 4th Bitfilm Festival for digital film and new media shows films that use digital technology in a creative and innovative way. There are five categories:

Digital Features
Films of min. 90 minutes which use 3D animation and digital effects as an artistic means.

Bit Shorts
Short films, music videos and ads which use 3D animation and digital effects as an artistic means.

Flash
Linear films and interactive works made with Macromedia Flash.

Machinima
Films that are animated in real time using game environments.

Micromovies
Films of max. 60 seconds that are custom-made for mobile devices like cell phones, PDAs etc.

There will be a total of 45,000 Euros in prize money awarded. Entry deadline: July 1, 2003. There is no entry fee.

More information and submissions under http://www.bitfilm-festival.org/index_e.html

VFXTalk.com & eyeon Software Inc. have announced VFX002 - Breath In Some Life @ Dusk, which allows entrants the chance to win eyeon

The Challenge of Convergence Exhibition 2003
Video, Vision, graphics, VR, AR, new media...

The recent convergence of techniques borrowed from graphics, video & machine vision has realised a whole new realm of opportunities in visual media. From reducing the time and effort required for film post-production and special effects, to enhancing the experience of texture and immersion in virtual environments, the advent of knowledge-based graphics has influence across all fields of artistic and scientific endeavour.

July 7, 2003
Co-located with the IEE Visual Information Engineering Conference 2003 at the University of (7th

Friday evening, July 11, 2003

SAN FRANCISCO SIGGRAPH SHOWCASE EVENT

ESC Fx and Eon present "THE MAKING OF MATRIX RELOADED."
Hosted by San Francisco SIGGRAPH Professional Chapter and Expression Center for New Media

WHERE:
Expression Center for New Media, located at 6601 Shellmound Street in Emeryville, California. (www.expression.edu for directions)

PROGRAM:
6:00 to 8:00 pm VIP reception/dinner
Meet the speakers and others involved in the production of MATRIX RELOADED.
Includes buffet dinner and wine/beer/soft drinks
8:00 to 10:00 pm "THE MAKING OF MATRIX RELOADED"
Get a behind the scenes look at how they created the amazing visual effects in MATRIX RELOADED. Learn from lead artists and FX supervisors who will share with you the challenges faced by the crews in realizing the vision of directors on this breakthrough effects blockbuster.

ADMISSION:
6:00 pm VIP RECEPTION/DINNER:
SIGGRAPH Members: $20 includes dinner plus two drinks and entry to presentation
Non-SIGGRAPH Members: $30 includes dinner plus two drinks and entry to presentation
8:00 pm MAKING OF MATRIX PROGRAM:
SIGGRAPH members Free
Non-SIGGRAPH members: $10

Beer/Wine/Soft Drinks available for purchase at event with proper ID


SEATS ARE LIMITED
RESERVE YOUR SPACE EARLY VIA ACTEVA: http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaid=48531

The 10th Annual Austin Film Festival celebrates narrative and documentary films both in long and short form. The conference that accompanies the festival features panelists from the film industry who will discuss their experiences. First place winners receive: a cash prize of $1,000 (Feature Category) or $500 (Short and Student Short Categories); reimbursement (up to $500) of one round-trip airfare to Austin to attend the 2002 AFF; hotel accommodations at an AFF hotel (up to $500); a special Winners Night Screening at the Festival; the AFF Bronze Typewriter Award; and a special Los Angeles screening of their film for industry professionals. Short Films screened in competition at the Austin Film Festival are eligible to be nominated for an Academy Award. For more information contact film competition director Lisa Albracht at Lisa@austinfilmfestival.com or visit www.austinfilmfestival.com.

Bringing Virtual Figures to Life and Creating Convincing Animated Characters for Film and Television. A unique, interactive, intensive 2-day advanced character development workshop conducted as part of the Psychomechanics European Training Tour. This seminar dynamically introduces participants (animators & game developers) to the pre-production and production processes which, in derivative applications, have been utilized in the most internationally successful animated U.S. films of the past 5 years. Participants should wear loose non-restrictive clothing and be prepared to engage in intellectually challenging and physically interactive exercises. Fee: Professionals: 199 Euros - Students: 120 Euros (with valid student I.D.). Places are limited. Admission will be determined on a first-paid, first-reserved basis. More information at http://www.the-character-animator.com/what_participants_are_saying.html Register online at http://www.the-character-animator.com/form/signup_neu.php. BelleImages is the Netherlands' sole SoftImage Certified Training Center. Jeffrey Hinze has worked with, coached or supervised digital and traditional artists who are presently employed by or have worked for the following companies: Disney Feature Animation, H5B5, Industrial Light & Magic, Papa Loewe Film, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Square USA and others.

You're invited to the Academy of Art College's "Academy Day" at the Beverly Hills Hotel on July 20th from 2-5PM. Learn more about how the Academy can jumpstart your career in 2D Animation, 3D Animation, Game Design, Visual Effects, and much more! Professional artists will hold portfolio reviews, and Academy alumni will share with you how they made it in the industry. Don't miss it! For more information, call 1-800-544-ARTS or visit www.academyart.edu/academyday. Admission is free. Location: Beverly Hills Hotel 9461 Sunset Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 90210

Each year, the Chicago International Film Festival screens more than 100 feature films, nearly half of them making either its regional, national or in some cases world premiere. The International Feature Film Competition celebrates films from around the globe and awards prizes for Best Film, Best Director and Best Performances. The New Directors Competition honors the up-and-coming artists that are just making a name for themselves. The Special Presentations section of the festival is a non-competitive screening of films from around the world that have a powerful message to tell. Docufest, Short Subjects, World Animation and Student Productions competitions award $2,000 to the top winner and embraces forms of filmmaking that the mainstream tends to overlook. In addition, the festival celebrates diversity with its World Discoveries, Black Perspectives, Cinema of the Americas and Chicago