Event dedicated to animation and cross-media for industry professionals 2nd edition from 12th to 14th January 2011 - Le Grand Bornand / Annecy (France)

Presented by CITIA, organiser of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and Market (Mifa)

The concept

2 and a half days of information, training, reflection and discussions between professionals for a complete overview of all animation and cross-media issues.

The programme

Le Forum Blanc gives professionals from animation, video games, broadcasting, new interactive services and mobile phones the possibility to find out all the current aspects concerning animation and cross-media, from writing to broadcasting, funding, production and legal issues.

This second edition will be giving the floor to such speakers as Julien Borde, Head of Children and Youth programming at France Télévisions; Jo Twist, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4; Joël Ronez, Head of Internet at Arte and Orion Ross, Vice President of Development for Original series at Disney, who will be talking about the vision and the role the historic model of broadcasting is playing in the developments of cross and transmedia.

Miles Bullough, Head of Broadcast and Development at Aardman Animations and Antony Roux, Artistic Director at Ankama will be sharing their experience and talking about the strategies in their respective companies.

Monique Simard, Managing Director of the French programme at the National Film Board of Canada and Canadian Producer, Sylvain Viau, will be giving their viewpoints and talking about new incentives in Canada.

These sessions will also be complemented by French or international case studies from the animation or related sectors, covering all the creative, financial and legal angles of the production chain of cross-media projects.

You can find details of the programme and the list of speakers on www.forumblanc.org

“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.

Directors, production designers, storyboard artists, character designers, animators, modelers, illustrators, 3D artists, voice talents, painters, vfx artists, sculptors, designers, writers, recruiters, students and top talent industry professionals from CTN and animation fans and students for ages 16 and up will converge on Burbank for professional exhibits, demonstrations, expert panels and speakers, portfolio consultations, networking receptions, master workshops, business symposiums, one-on-one personal consultations, pitch sessions, recruiting opportunities, contests, reunions, celebrity signings, animation film characters and fun.

WIA members get a discount: for a one day pass: Registration is usually $70 and current, active WIA members can register for $55. For a three day pass: Registration is usually $200 and current, active WIA members can register for $150.

To get your discount, go to registration and select the "professional" ticket and enter code WIAX09. Register now: at http://www.regonline.com/ctnanimationexpo2009.

CVMP, the European Conference on Visual Media Production (www.cvmp-conference.org), is now announcing its call for submissions. The conference takes place on 12th and 13th November 2009 at the BFI Southbank, London. Now in the sixth year of CVMP, a new management team is injecting fresh momentum to this unique event, which brings together practitioners in media production from the film, broadcast and games industries with leading academics and researchers in imaging and graphics. The two-day conference will provide a dynamic forum for the exchange of knowledge between researchers and media industry specialists working at the cutting-edge of visual media production and delivery. CVMP has traditionally been held at the IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology), but has a new, larger venue for 2009, and a dedicated team that will develop and expand the event and associated activities. The conference chairman is Dr Oliver Grau, lead technologist at BBC Research & Development, with Adrian Hilton, from University of Surrey, the programme chair. The CVMP organising committee is comprised of Bill Collis, CEO at The Foundry, Simon Robinson chief scientist at The Foundry, Anil Kokaram of Trinity College, Ireland, Tom Evans of Wavecrest Systems Ltd, and Dr Graham Thomas, principal research engineer at BBC Research & Development. Conference secretary is Abi Bowman, project manager at The Foundry. This year, the latest research developments will be presented together with real-world, industry applications, combining to deliver a unique melting pot of ideas and experience. The event promises to be fascinating and informative, with a lineup that already includes Matt Welford, head of compositing at Weta Digital (THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN, KING KONG, THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy), Professor Marc Pollefeys from ETHZ and Dr Toni Mateos of Barcelona Media. Special sessions this year are 'Advanced Technology in Post Production', and 'Capturing 3D Worlds'. CVMP will also address the increasing demand for 3D stereoscopic content and delivery for emerging platforms such as e-cinema, high-resolution home displays and interactive media, which are all fuelling the development of new technology and approaches. The 'Call for Papers' is now live at www.cvmp-conference.org for those who would like to submit papers on innovative research and practical applications related to media production, along with a comprehensive list of suggested topics. Registration for CVMP 2009, (Full rate: GBP 300 / Retired/Student rate GBP 150) is also live on the CVMP website. The Best papers from CVMP 2008 will be published in a special issue of JVRB (Journal of Virtual Reality and Broadcasting) and the conference proceedings will be published by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival is an unique event combining a feature film festival with the sub-festivals of animated films, student films and children/youth films. The festival aims to present Estonian audiences a comprehensive selection of world cinema in all its diversity with the emphasis on European films, providing a friendly atmosphere for interaction between the audience, Estonian filmmakers and their colleagues from abroad. Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (November 12-December 6) consists of the main program, four sub-festivals and a film and co-production market: Black Nights Film Festival Main Program (November 27-December 6) - International competition program EurAsia and Baltic feature film competition. Informative side programs include fiction and documentary features from previous two years, retrospective of a filmmaker, genre or studio, and focus on a country. Student and Short Film Festival Sleepwalkers (November 12-15) - International competition of student films from previous three years - fiction, documentary or animation films; national competition of Estonian short films. Special program of the first works of renown film-makers, selection of a film school and selection of a film festival. Film school. Animation Film Festival Animated Dreams (November 18-22) - Competition of short animations from previous three years. Additional non-competitive programs include a retrospective of a filmmaker and focus on a country. Children and Youth Film Festival Just Film (November 21-28) - Competition of children's films and youth films. Non-competitive special programs. Nokia Mobile Phone Film Festival MOFF (September 1-December 3) - Competition of short films made with mobile phones. During the festival also Baltic Event film and co-production market (November 29-December 2) takes place, which screens the newest feature films from the Baltic countries, along with a co-production market open for projects from the Baltics, Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and Scandinavia.

The Canterbury Anifest is an animation festival that takes place annually. There is no submission fee. The Award Categories are Festival Grand Prize, Festival Runner Up, Audience Selection Award, Creative Design, Creative sound design, Technical Achievement and Smallfilms Award. Entries by schools and colleges are welcome in the Smallfilms Award Category, 17 years and younger only. All entries must be sent on DVD in PAL, one film per disc. The films must be labeled with the title, running time, director's name and contact number. The DVD must be able to play on consumer DVD players. The festival unfortunately cannot return any of the entries. The Canterbury Animation Festival will not accept submissions of films if postage has not been paid. All films must have been produced after 1st January 2006. Films must have a duration no longer than 10 minutes. Entries will not be accepted if it is a professional/studio based production, a commissioned piece of work, or if it has been screened on television or at a commercial cinema. All films must have been made with in the UK or the film's director must currently reside in the UK. Entries must include 2 production stills on CD in JPEG format (300 dpi). More information and a link to the application form can be found on the website.

The Holland Animation Film Festival is from now on an annual event and the 13th edition of the festival will take place November 4-8, 2009.

Submit your film for this festival edition for the following competitions:

-- Competition for Independent Animated Shorts in the categories narrative and non-narrative
-- Competition for Applied Animation in the categories commercials, educational films, music videos and leaders

The entry forms for these competitions are available at www.haff.nl. Through this entry forms, Dutch productions for both competitions (as well independent and applied) can also apply for the Competition for Best Dutch Animation. A prize will be awarded by the audience.

Deadline for all entries: July 1, 2009.

Holland Animation Film Festival is a unique five-day international meeting place for all professionals, animation lovers, producers, students, upcoming talents and all interested audiences. Featuring retrospectives, thematic programs, master classes, talk shows, exhibitions, installations, SFX/VFX and much more.

International Festival of Animation FIA 09:
Universidad ORT Uruguay, organizer of FIA 09, is pleased to invite animators, producers and specially students and graduates of animation schools to present works to be selected for an exhibition and subsequent awarding between the 26th and the 27th of October of 2009 in Montevideo, Uruguay.

Objective:
Universidad ORT Uruguay aims to spread and to exhibit animations produced by students and graduates of animation, independent animators and international producers and also seeks to provide a space for artistic and technological reflection in this discipline.

Participation:
Any animated short movie, regardless its type or content may participate. The participation in the festival is open to students and graduates of animation schools, animation producers, advertising agencies and independent animators, in order to present works to be selected for an exhibition and subsequent awarding between the 26th and the 27th of October of 2009 in Montevideo, Uruguay.

The deadline for reception of all materials is going to be the 15th of September of 2009.
Sign up can be done through the web site of the festival, by post or personally.

The Visual Effects Society (VES) will present a Production Summit for the greater entertainment industry on October 24th. The Production Summit 09 will convene a unique consortium of leading creatives, executives and visionaries to offer a rare opportunity to examine innovative approaches to producer challenges, technology developments and the globalization of the production industry. The one-day event will bring together the entertainment community for a day of inspiration, conversation and collaboration. Practitioners from all crafts will join together to look at the present in order to start defining the future. The event will be held at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Marina del Rey. Eric Roth, VES Executive Director, states, "Because the entertainment industry is changing so rapidly -- on the creative, technological and business fronts -- we're bringing together all industry stakeholders to discuss the challenges we all face in looking at our entertainment future. The Production Summit will be a central meeting place of common concerns and challenges that will create new dialogue and solutions across all guilds and studios." The innovative summit will bring together an international group of directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, technologists and visual effects leaders responsible for moving the industry into the next decade. As leaders in their fields, attendees will be encouraged to not only think outside the box, but also, to reinvent the box in the process of creating an entirely new production paradigm. The Sessions will include: Through the Kaleidoscope: Three interactive one-hour sessions deliver a multifaceted examination of Pre-Production, Production and Post Production. Every component in the production process affects every other, creating an intricate, complex structure. In a vital format designed to stimulate conversation among our speakers, this three-part session brings together creatives to explore every facet of making a feature, from the first idea to the final render. Directors, art directors, producers, cinematographers, editors, visual effects supervisors and other members of the various guilds discuss the overlaps, gaps, cooperation and collaboration essential to the process. XRay: Surviving (and thriving in) the Post Production Pipeline in the 21st Century With the industry becoming an ever more complex soup of multiple file formats, color space issues, unique and incompatible pipelines, content designed for everything from an iPhone to IMAX, adding stereo to the mix, and then trying to archive all your data, post production looks more like wizardry than the last step of an organized process. This session looks at the ways studios, colorists, visual effects supervisors, and post production supervisors can work collaboratively to triumph over the challenges in moving their projects to release. Hot, Flat and (getting) Crowded: The Business of Production and the new Global Economy As our world continues to shrink, businesses must adjust to the challenges of a universal economy. This session brings together business leaders from around the industry and around the world to engage in a discussion of the cultural, technological, ethical and economic issues that both stimulate and impede our progress. VES Board Chair Jeffrey A. Okun adds, "The industry overall is currently being challenged by enormous economic constraints, and has responded by starting fewer projects. They want to do them fast and inexpensively, while at the same time reaching for the highest quality. This mandate is causing tremendous stresses and strains throughout the entire pipeline of projects. This Summit will lead the discussion on how we all will get to the future, and by envisioning the future we can begin to create it. If you want that future to be bright then you need join us at the Summit!"