In addition to our announcements in the Weekly Animation Flash and Animation World News, you'll always find frequently updated information and links for festivals and events worldwide, in Animation World Network's Calendar of Events section.
First Published in the Daily Animation Flash, 9/11/97:
Annecy Goes Annual. Organizers of The Annecy International Animated
Film Festival and Market (MIFA) have officially confirmed plans to hold
their event on an annual basis. The world's largest and most prestigious
animation festival, Annecy has been held every other year since 1960. Festival
director Jean-Luc Xiberras announced May 26-31, 1998 as the set dates for
the next fest, telling AWN that the move is "in order to respond to
the professionals' need to meet in a unique place on a yearly basis."
The annual format will allow more room for the increased number of films
to be shown. Xiberras adds, "It was not acceptable to have 1,000 films
rejected from official selection each year. With the return to an average
of 700 to 800 films received, and thus a reasonable portion represented
in selection, the task of the jury will be more manageable." The format
of the festival and market will remain the same, but MIFA will be consolidated,
with one full day of screenings, conferences and workshops, followed by
three days focused on exhibition. The festival will remain a six-day format
of competition screenings, retrospectives, exhibits and presentations.
It is uncertain how this news will affect other animation festivals which
are traditionally held during the spring of Annecy's off-years. For instance,
both of the biannual festivals, Zagreb (June 17-21) and Cardiff (June 23-28),
are scheduled to take place just weeks after Annecy. Furtermore, close
on their heels is the Hiroshima festival (August 20-24) and the Ottawa
festival (September).
Annecy's new annual schedule aims to draw
the
animation world to this beautiful French city every year.
Watch the Annecy web site on Animation World Network in the coming weeks, for entry forms and information about programs.
For background information on the festival, see "Rendezvous in Annecy: An Interview With Jean-Luc Xiberras" in the January 1997 issue of Animation World Magazine.
MIPCOM. At
the end of September, thousands of producers, programmers and broadcasters
converged on Cannes, France for the MIPCOM and MIP Junior markets. From
Reed-Midem, the organizers of MIP-TV, MIP Asia and MILIA, MIPCOM is known
as the place where international television deals happen. The 5th annual
MIPCOM Junior ran from September 24-26, followed by the 13th annual MIPCOM
International Film and Program Market for TV, Video, Cable and Satellite,
September 26-30. There was a 32% increase in exhibitors over one year ago,
with 1,987 companies from 49 countries, the top ten countries being USA
(137 exhibitors), the UK (98), France (67), Canada (19), Germany (21),
Japan (18), Spain (16), Italy (12), the Netherlands (10) and Belgium (9).
Much of the animation activity took place during MIPCOM Junior, the relatively
new children's programming-focused screening event which takes place two
days before MIPCOM begins. Four major animation producers--TeleImages,
France Animation, Nelvana and Gaumont Multimedia-- used MIPCOM Junior as
the launch for their new programs. Among the other highlights of MIP are
a seminar on Television and the Internet and a tribute to Germany's booming
TV industry.
Look for our event review by Adam Snyder in the November 1997 issue of
Animation World Magazine, and for a taste of the buyer's side of MIP, read
"Surviving
MIP: A Buyer's Guide" by Theresa Plummer
Andrews, in the July 1997 issue of Animation World Magazine.
Digital Film Fest Opens in NY. The first D.Film Digital Film Festival,
created by veterans of the defunct Low Res Film Festival, kicked off September
19-20 at The Kitchen in New York. Held in conjunction with the Downtown
Arts Festival, D.Film showcases low budget films made with computers and
other new forms of technology. Featuring animated pieces by the likes of
Eric Rossner (an up and coming artist recently discovered by Nicktoons),
D.Film's program will tour the U.S., stopping in San Francisco November
8-9, San Diego November 15-16, Los Angeles in February and Seattle in March.
Not on the festival circuit? Visit http://www.dfilm.com to view downloadable Quicktime movies and information
on how to make a digital film yourself.
New Shorts Film Fest. The Shorts International Film Festival is
now accepting entries for its' first edition, to be held November 5-6,
1997 in Lincoln Square, New York City. The annual festival will feature
seven competition categories: Animation, Drama, Comedy, Experimental, Student,
Documentary and Foreign. Each category will award a $2,000 cash prize.
The entry deadline was September 15. Films must be under 40 minutes, and
completed after January 1, 1996. For information, visit http://www.shorts.org
LEAF Grows Into Digital Media World. The event known as The London Effects and Animation Festival
(LEAF) will be taking place as part of Digital Media World, November 18-20,
1997. This may have caused confusion to some who have known it by the LEAF
acronym. Now in its' fourth year and organized in association with ACM/SIGGRAPH,
LEAF's program includes a recruitment fair, and presentations revolving
around effects and animation topics. Richard Williams will offer his famed
Masterclass, and the animator will also deliver the keynote festival opening
address. Additional speakers at LEAF include representatives of various
effects and animation companies, such as: Industrial Light and Magic, Ex
Machina, Pixar, Blue Sky Studios, Jim Henson's Creature Shop, DreamWorks
SKG, The Mill, Apple Computer, Pacific Data Images, Fantome, Walt Disney
Feature Animation, Sony Pictures Imageworks and The Moving Picture Company.
The LEAF Awards competition is open to works in the categories of art,
commercials, education and training, feature films, short films, music
videos, simulation, student and titles, idents and stings. An independent
panel of judges comprised of industry experts, the media and potential
clients will judge each of the LEAF Awards. The entry deadline was September
26. For information, visit http://www.digmedia.co.uk/LEAF.html
Hollywood Film Fest.
The first Hollywood International Film Festival will take place October
14-19, 1997 in (where else?) Hollywood, California. The deadline for submitting
films, however, is coming up on August 30. The entry fee is $50 and all
films must be on NTSC VHS. The four categories for this international,
competitive festival are features, shorts, documentaries and animated films.
The equivalent of roughly $150,000 (U.S.) in prizes will be awarded. The
event also includes a symposium, a live cybercast and HollywoodMart (a
film market). For information and entry forms, visit http://www.hollywoodfilmfestival.com
Animation World News is compiled daily for publication in the AWN Daily Flash, the weekly Animation Flash email newsletter, and monthly issues of Animation World Magazine.
Send your newsworthy items, press releases, and reels to:
Email: wendyj@awn.com
Fax: (213) 464-5914
Mail: Animation World Magazine
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