April 15 is the deadline to send in animation scripts for the 1999 Humanitas Prize recognizing "humanizing achievement in television and feature film writing." A $10,000 prize is given to the writer whose children's animation script most fully communicates human values. This year, the Children's Animation category now includes both non-primetime and primetime shows. Engraved trophies are also awarded to the winning show’s producer, director, story editor, production company and network.

The Chicago International Children's Film Festival (CICFF) is now accepting entries for its 16th annual festival, which will take place at Facets Multimedia’s theaters, October 14-24, 1999. The CICFF is the largest competitive festival of children's films and videos in North America, with screenings of over 150 films and videos created for children ages 6-13. The competition includes six animation categories for feature, short and kid-produced films and videos. The deadline for submissions is May 28 with entry fees ranging from U.S.$35 to $75 depending upon length.

The Hollywood Film Festival is currently accepting entries for its third annual festival at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, August 4-9, 1999. Both short and long-form animated films are being accepted for the animation category. The deadline for submissions is March 31, 1999 with an entry fee of U.S. $50 per film. For entry forms and additional details visit www.hollywoodfestival.com or call (310) 288-1882.

SIGGRAPH 99, taking place in Los Angeles from August 8-12, is currently accepting entries for the Computer Animation Festival. The selected films and videos will appear in either the daily screening room, the Electronic Theater or in other special events. Entries can be sent in many areas including animation, entertainment, special effects, visualization, research and technique, education, architecture, art, music, dance, non-narrative and experimental works, commercial productions and student-produced works. Film submissions must be received by April 7, 1999.

The Crested Butte Reel Rest taking place August 12-15 in Crested Butte, Colorado is seeking short films under 60 minutes for numerous categories including animation. Animated entries must be submitted by May 1, 1999 with a $30 fee while Student Entries can be submitted until June 1 with a $20 entry fee. For more information visit www.crestedbuttereelfest.com or call (970) 349-7487.

The 15th Annual San Diego International Film Festival is currently accepting entries for their Animation Celebration evening in May. There is no entry fee; however, there will be a cash prize for the top film. Send video cassettes to:


Animation Celebration
San Diego International Film Festival
Dept 0078, UCSD
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA
92093-0078


For further information, call 619-534-0497 or e-mail rbaily@ucsd.edu.

Cartoons on the Bay, taking place in Positano, Italy from April 20-24, is currently accepting entries until the February 22 deadline. The festival presents the Pulcinella Awards to animated series of all lengths and animated TV movies. For entry forms, call 39 0637 4983 15, fax 39 0637 3535 21 or visit http://www.raitrade.rai.it/cartoonsbay.

Annecy 99 is scheduled to take place May 31-June 5, 1999 in Annecy, France. The prestigious animation festival is now accepting entries for animated short films, television series, commissioned films and student films. The deadline to register your film for competition is January 15th. For further information, visit www.annecy.org, call (33) 04 50 10 09 00 or fax (33) 04 50 10 09 70.

Hollywood Shorts, a monthly series designed to screen short films and introduce their directors to the Hollywood film community, is currently accepting animated entries for possible exhibition in upcoming programs. Submissions received by February 1, 1999 will be given first consideration for spring programming. Films must be under 30 minutes in length and submitted on VHS - NTSC only. For complete entry info, contact Kimberley Browning at Hollywood Shorts: griplace@aol.com or (310) 358-7634.

The 1999 Yorkton Short Film and Video Festival, now in its 52nd year, will take place from May 13-16, 1999 in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada. Entries to compete for the festival's Golden Sheaf Awards are now being accepted until March 5, 1999. Awards will be given to Canadian film entries in a total of nineteen film categories including: Animation, Children's Production, Arts and Entertainment, Comedy, Educational and Commercials. International filmmakers can enter works in five categories including: Children's Production, Documentary and Drama.

The Santa Clarita International Film Festival (SCIFF) is now accepting entries in many categories including Feature-Animation, Short-Animation, Tele/Feature-Animation, Screenplay-Animation and Student Shorts. All entries must be postmarked by January 5, 1999. The festival takes place from February 19-26, 1999. For more information or submission guidelines, contact the SCIFF office at (805) 257-3131 or visit their web site at http://www.sciff.org.

The 32nd annual U.S. International Film and Video Festival is now seeking
submissions in computer animation and non-computer animation categories.
Entries must be received by March 1, 1999. For entry kits and additional
information, contact (630) 834-7773 or visit www.filmfestawards.com.

The first annual New York Animation Festival, slated to take place in New York City during April 1999, is now accepting entries in all categories. This comprehensive festival will encompass all types of animation including film, video, and digital animation of any genre. Student and international entries are also encouraged. For entry forms or information, call (212) 982-7781 or NYAFest@yahoo.com

MILIA, the International Content Market for Interactive Media Conference will take place in Cannes, France, February 9-12, 1999. Entries for the fifth Milia d'Or Awards and the New Talent Pavilion are still being accepted. The event is organized by the Reed Midem Organization, the same company that puts on MIPCOM and MIP TV. For the second year, MILIA will present a conference called "Towards the Convergence of Animation and Video Games," the objective of which is to bring together publishers, producers and developers of interactive products to promote partnerships.

The International Teleproduction Society (ITS) has issued its call for entries for its 20th annual International Monitor Awards, which will be presented in New York, July 24, 1999. The awards are mainly for the teleproduction and digital media industries, honoring excellence in various fields of production and post-production. The 20 categories include Short Subjects, Children's Programming, Commercials and On-Air Promotions. The early-bird deadline (discount entry fees) is December 11, 1998 and the final deadline is January 15, 1999. For information and entry forms call (703) 319-0800.

The New York International Children's Film Festival (NYICFF) will take place February 4-19, 1999 in New York City. The festival will showcase 50-60 new works of all types, including animation. Festival organizers are seeking "creative, intelligent, passionate work that does not speak down to children," and "will consider difficult subject matter, controversial themes." There are no juried prizes, rather, audience members complete ballots to select audience awards in different age categories.

The Disney Channel has launched its annual "Create Story Magic" contest, inviting kids aged 6-12 to compete for the chance to have his or her original story turned into an animated short. Last year's winner was 12-year-old Ian O'Neal, whose story, "Dragon Friend" was selected from over 22,000 entries, animated by Walt Disney Television Animation and broadcast on Disney Channel this year. Every year, the winner also receives a trip for four to Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. This year's contest is being promoted by Target Stores and Cable in the Classroom.

The 11th Society of Animation Studies Conference will be held in Australia for the first time. The conference, to be held in Brisbane in August or October 1999 (exact date to be confirmed), is timed to coincide with the Third Asia Pacific Triennial exhibition of Contemporary Art at the Queensland Art Gallery. The theme of the conference is "Animation: Contexts and Identities," with a focus on Asia Pacific animation. A call for papers and presentation proposals is now open. Proposals should contain a 50-word summary and a 250-word abstract.

The Nashville Independent Film Festival (NIFF) (formerly known as Sinking Creek) is accepting submissions for its next edition, June 9-13, 1999. A first prize in the animation category at this festival will qualify your film for Academy Award consideration. Entry fees vary, and the deadline is December 4. The first 100 entries will receive a free pass to the festival. For entry forms and information, visit www.nashvillefilmfestival.org or e-mail niffilm@bellsouth.net.

Hollywood Shorts, a monthly short film series that presents new shorts and
their directors to the Hollywood film community, is seeking submissions.
Three shorts, including one animated film, will be featured each month; the
next screenings are October 11, November 15 and December 13, 1998. Each
film must be no longer than 40 minutes and the entry fee is $5 per film.
The deadline for the October screening is September 15, however, late
entries will be considered for future screenings. For information, contact