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SAFO 99 will offer a few significant changes. First, SAFO 99 will take
place in the newly renovated National Archives of Canada Auditorium. This
new venue will provide improved audio-visual capabilities and will allow
us to offer all of our events (screenings, workshops, trade fair) under
one roof, affording attendees the ability to maximize their festival participation.
Secondly, the Official Competition has been divided into five categories
to ensure a level playing ground amongst participants (eg. undergraduates
will not have to compete with graduates). Additionally, the festival has
decided to eliminate the unfinished film category. If there is enough
demand for the reinstatement of this category, festival organizers will
re-consider this decision. With the exception of these changes (and a
few rules alternations), the festival will follow the same basic structure
as past festivals.
OFFICIAL COMPETITION
The centerpiece of SAFO 99 is the Official Competition. The competition
is divided into five categories: high school/secondary films; undergraduate
films; graduate films; first films (professional or otherwise); children's
films (ages 12 and under). An international jury comprised of 4-5 animation
professionals from around the world will watch, with the audience, all
films and videos presented in to the Official Competition with a view
to selecting the winner of the Festival's Grand Prize, first prize in
each category, and other awards of excellence in various media and crafts
of animation. The Grand Prize winner of SAFO 97 was Andreas Hykade (Germany)
for his film, We Lived In Grass.
BEST SCHOOL COMPETITION
Schools from around the world will compete for the Best Artistic Achievement
in Animation Education award. In selecting the schools that vie for this
prestigous award, festival organizers developed a very strict criteria
which emphasizes unique and creative approaches to animation. Special
emphasis is given to institutions who encourage their students to push
the envelope of creativity using diverse techniques and imaginative story
ideas. The 1997 Award went to the Royal College of Art (United Kingdom).
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING WORKSHOPS AND PANELS
There will be numerous hands-on workshops, panels, lectures and consultation
sessions scheduled to help prepare new comers for the jump into the professional
animation industry. The aim of these sessions is to provide information
on the creative, technical, and legal aspects of the animation industry.
ANIMARKET TRADE FAIR
The Animarket is a trade fair that provides participants with an excellent
recruitment and promotional vehicle, as well as unparalleled industry
exposure. In addition display space in the National Archives lobby, the
Animarket offers exhbitors telecommunications service facility, an on-demand
video screening room, and message and secretarial services, all in an
effort to assist with, and stimulate, market activity at the festival.
RETROSPECTIVE SCREENINGS
In addition to the Official Competition, SAFO 99 will feature a variety
of screenings that highlight an individual, studio or country that has
made a significant aesthetic and/or technical contribution to the animation
community. SAFO will also provide an educational and historical element,
so that participants can understand how their craft was developed and
how it continues to be innovative. In-depth essays in the festival catalogue
will compliment the screenings.
SAFO 99 retrospectives will TENTATIVELY include tributes to:
- Cuppa Coffee Animation
- Colossal Pictures
- Filmtecknarna-one of Sweden's most innovative studios (creators of
REVOLVER)
- Richard Condie
- George Griffin
- MTV Europe & MTV Japan
Other screenings:
- American and Japanese Post-War propoganda films
- Sixty years of the National Film Board of Canada
- Spirit of Genius-documentary on Russian animator, Fedor Chitru
- Pacific Data Images: 20 Years Later
- Best of Fantoche 99
- World's Best Animation Commercials
- Animation Festival
- New Canadian Student Animation
- Teacher's Pets-each year we ask well-known teacher to select a series
of films that they would like to show their students.
- First Cracks-Our continued look at the first films of now legendary
animators.
SPECIAL EVENTS
SAFO 99 will again host the Ani-Cafe, which is set aside for participants
to unwind. The Ani-cafe will feature nightly soirees, featuring music,
dancing, informal screenings...and a menu for those on a low budget.
Back to SAFO '99 home page
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