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The Ottawa International Animation Festival (founded
by the Canadian Film Institute in 1976), well known for its biennial festival,
is host to a range of year round activities in support of the regional,
national, and international animation community.
The industrial increase in animation activity has resulted in more films
being produced and an increase demand for new talent. This has initiated
numerous changes in the structure of animation festivals. Owing to the
animation production process, which is generally more intensive and time-consuming
than live-action films, animation festivals have traditionally been biennial.
But faced with increased supply and demand, the two largest festivals
in Annecy (France) and Ottawa (Canada) decided to address these shifts
by going annual in 1997. But rather than created a carbon copy of the
Ottawa International Animation Festival, festival organizers decided to
shift its target ever so slightly by offering a competition for secondary,
post-secondary students, first filmmakers, and animation schools. The
result was SAFO, the world's first and only international student animation
festival. SAFO not only provides a showcase for your filmmakers and animation
schools, but also provides emerging animators, through our professional
development workshops, with the creative and industrial tools needed to
survive in the animation industry. Furthermore, through our Animarket
Trade Fair, SAFO has created an intimate recruitment and promotional venue
for schools, studios and software companies.
The key objective of SAFO is to provide a venue where
student and first time filmmakers are not overshadowed by big budget entries
from more established studios and artists. These emerging artists should
have an opportunity to have their work screened more often and within
a more supportive environment.
Given the response to SAFO 97, which received over 600 entries from over
25 countries, its seems that SAFO is both necessary and long-overdue.
Chris Robinson
Executive Director
Ottawa International Animation Festival
International Student Animation Festival
Back to SAFO '99 home page
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