TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE- US Theatrical Schedule

Anime Film Begins US Run on July 7th

Source: Eleven Arts Entertainment press release

Official Movie Site: funimation.com/trigun (US), trigun-movie.com (Japan)

Special Thanks to Shun Ohara

Eleven Arts and FUNimation Entertainment are bringing TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE (トライガン The Movie 公式サイト, 2010) to the big screen in theaters across North America in Summer 2011. The film will be shown in Canada on Wednesday, June 22, 2011, and open in the United States beginning in July. The initial US release schedule has just been announced, with another wave of theaters to be revealed early next month. Set on a remote planet in the near future, TRIGUN is a popular sci-fi action anime series created by Yasuhiro Naito. It portrays the life and actions of a wanted man named Vash, an extreme pacifist by nature with the unique nickname the “Human Typhoon”. The movie TRIGUN: BADLANDS RUMBLE debuted on April 24th 2010 in Japan, and was a box office hit.

Theater List:

ALASKA

Anchorage Bear Tooth Theatre, 1230 W 27th Ave., Anchorage, AK 99503— 7/28 (1 day)

OREGON

Eugene Bijou Art Cinemas, 492 East 13th, Eugene, OR 97401— 8/10 (4 days)

Portland Living Room Theaters, 341 SW Tenth Avenue, Portland, OR 97205— 7/15 (1 week)

WASHINGTON

Seattle Grand Illusion Cinema, 1403 NE 50th St., Seattle, WA 98105— 7/29 (1 week)

Any fans who want to bring the film to their city can make a demand at eventful.com/performers/trigun-badlands-rumble.

Animation and Anime Films Debut in Seattle

GANTZ
NEW PEOPLE and NCM Fathom are bringing the world premiere of GANTZ to movie theaters nationwide for a one night live event on Thursday, January 20th 2011 at 8:00 pm ET/ 7:00 pm CT/ 6:00 pm MT/ 8:30 pm PT (tape delayed). http://www.fathomevents.com/originals/event/gantz.aspx

List of Puget Sound Area Theaters screening the premiere.
Auburn 17 Theatres - AUBURN
Century Theatres Federal Way 16 - FEDERAL WAY
Alderwood 7 Theatres - LYNNWOOD
Bella Bottega 11 Cinema - REDMOND
AMC Pacific Place 11 - SEATTLE
Thornton Place Stadium 14 with IMAX - SEATTLE




SUMMER WARS
Kenji is a teenage math prodigy recruited by his secret crush Natsuki for the ultimate summer job – passing himself off as Natsuki’s boyfriend for four days during her grandmother’s 90th birthday celebration. But when Kenji solves a 2,056 digit math riddle sent to his cell phone, he unwittingly breaches the security barricade protecting Oz, a globe-spanning virtual world where millions of people and governments interact through their avatars, handling everything from online shopping and traffic control to national defense and nuclear launch codes. Now a malicious AI program called the Love Machine is hijacking Oz accounts, growing exponentially more powerful and sowing chaos and destruction in its wake.

January 28th - February 3rd, 2011
Varsity Theater
4329 University Avenue NE
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 781-5755
http://eventful.com/seattle/events/summer-wars-landmark-/E0-001-035530596-9@2011012800




EVANGELION 1.0
Evangelion 1.0: (You are Not Alone)
January 14 - 20, 2011
Playing Daily: 7pm & 9pm
Additional Shows: Satuday & Sunday, 5pm

Humanity's only hope for survival is NERV, a special government agency that has secretly developed a gigantic humanoid weapons system to combat the Angels. With the fate of the world resting on the shoulders of a fourteen-year-old boy. Will he be able to fight? What is the truth behind "The Human Instrumentality Project", an operation somehow related to the "Second impact"?

Grand Illusion Theater
1403 NE 50th St.
Seattle, WA 98105
(206)523-3935
http://www.grandillusioncinema.org




Evangelion 2.0: (You Can (Not) Advance) - SEATTLE PREMIERE
January 21 - 27, 2011
Playing Daily: 6:30pm & 8:45pm
Additional Shows: Satuday & Sunday, 4:15pm

In an explosive new story full of brutal action and primal emotion, a group of young pilots maneuver their towering, cyborg Eva Units into combat against a deadly and disturbing enemy. In the battle to prevent the apocalyptic Third Impact, Shinji and Rei were forced to carry humanity's hopes on their shoulders.

Grand Illusion Theater
1403 NE 50th St.
Seattle, WA 98105
(206)523-3935
http://www.grandillusioncinema.org




THE ILLUSIONIST
January 28th, 2011

The story revolves around a struggling illusionist who visits an isolated community and meets a young lady who is convinced that he is a real magician.

Lincoln Square Stadium 16 in Bellevue
Harvard Exit Theater in Seattle.
http://www.sonyclassics.com/theillusionist/

Seattle Genre Film Festival Films & Schedule Announced

Seattle, September 14th, 2010 - The Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival (MIFFF), a three day international showcase of action, animation, fantasy, horror, and science fiction cinema, is pleased to announce its second year film lineup and schedule for September 17th-19th, 2010 at the SIFF Cinema at McCaw Hall in Seattle, Washington USA.

MIFFF's second year will debut 4 feature films and over 40 short films to cinema fans across the Pacific Northwest. Descriptions and synopsis's of all the films can be accessed at the MIFFF website. MIFFF's feature films which are nearly all northwest premiere's include facing a reckoning in "Blood River", award winning festival favorite Mørke Sjeler (Dark Souls)", you are not prepared for the 18+ only Srpski Film (A Serbian Film) , & a darkly romantic ghost story "The Presence".
http://www.mifff.org

Tickets are available in advance online. Tickets will also be available at the theater each day of the festival. The venue is the SIFF Cinema, 321 Mercer St., at McCaw Hall on the campus of Seattle Center in Seattle. Complete box office can be found here:
http://www.siff.net/cinema/seriesDetail.aspx?FID=209

The schedule for films for 2010 is now available here. Below the link is a list of films screening at this years event.
http://www.mifff.org/schedule2010.html

FEATURE FILMS LIST

Blood River
USA - Director Adam Mason - 104 min
A newlywed couple are pushed to the limit during a chance encounter with a mysterious drifter in a deserted ghost town.

Mørke Sjeler (Dark Souls)
Norway, France - Directors César Ducasse, Mathieu Peteul - 97 min
A revengeful father embarks on a dark thrill ride of lost memories, conspiracy and zombie-like symptoms. Finding the mysterious darkness within is the source of the bizarre world he has uncovered.

The Presence
USA - Director Tom Provost - 88 min
A woman travels to an isolated cabin where she finds herself stalked by an apparition who has come to inhabit her space as his own.

Srpski Film (A Serbian Film)
Serbia - Director Srđan Spasojević - 104 min
An aging adult movie star agrees to participate in an "art film" in order to make a clean break from the business, only to discover that he has been drafted into making a pedophilia and necrophilia themed snuff film.

SHORT FILMS LIST

A Complex Villainelle
USA Directors: Nathan Billington, Bart Ovaitt, Ryan Porter, Rebecca Forth - 8 min
The Penguin is looking for love and is introduced to a lovely nanny, Mary Poppins, who prefers travel by umbrella.

The Abaddon File
UK Director: Lorne Guy - 9 min
A cold war experiment into psychic spying turns out to be a dangerous game. The dead are not always the friends of the living.

Alice Jacobs is Dead
USA Director: Alex Horwitz - 22 min
A scientist races to find the cure to a horrific virus before it turns his wife into something monstrous.

Babylon 2084
Germany - Director: Christian Schleisiek - 30 min
In the year 2084 the world has sunken into the sea. The rest of mankind lives in two towers which underlie a self-destructing constraint to grow higher and higher.

Billy Baxter and The Mystery of Dr. Amazo
USA - Director Patrick Flaherty - 13 min
A young boy opens a new dimension of adventure when some comic book toys send him on an amazing trip of wonder.

Clemency
USA - Director Joseph Albanese - 19 min
A reporter confronts a sadistic killer who takes her on a terrifying thrill ride she will never forget.

Cockpit: The Rule of Engagement
USA - Director Jesse Griffith - 12 min
In 2103, one rule in fighter combat keeps a mind controlling alien raceaway from Earth's doorstep.

ConLang
USA - Director Marta Masferrer - 15 min
Conlang is a unique comedy about secret crushes, extreme linguistics and the language of love.

The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger
USA - Director Bill Plympton - 6 min
A children's fable about the power of advertising, the meaning of life and ultimately the test of a mother's love.

DemiUrge Emesis
USA - Director Aurelio Voltaire - 3 min
A mummified cat is tormented by the skeletons of past meals. Directed and animated by MTV and Sy Fy Channel veteran Aurelio Voltaire and narrated by Danny Elfman.

Dracula's Daughter vs The Space Brains
USA - Directors Frank Ippolito, Ezekiel Zabrowski - 5 min
Marketa, a vampire, must find untainted human blood to save her sister from the menace of the space brains.

Ducked and Covered: A Survival Guide to the Post Apocalypse
Australia - Director Nathaniel Lindsay - 9 min
An animated government/science style public service film, circa 1981, for surviving life in Australia after Nuclear War.

Elder Sign
Canada - Director Joseph Nanni - 3 min
If you suffer from an overwhelming sense of dread brought on by the realization of your own insignificance in the universe, then you need Elder Sign.

The Familiar
Canada - Director Kody Zimmermann - 22 min
Sam Matheson has accepted a very odd job: be the personal caretaker of an immortal, amoral, bloodsucking vampire.

Father and Sister
USA - Director Soyeon Kim - 5 min
A chance occurrence leads to a workplace temptation.

Flat Love
Spain - Director Andres Sanz - 15 min
A man, convinced that the world is actually flat, falls in love with a two-dimensional woman at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Flowers for Norma
USA - Director Juan Pablo Reinoso - 11 min
A young man strolls the streets of New York City to meet the love of his life, only to find that love is not all he expected it to be.

The Hatter's Apprentice
USA - Director Derek Meyer - 17 min
The Hatter's Apprentice is a Victorian-era thriller about a young apprentice hat maker who, driven by his affection for a local flower peddler, creates an exquisite hat, despite his master's warnings.

Hollow Girl
Ireland - Director Dave McCabe - 12 min
When young Katie wanders into a strange field and takes something that doesn't belong to her, she discovers that the fairies in her storybooks were lies and that there's a good reason why farmers leave the fey folk well enough alone.

Journey Quest
USA - Director Matt Vancil - 45 min
Following a group of dysfunctional adventurers on a quest to discover and destroy the mythical Sword of Fighting.

Kidnap
USA - Director Sijia Luo - 4 min
A little chicken who is late to school, and her excuse is being kidnapped on the way to school.

The Lift
USA - Director Robert Kohr - 6 min
An elevator interaction goes wrong, prompting a young woman to learn about being insensitive and to never make the same mistake again.

Love Does Grow on Trees
UK - Director Bevan Walsh - 10 min
A coming of age comedy about a teenage boy whose life is thrown into chaos when he discovers porn magazines, girls and the embarrassment that goes with both.

The Macabre World of Lavender Williams
USA - Director Nicolas Delgado - 26 min
Eight year-old Lavender Williams, who recently lost her mother to cancer, sets off on an epic journey to find her Dad, whom she's never met.

Manual Practico del Amigo Imaginario
Spain - Director Ciro Altabas - 19 min
At 27, Fernando must choose between finding love and losing Captain Kiloton, his imaginary friend.

The Necronomicon
Canada - Director Joseph Nanni - 2 min
Do you want to be a nicer person and are looking for inspiration to do good things? Well keep looking. But if you're into opening up terrifying vistas of reality then the Esoteric Order of the Old Ones and Cthulhu Cultists want to help.

No Escape
Germany - Director Till Martinsen - 8 min
Three employees find themselves in the men's room during a bank robbery. None of them fully comprehends what is happening outside in the bank's teller area and each of them is overwhelmed by the situation.

Noirville
UK - Director Andrew Marsh - 13 min
Lucy, Noirville's only inhabitant, takes a mysterious journey through the night in a hope to cure her loneliness in this darkly surreal tale.

One Small Step
Australia - Director Damien Slevin - 5 min
On July 24th 1969 man finally reached the Moon as 600 million people watched. They were not the only ones.

Porque Hay Cosas Que Nunca Se Olvidan
Argentina - Lucas M. Figueroa - 12 min
Four friends plays soccer on the street. Suddenly the ball falls inside "evil grandma's" house. Thy probably won't play with this ball again, but the revenge will be terrible.

Red Revenge
Canada - Director Denny Dias - 6 min
With life already crashing, urban cowboy Billy Bruce loses the only thing he ever loved - a Red 1984 Camaro - to a crazed car enthusiast. Now the one thing he can finally steer is revenge, and you better bet it's gonna get red! Never mess with a man's car!

Rise of The Living Corpse
Canada - Director Christopher Walsh - 1 min
Rotting flesh breaks soil and the fun begins.

The Scottish Ninjas
USA - Director Beau Obremski - 21 min
Three kilted warriors, freshly settled in America, make their public debut battling the primate delusional, gun wielding maniac known as 'The Executioner. In the process, they catch the attention from the police, media, and a mysterious evil force working behind the scenes.

Slap Back Jack 'High Five Master'
USA - Director Mark Newell - 12 min
Having some trouble with high-fives and hand slaps? There's someone who can help, he's Slap Back Jack.

ST: Phoenix
USA - Director Leo Roberts - 30 min
After a major attack on the crew's starship, the crew attempts to rescue an away team on a remote planet.

Street Angel
Australia - Director Lucas Testro - 17 min
When Doctor Pangea, 'the world's deadliest geologist', escapes from prison with plans to destroy earth as we know it, Angel City turns to its unlikely champion, 14 year old homeless girl and kung-fu skateboarding superhero - Street Angel!

SuperBattle (Episode 1)
USA - Director Ethan Marak - 8 min
When a notorious super-villain escapes from his subterranean prison, the enigmatic robot warden summons his most powerful henchman to deliver justice. The first completed episode of an ongoing stop-motion animated series.

The 3rd Letter
USA - Director Grzegorz Jonkajtys - 17 min
Faced with the imminent loss of his crucial health insurance, Brief (Rodrigo Lopresti) unwittingly unravels a dark truth behind his insurance which subsequently pushes him to unspeakable lengths in an attempt for survival.

Thy Kill Be Done
USA - Directors Greg Hanson, Casey Regan - 16 min
When the Monsignor priest of a small church is killed by a gang of no-good hoodlums and their leader, the nuns in the church's clergy must take revenge. But these are no ordinary nuns.

Toothnapped
USA - Director George Dondero - 5 min
Pull the tooth. Discover the truth.

Two Men, Two Cows, Two Guns
Canada - Director Pardis Parker - 5 min
An unexpected visitor with odd news and an odder story interrupts a family's quiet day at the farmhouse, sending it spiraling into a chaotic whirlwind of unfortunate misunderstandings.

ABOUT MIFFF
The second annual Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival runs September 17th through 19th, 2010. Tickets are available online as well as in designated ticket venues. For more information on the Festival, including descriptions of films and events, please visit www.mifff.org. Members of the press can find and download more information, including press kits, photos, press releases, and full film descriptions in the press section of the website.

December News Bytes

2D Or Not 2D Animation Festival Wrap-Up
http://www.plexipixel.com/2dornot2d/2009/12/festival-wrap-up/

Beware: The 'Twilight' Convention Is Coming To Seattle
http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/archives/186878.asp

Gatecon Founder On The Fan Convention’s Last Hurrah
http://www.gateworld.net/news/2009/12/gatecon-founder-on-the-conventions-last-hurrah/

2010 Science Fiction + Fantasy Short Film Festival Tickets On Sale
http://www.siff.net/presents/seriesDetail.aspx?FID=159

Zombies in Seattle: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/books/2010466970_rotten13.html?cmpid=2628

Aviation Geekfest 2009 + Boeing Tour
http://blog.seattlepi.com/airlinereporter/archives/187516.asp

Emerald City ComiCon Adds Many New Guests
http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/

Sakura-Con Announces 2 New Guests
http://www.sakuracon.org

Spark Animation 2009

SPARK Animation '09

Celebrating Inspiration & Innovation

Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH is proud to announce SPARK Animation '09, our yearly roundup of instruction, insight and inspiration for animation fans and professionals. This year the conference runs from September 16-20 at the Vancouver International Film Centre, with select presentations at the Opus Vancouver Hotel (Opus Room). We've got 9 films, dozens of industry speakers and a fabulous festival party on Saturday night – don't miss it!

This year we've got 3 days' worth of world-renowned animators, art directors and filmmakers presenting their work – people like Dave Burgess, Head Character Animator on Monsters vs. Aliens, who will be joined by Director Conrad Vernon as they discuss the making of their film. Then there's Production Designer Ricky Nierva, who joins Director of Photography Patrick Lin to discuss the making of Up, and Ricky will also be offering a Masterclass in Character Design at the Opus Room. Space for this Masterclass is limited so don't delay, sign up now!


Looking to meet people in the industry? Join us for our Opening Night industry mixer, where some of our sponsors will have information tables for people looking to join the business. Also, make sure to get some tickets for the industry party on Saturday night when we'll have beer, wine, music and mayhem with the guys from Tangible Interaction, who will be back again with their latest techno-creations.

But wait! There's more! We've also got 5 days' worth of films, including a screening of the classic Disney film, The Jungle Book, which will follow the documentary Frank and Ollie – telling the tale of two of the character animation geniuses responsible for creating some of Disney's most iconic films. And of course, it wouldn't be a SIGGRAPH Animation show without the shorts – join us Saturday for The Best of SIGGRAPH 2009 – a mix of science, art and entertainment to start off the night. See the listings for more, and as usual, many of the films will be introduced by the filmmakers themselves.

CONFERENCE PASSES - 
For the first time this year, we're offering a conference pass, good for all the speakers presentations and panels, a conference t-shirt and an extra guest party ticket – all for $200 for members and $250 for non-members. The films are NOT included in the conference pass however – please buy your film tickets separately.

FROM OUT OF TOWN? THE OPUS VANCOUVER HOTEL!
Coming from out of town? Opus Vancouver Hotel is our conference hotel this year, and we are able to offer our discounted rate to visitors. Call the hotel toll free at 1-866-642-6787 and ask for the "Spark Animation" price. The Opus Vancouver Hotel is a luxurious boutique hotel located in the heart of Yaletown. It is a very short walk from the theatre, not to mention dozens of restaurants, the sea wall and the new Skytrain line to Vancouver International Airport. Space is limited, so book your reservation now.



Opus Vancouver Hotel: 322 Davie Street · Vancouver · Canada · Toll Free 1 866 642 6787


Passes and tickets are on sale now – be sure to get in quick, as you won't want to miss out!

MIFFF Debuts the Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 31, 2009

Subject: MIFFF Debuts the Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival
Seattle Genre Film Festival To Open This September

Seattle, March 31, 2009 - The Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival(MIFFF), a three day international showcase of animation, fantasy, horror, and science fiction cinema, is pleased to announce its inaugural launch September 18-20th, 2009 at the SIFF Cinema at McCaw Hall in Seattle, Washington USA.

As a genre film festival in Seattle, MIFFF(www.mifff.org) is a unique entity. The Seattle Metropolitan Area is home to one of the largest film attending populations in the country. MIFFF is a venue that gives a voice to genre film fans through a wide spectrum of films and related programming.

Festival Co-Founder and current President Gabe de los Angeles sees a great opportunity for MIFFF: "We are thrilled to give Seattle and the Pacific Northwest audience something special in the film festival community, a showcase of international genre cinema. It's incredible that we're going to be able to host on this event on the historic grounds of Seattle Center".

The first annual MIFFF plans to screen a variety of animation, fantasy, horror, and science fiction films over three days. The festival will include feature length films, short films, and genre specific documentaries. In addition to the film screenings, MIFFF plans to have panel discussions, Q & A's with filmmakers, and after parties.

Eric Morgret, Festival Director of Programming and Co-Founder, comments: "There are genre films produced every year that are not shown in mainstream movie theaters. Many international genre films remain unseen or get very limited exposure in this part of the country. For three nights MIFFF will bring a strong slate of these titles to audiences here in Seattle. MIFFF wants to present films of the imagination the best way they can be: on a large screen with fantastic sound, and in front of an audience full of energy."

Isaac Alexander, Festival Director of Publicity and Co-Founder, comments: "Seattle has a great history of supporting genre films with Poltergeist, The Empire Strikes Back, & Return of the Jedi having had their World or American premieres in the city. Also Seattle has a diverse local genre fandom community, as well as it hosts the Science Fiction Museum & Hall of Fame. We will be able to promote this city and offer a venue to gather and celebrate this unique form of entertainment, and join film festivals of the fantastic across the globe in celebrating this form of cinema."

Attendees, Press and Industry Members are encouraged to join our event on other social media websites.

Blogspot
Facebook
Film Community
Myspace
Twitter

For more information about the MIFFF, including organizers' bios, film profiles, film submissions, and ticketing details, please visit the festival website at: www.mifff.org

ABOUT MIFFF
The First Annual Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival runs September 18 through 20th, 2009. The complete Festival schedule will be announced in August. Tickets will be made available online as well as in designated ticket venues. For more information on the Festival, including descriptions of films and events, please visit www.mifff.org. Members of the press can find and download more information, including press kits, photos, press releases, and full film descriptions in the press section of the website.

MIFFF produces the Maelstrom International Fantastic Film Festival, the premier Pacific Northwest weekend long event devoted towards independent and international genre film making. The event was created to offer exposure to films that traditionally are overlooked by the festival circuit from genres including animation, fantasy, horror, and science fiction. The festival will feature an amazing selection of fantastic cinema from around the globe – with the possibility of artists presenting the works themselves. U.S. and world premieres will play alongside global festival favorites and select retrospective titles.

MIFFF is registered as a Washington State non-profit. MIFFF's mission is to create experiences that bring people together to discover extraordinary genre movies from across the globe.

The statements made in this press release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements." These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. The Organization cautions readers of this press release that a number of important factors could cause MIFFF’s actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation, product delays, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, vendors and third-party developers, international economic and political conditions. The Organization may change its intention, belief or expectation, at any time and without notice, based upon any changes in such factors, in the Organization’s assumptions or otherwise. The Organizations undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
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New Media BC announces line up for Vancouver Digital Week 2009

New Media BC announced its second annual Vancouver Digital Week will be held May 11-14, 2009 at the brand new Vancouver Exhibition and Convention Centre. Partner events include the Game Developers Conference (GDC) Canada, marking the first time the famed gamers meet up has come to Canada; Cossette West’s Convergence Conference, a digital marketing and social media gathering; and nextMEDIA’s first Vancouver event. New Media BC will present its own Vancouver International Partnering Forum and its People’s Choice PopVox Awards during Vancouver Digital Week.

“British Columbia is a global leader in digital media”, says Kenton Low, President of New Media BC. “Vancouver Digital Week is a partnership of top notch events focusing on digital media that brings attention to the world class talent and companies we have here in BC.”

Presented by New Media BC, Vancouver Digital Week supporters include Telefilm Canada and British Columbia Film. New Media BC is a federally incorporated not-for-profit full service association. New Media BC’s membership is comprised of businesses, educational organizations, government agencies, and individuals whose core products and services include interactive design and marketing, digital entertainment, animation, visual effects, digital learning initiatives and social media applications.

Art Of Warner Bros. In Seattle

Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI) will present to the community he Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons, an exhibit presenting an overview of the legendary Hollywood animation studio.
The Seattle Times has an article covering the exhibition as well as the Seattle Examiner.

Artimation Showcases Opportunities for Young Creative Talent

ARTimation Media Arts Festival
Vancouver, BC Canada
http://artimation.ca/

The Artimation Media Arts Festival, put on by the Art Institute of Vancouver, takes over the spacious Rocky Mountaineer Station on March 1, 2009. Creativity and imagination breed the type of students who possess unlimited and inexhaustible talents. These students have the ability to take you into a world in which they become the master. Don’t miss this opportunity to join them on a journey to the end of their story, told passionately though fantastical characters, animated creatures, visual effects, mythical environments, music and lyrics, and cinematic art. Their power lies not in which form of media arts they use, but rather in the students’ creativity, originality, ambition, passion and commitment to art and design.

JAF Posts Schedule for 2009

Japanese Animation Festival
http://japaneseanimationfestival.blogspot.com/

JAF is the annual event at Augustana Campus in Camrose Alberta which celebrates Japanese animation. It is a Two day event with day 1: speakers, and day 2: two rooms of anime (general and Adult) At moment, the entry fee is: One day - 6$ Weekend - 11$ Everyone is Welcome! Lots of Prizes to be Won! Our 2009 programing schedule has now been posted.

Seattle Area Animation Festival Goes Bi-Annual

The 2D Or Not 2D Animation Festival has released the following statement on their website regarding the future of their event.

"To keep the “2D OR NOT 2D Animation Festival” fresh, vital and relevant its been decided that the event will run every two years now, and not annually as before. We’re sorry to disappoint all our 2009 fans but with the plans we have for the next event in November 2010 I’m sure you’ll think the wait was well and truly worth it!"

SPARK FX 2009 Festival

SPARK FX '09 - Festival & Conference
January 21 - 26, 2009
Vancity Theatre
1181 Seymour St.
Vancouver, BC Canada

Admission:
Films: $8 Members / $10 Regular
Featured Speakers: $15 Members / $25 Regular
Talks & Panels: $10 Members / $20 Regular
Info & Tickets: http://siggraph.ca/festivals/

ON SALE NOW!

Yes! SPARK FX '09 is open for business. On behalf of Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH and the Vancouver International Film Centre, we would like to invite you to join us from January 21 - 26 for our second annual celebration of cinema magic. With most films now confirmed, we've opened sales up today – the last film should be confirmed by the end of the week. Sales for the speaking sessions will start this Wednesday (Jan. 7) at noon.

Once again this year, we're bringing you a fantastic mix of classic and recent effects-laden popcorn-chomping eye candy. Films like the original Alien, the classic Forbidden Planet, the blockbuster Terminator 2: Judgement Day, and from this century, Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers – a film which set a new standard for the creation of digital characters.

Films are fabulous, but if you'd really like to learn something, then you might want to sit on your refresh button at lunch time on Wednesday – sales for some of the talks are likely to move really fast! We'll have Dennis Muren, winner of 9 Academy Awards including 6 Oscars®. Dennis will be talking about where he sees visual effects going in the future, and since he's the man driving the bus, he probably has a pretty good idea. Then there's Jeff Barnes, CEO of CafeFX, and Chairman of the Board of the Visual Effects Society. Jeff is coming to talk about the creation of the effects in Pan's Labyrinth, while Harrison Ellenshaw, one of the leading matte painters working today, is coming to share his thoughts about the relationship between computer graphics and narrative film, and how they influence each other. On the more technical side, Dr. Paul Debevec is joining us to talk about recent advances in the creation and animation of believable human characters.

Tickets for the films are $8 for members and $10 for non-members, while most of the talks are $10 for members and $20 for non-members. With over 15 speaker and panel sessions lined up, now would be a great time to become a member. For only $35 a year (+GST), you could save hundreds, and don’t forget to thank all our great sponsors – without them, ticket prices couldn’t be nearly this low.

There are literally dozens of excellent speakers with enviable credit lists taking part in SPARK FX this year, and we can't wait to see you at the Vancouver International Film Centre!

Megabyte Sponsor: BC Innovation Council
Kilobyte Sponsors: Electronic Arts Canada, Autodesk
Byte Sponsors: Annex Pro, Vancouver Economic Development
Festival Partner: Vancouver International Film Centre
Friends of the Festival: Visual Effects Society, Visual Effects Association of BC

Animation Event In Portland

Cascade ACM SIGGRAPH and ASIFA Portland Welcome Celebrated Animation Filmmaker, Richard Williams

DMN Newswire--2008-10-14--PORTLAND, Ore. �?? Oct. 14, 2008 �?? Cascade ACM SIGGRAPH, Oregon and Southwest Washington's local ACM SIGGRAPH chapter, and the Association International du Film d'Animation - Portland (ASIFA) today announced that renowned author, animation director and three-time Academy Award® winner Richard Williams will present his series of instructional DVD Master Classes based on his bestselling book, "The Animator's Survival Kit," on Thursday, Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. at the Portland Community College (PCC) Cascade Campus. Williams' presentation will introduce his DVD series and detail how he achieves the illusion of life in animation.

Known as one of the finest animation filmmakers and mentors of the late 20th century, Williams began his animation career at United Productions of America in the 1940s, where he apprenticed under notable artists such as Chuck Jones and Ken Harris. After moving abroad, Williams produced the work that boosted his career, the renowned British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) nominated, "The Little Island" in 1958. Following his noted work in the mid-1960s, Williams went on to direct the Oscar®-winning "A Christmas Carol" (1971). During the 1970s, his London-based studio created scores of stunningly crafted, award-winning commercials, titles, short films and television specials boasting the work of veteran animators from the Disney studio's "Golden Age" and Warner Bros. Cartoons, including Grim Natwick (Snow White), Art Babbitt (Fantasia), and Harris (Bugs Bunny).

A distillation of his acquired knowledge went into his animation direction for "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" (1988) �?? for which he received the Oscar for Special Achievement and Visual Effects - and, more recently, into his unparalleled and indispensable series of instructional DVD Master Classes based on his bestselling book, "The Animator's Survival Kit." Published in 2000 by Farber & Farber, the book includes over 350 specially animated examples intercut with his four day Master Class filmed at Blue Sky Studios in New York.

For additional information regarding "The Animator's Survival Kit," please visit: http://www.theanimatorssurvivalkit.com/.

Location and Registration
The evening will begin with a networking and social hour beginning at 6 p.m. in the lobby of the PCC Cascade Moriarty Arts Building. Light refreshments will be served. Richard Williams' presentation will begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.

Admission is free for Cascade ACM SIGGRAPH and ASIFA members and $5 for non-members, payable at the door. For planning purposes, attendees are asked to RSVP to cascadesiggraph@gmail.com.

The PCC Cascade Campus is located at 705 N. Killingsworth St. in Portland. Use of public transportation or carpool is encouraged due to limited street parking.

For more information regarding this event, Cascade SIGGRAPH, ASIFA and membership registration, visit the Cascade SIGGRAPH Web site at www.cascadesiggraph.org or the ASIFA Web site at www.asifaportland.org.

About Cascade ACM SIGGRAPH
The Cascade ACM SIGGRAPH Chapter exists to serve the needs of the Oregon and Southwest Washington computer graphics industry and students. Through meetings, workshops, conferences, and other activities, the Cascade ACM SIGGRAPH Chapter works to promote an increased knowledge of and greater interest in the educational, artistic, and scientific aspects and applications of modern technology to graphics. The Cascade ACM SIGGRAPH Chapter works to enhance communication between people and organizations in Oregon and Southwest Washington that have an interest in any aspect of computer graphics.

About ASIFA �?? Portland
ASIFA Portland is based in Portland, Oregon, a city gifted with an established, world-class animation community. Award-winning independent animators Joan C. Gratz, Rose Bond, Joanna Priestley, Will Vinton, Chel White, David Daniels, Laura DiTrapani, Marilyn Zornado (and more) call Portland home, as well as respected international multi-media studios and institutions such as LAIKA, Bent Image Lab, Happy Trails Animation and The Art Institute of Portland.

ASIFA Portland was originally founded by members of this community 1991 as ASIFA-NW, an organization that grew to include members from throughout the Pacific Northwest.

2D Or Not 2D Animation Festival

The Animaticus Foundation, in cooperation with Seattle Pacific Science Center and supported by DigiPen Institute of Technology, is happy to announce the 2D or Not 2D Animation Festival.

Seattle (September 2008)- The third annual 2D or Not 2D Animation Festival is coming to Seattle's Imax Theater in the Pacific Science Center on Friday and Saturday, November 14th & 15th, 2008. This event is open to the public and promises to be the finest animation event Seattle has ever seen, with hours of amazing animation, top draw speakers, award presentations, unique animation workshops and a splendid gala event to round it all off.

Organized by the non-profit Animaticus Foundation and offered in cooperation with Pacific Science Center, the festival celebrates the genius of the animated film. The festival brings to the Seattle area some of the finest films and incredible presenters.

Of course, attendees will get to view some exceptionally fine competitive entries that are vying for each of the festivals acclaimed "Golden Pencil Awards" that are presented to animation and animators of outstanding merit.

Some of the speakers at the festival include: Don Hahn, producer of major Hollywood animated production, including Time Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas; Barry Cook, director for Mulan; layout and background artists, Peter Moehrle and Geraldine Kovats; and Daniel Dociu, Chief Art Director at ArenaNet and artist for the studio's game production, Guild Wars.

Learn more about the 2D or Not 2D Animation Festival by visiting www.2dornot2d.org. Please note that the scheduled speakers are subject to change.

2d or not 2d Animation Festival

The annual 2d or not 2d Animation Festival is moving to a new location in 2008. The festival will be taking place November 14th-15th at the Pacific Science Center's IMAX Theater in Seattle.

The festival has posted a video on it's site going over the event and what the inspiration for why it's taking place.

SIGGRAPH Coming To Vancouver BC 2011

A JOINT NEWS RELEASE FROM TOURISM VANCOUVER
AND THE VANCOUVER CONVENTION & EXHIBITION CENTRE

Vancouver, BC: In August 2011, Vancouver will see an influx of computer graphics professionals, visiting the city to attend SIGGRAPH, the annual conference of the Association of Computer Machinery Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. Tourism Vancouver and the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre recently won the bid to bring the convention to the city over competition from San Francisco and San Diego.

SIGGRAPH is expected to attract over 25,000 delegates, with direct visitor spending of over $8.6 million. The convention will utilize the expanded facilities of the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre(VCEC). The organizers awarded the bid to Vancouver as they felt that it would both boost international attendance as well as attract a large number of local delegates drawn from the city’s strong computer graphics industry.

“This win is a major achievement for Vancouver,” said Tourism Vancouver chair Smith Munro. “Not only does the initial conference represent significant economic benefits for the city, it also gives us the opportunity to win a place in this association’s regular rotation of conference cities, looking well beyond 2011.”

“SIGGRAPH’s decision to select Vancouver for this important conference further demonstrates the business case for an expanded VCEC,” said David Podmore, chair of the VCEC. “We could not have accommodated this large group without the current expansion project.”

Stan Hagen, British Columbia’s Minister of Tourism, Sport & the Arts added, “When we welcome SIGGRAPH delegates to the province in 2011, we will not only be able to showcase our expanded convention facilities, but also the work of BC’s computer graphics industry. Bringing business such as this to our province represents an important contribution to our economy.”

Tourism Vancouver, along with partners such as the VCEC and the hotel community, spearheads the Be A Host program which encourages local British Columbians to work with the tourism industry to bring their colleagues to Vancouver for a national or international conference. For more information on the Be A Host program, please visit www.tourismvancouver.com/beahost.

2d or Not 2d Animation Festival 2008 Submissions

2D-FEST
Animaticus Foundation
P.O. Box 12324
Everett WA 98206 USA
Phone: 425 330 1603
ken@animaticus.com
http://www.2dornot2d.org

2d or Not 2d Animation Festival
3 Annual November 14, 2008 to November 15, 2008

OPEN CALL FOR ENTRIES • Select a Category of Entry to continue.


2D Production
A '2D Film' is an animated film that has been created traditionally... i.e. the animation is initially drawn using pencil and paper, and then finally completed in either a cel or digital environment.

Note: Entrants are automatically entered on a ‘Best Film’ basis, or else a ‘Best Animation in a Film' basis… meaning that the “2D OR NOT 2D Animation Festival” judges can award one ‘Golden Pencil’ award for both of these categories!
All Style Production An 'All-style Production' is a film that has been created using any frame-by-frame animation technique... i.e. 2D, 3D, Claymation, Cut-out, Puppet, etc.

Note: Entrants are automatically entered on a ‘Best Film’ basis, or else a ‘Best Animation in a Film' basis… meaning that the “2D OR NOT 2D Animation Festival” judges can award one ‘Golden Pencil’ award for both of these categories!
Student Production A 'Student Production' is regarded as an animated film that has been completed by an individual who has been, or is, in fulltime education while the film is in production. All forms of animated productions are acceptable in this category.

Note: Entrants are automatically entered on a ‘Best Film’ basis, or else a ‘Best Animation in a Film' basis… meaning that the “2D OR NOT 2D Animation Festival” judges can award one ‘Golden Pencil’ award for both of these categories!
Digital Media Production A 'Digital Media Production' is deemed as an animated film or sequence of animated movement that has been generated, initiated or is intended for a totally digital environment... i.e. such as a Website, a hand-held device, a video game, etc.

Note: Entrants are automatically entered on a ‘Best Film’ basis, or else a ‘Best Animation in a Film' basis… meaning that the “2D OR NOT 2D Animation Festival” judges can award one ‘Golden Pencil’ award for both of these categories!

----------- STATEMENT -------------> MISSION & OBJECTIVE
The annual '2D OR NOT 2D ANIMATION FESTIVAL' is hosted by the ANIMATICUS FOUNDATION... a much respected non-profit organization which seeks to preserve, teach and evolve the artform of traditional animation in this digital world. However, the purpose of the festival is not to honor traditional 2D animation only. Instead it brings to the attention of audiences far and wide a program which boasts ALL forms of animation that contain both quality and artistic integrity.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
Now in its third hugely-successful year, the 2D OR NOT 2D ANIMATION FESTIVAL is going BIG! This November the festival is to be held and the acclaimed IMAX Theater at the Pacific Science Center in the heart of Seattle, WA. The festival will offer a mixture of films in and out of competition... keynote speakers from the realms of film, games and animation-related art and/or illustration... as well as unique workshops with professional animators and artists of outstanding pedigree.

In the competitive arena, there will be awards given for the 'Best Production' and 'Best Animation in a Production' spanning four distinct categories... '2D ANIMATION', 'ALL-STYLE ANIMATION', 'STUDENT ANIMATION' and 'DIGITAL MEDIA ANIMATION'. This means that both professional and student animators can not only win honors for their film productions in each of these four categories but they can also win for the quality of their animation within a production.

The highlight of the event however is the announcement of the prestigious "ROY E. DISNEY AWARD"... a valued, non-competitive award that will pay tribute to the work of any one individual, studio or organization considered to have made an outstanding contribution to the evolution of the animation genre. Following the awards ceremony the Pontiac Bay Orchestra will headline a Gala Event for attendees, speakers and invited guests... playing timeless music that has featured in animated movies since the birth of the industry itself.

ORGANIZERS:
Ken Rowe (Festival Director) ; Tony White (Festival President)


GENERAL RULES
Submissions need to have been completed no earlier than January 01, 2007.

Submitted films must be no longer than 30 minutes in length, unless by permission of the festival organizers.

Submissions must conform to preview and presentation formats listed elsewhere.

All language films are acceptable. However, for the benefit of clarity, some recognition should be made by the filmmaker that the festival will primarily be focused towards an English-speaking audience.

The '2D OR NOT 2D ANIMATION FESTIVAL' awards `Golden Pencil' awards for both `Best Production' or 'Best Animation in a Production', in each of its four categories. The four basic categories are '2D PRODUCTION', 'ALL STYLE PRODUCTION', 'STUDENT PRODUCTION' and 'DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCTION'.

For further information about the Animaticus Foundation, please access their website at http://www.animaticus.com.

SPARK Animation '08 - Celebrating Inspiration and Innovation

SPARK Animation '08 - Celebrating Inspiration & Innovation
Septemer 10-14, 2008
http://spark.siggraph.ca

Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH and the Vancity Theatre proudly present the first annual SPARK Animation Festival, September 10th to 14th, 2008.

Don't miss your chance to attend this fabulous 5-day animation festival with premiere screenings as well as panels and presentations from a world-class line-up of directors, animators and film-makers.

Featured guests include:

Ed Hooks (Acting for Animators), Paul Topolos (Pixar), Paul Harrod (Bent Image Lab), Markus Manninen & Alex Parkinson (DreamWorks), and the directors of Kung Fu Panda: Mark Osborne, John Stevenson and Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who: Jimmy Hayward & Steve Martino (Blue Sky Studios).

Limited seating is available at this uniquely intimate opportunity. All sessions are "à la carte" so you can mix and match, but be sure to book your seat early for this uniquely intimate opportunity!

Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH gives special thanks to the BC Innovation Council for their financial support of this event.

Go to www.siggraph.ca for more information and online ticket purchase.