OIAF animates Ottawa high schools

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), in cooperation with the Community Foundation of Ottawa, and MASC (Multicultural Arts for Schools and Communities), is bringing Animate Ottawa to a number of high schools across the city this spring.

Animate Ottawa is an in-class presentation that gives students the opportunity to explore animation and make their own film all about Ottawa. Participants watch a program of independent animation to get inspired, then create their short film under the guidance of an animation expert.

“We’ve always loved doing outreach activities with students, and we’ve always wanted to collaborate with MASC,” says Kelly Neall, Managing Director at the OIAF. “Animate Ottawa provided us with the perfect opportunity to do both, and highlight the City as well.”

Through Animate Ottawa, students will create a short film exploring what they love about Ottawa. The OIAF will use these films to introduce Ottawa to the hundreds of out-of-town visitors that the Festival brings in each year. Organizers have already visited two schools and the results are impressive!

Animate Ottawa begins with a screening featuring a variety of independent short animated films curated by OIAF’s Artistic Director, Chris Robinson. The 40 minute program includes a number of works from the National Film Board, from the macabre (The Big Swing, Paula Gillgannon) to the adorably absurd (Git Gob, Philip Eddols). Also featured is the accomplished Paper Man from Glebe Collegiate’s David Borish as well as innovative, low tech, personal films like Helen Hill’s Mouseholes. The goal is to present a program that is designed to inspire students to make a film. Many of these films use simple methods such as cut-outs and found objects, techniques students will be using themselves.

After the screening, students participate in a light table workshop with animation expert Tina LeMoine from MASC. Using natural materials such as pine needles, grains, sand and adding cut out characters, students will manipulate objects on a light table and film them. Students will be encouraged to watch and correct their actions.

The OIAF is excited to bring Animate Ottawa to schools free of charge, giving students the opportunity to experience the world of animation and immerse themselves in the creative arts.

This program is made possible with the financial support of the Community Foundation of Ottawa, and the cooperation of MASC and the National Film Board of Canada.

The Ottawa International Animation Festival is one of the world’s leading animation events providing screenings, exhibits, workshops and entertainment since 1976. OIAF is an annual five-day event bringing art and industry together in a vibrant hub, with a total attendance of 28,000 artists, producers, students and animation fans from around the world.

This year’s festival runs from September 21-25, 2016. For more information about the Ottawa International Animation Festival, visit www.animationfestival.ca

Ottawa International Animation Festival highlights: Meet the filmmakers and more

Join animation aficionados at the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), North America’s leading animation film festival, taking place from September 16 to 20, 2015, at multiple venues across Ottawa, Canada.

Among the highlights for 2015 is Meet-the-Filmmakers which gives OIAF ticket-holders a rare chance to meet some of animation’s greatest talents up close. Moderated by OIAF Artistic Director Chris Robinson, audiences will be introduced to a variety of filmmakers whose short films are featured in one of seven official short film competitions including the Shorts and Series For Kids competitions.

Audiences are encouraged to ask questions and share comments or opinions about the films featured the night before.

“Meet-the-Filmmakers is a fun, informal event which lets animation fans get a behind-the-scenes look at some of their favourite films from the best animators in the world,” says Chris Robinson. “It’s incredibly rare to get such high-profile animators together in one place to answer questions about their latest projects.”

Canadian filmmakers attending this year’s Meet-the-Filmmakers presentations include Isaac King (Toronto), and Claude Cloutier, Theodore Ushev, Pierre Hébert, Nicolas Ménard, and Julien Grey (Montreal). International speakers include Ely Dagher (Beirut, Lebanon) and Patrick McHale (New Jersey, U.S.A) among others. Meet-the-Filmmakers takes place Sept. 17-18 at Saint Brigid’s Centre for the Arts (310 St. Patrick Street), and from Sept. 19-20 at the Arts Court Theatre (2 Daly Avenue).

Several other presentations designed for audiences to learn more about their favourite companies, schools, and personalities make up OIAF programming this year.

Other 2015 Highlights:

• The Animation Pimpcast With Chris Robinson: Presented by Animation World Network on Thursday, September 17 through Sunday, September 20 at select times at St. Brigid’s Centre for the Arts, writer, programmer and OIAF Artistic Director Chris Robinson sits down for informal chats with four of animation’s top filmmakers, including Leah Shore, Kaspar Jancis, Michèle Cournoyer, and Bruce Bickford.

• Michael Kurinsky: An Artists Growth at Sony Pictures Animation: On Thursday, September 17 at 2:45 p.m. at Château Laurier, Michael Kurinsky shares insights and learnings from his experiences as visual development artist on Sony Pictures Animation’s first feature Open Season, art director on the Studio’s comedy hit, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and his current role as production designer on the upcoming Hotel Transylvania 2, in theaters nationwide September 25.

• Toon Apprentice Day: On Friday, September 18, high school students interested in animation can watch animated films from around the world and attend presentations by some of Canada's top animation schools. This free all-day event is held at the National Gallery of Canada (380 Sussex Drive).

• TED-Ed: Where Education Meets Animation: This educational presentation takes place on Friday, September 18 at 5:00 p.m. at the Arts Court Theatre. It includes a screening of selected work followed by a discussion of TED-Ed’s production process and some of the unique creative challenges faced when creating animation for educational purposes.

• Indie VR: The Oculus Rift Experience: On Saturday, September 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Arts Court Theatre, a panel of independent artists, including Framestore’s Nick Fox-Gieg, stop-motion filmmaker Brett Long, Toronto Animated Image Society President Madi Piller, and Passion Pictures Creative Director for Commercials Saschka Unseld, discuss how artists and storytellers work with virtual reality technology to create new experiences.

• Masterclass: Bruce Bickford: On Saturday, September 19, at 3:00 p.m. at the Arts Court Theatre, legendary storyteller, clay and line animator Bruce Bickford will give a tutorial on the various morphing techniques he has developed over his career.

Tickets are available for purchase at www.animationfestival.ca until Friday, September 11, and will be sold at the Box Office at the Arts Court Studio thereafter. Tickets start at $13 for the general public, or $9 for seniors, students, and members of the Canadian Film Institute. Festival passes are also available.

For a complete list of scheduled talks and guest speakers, visit animationfestival.ca or download the official OIAF app for the latest updates and information.

OIAF plans Ralph Bakshi tribute

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) 2012, running from September 19-23, will pay tribute to the work of animation legend Ralph Bakshi.

Bakshi ignited the imagination of future animators and became a hero to generations of fans and filmmakers by infusing adult themes such as sex, drugs and racism into the family-friendly animation world of the 1970s.

The OIAF will also spotlight the United Kingdom as the festival examines the work of British artists Barry Purves, one of the world's finest puppet animators, and the groundbreaking Unconventional Ad Men: Smith and Foulkes.

Purves’ work has been internationally acclaimed for decades while Smith & Foulkes’ art has been featured in advertising campaigns for some of the world’s most iconic brands including Coca Cola, Honda and Motorola.

YouTubular: Animation in the Age of the Meme will examine the role of YouTube in today’s animation industry and showcase some of the strangest and most contagious viral videos to grace your computer screen.

Other programming announced to date includes: Make 'Em Laugh: Comedians and Animation, which will retrace the historical relationship between animators and comedians; the life and career of Ward Kimball will be examined and the innovative films of the late Karen Aqua will be celebrated.
 
“In past years, our event has been criticized for being too avant-garde or too dark,” says OIAF artistic director Chris Robinson. “This year we wanted to provide some really fun and entertaining programming but don't worry, there’s sure to also be the usual array of delightfully bizarre and thought provoking work that many other members of our audience love.”

The OIAF is one of the world’s leading animation events providing screenings, exhibits, workshops and entertainment since 1976.  OIAF is an annual five-day event bringing art and industry together in a vibrant hub and attracting more than 28,000 artists, producers, students and animation fans from around the world.

For more information, visit the OIAF website at: www.animationfestival.ca.

Call for Entries! Ottawa International Animation Festival

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) is pleased to announce its worldwide call for entries for its 2012 festival, taking place September 19 to 23 in Canada’s National Capital Region -- Ottawa!


Animators are invited to submit their recent work into five major categories including: Independent short films, feature films, commissioned films (TV series, commercials, music videos and video game animation) student films and films made for children. 

The OIAF is recognized as one of the world’s most competitive film festivals, receiving more than 2,000 entries annually. The Festival’s selection committee chooses approximately 150 films for competition and out-of-competition showcase screenings.

The Festival’s international jury: Barry Purves (England), Hisko Hulsing (Holland), Izabela Rieben (Switzerland), Mike Fallows (Canada), J.J. Sedelmaier (USA) and Sarah Muller (England) will review films in competition. Jury members will join the audience during screenings throughout the Festival and present the final awards at the closing ceremonies.

The OIAF is also introducing a new category for Non-Gameplay Animation, the first of its kind at any animation festival. Examples of non-gameplay animation include cinematic cut scenes that help advance a game's plot and trailers previewing an upcoming release.

"Since the mid-1990s, we've been trying to find a way to seamlessly integrate videogame animation into OIAF competitions, ” says Festival artistic director Chris Robinson. “We found that the best way for us to acknowledge the outstanding work being done in gameplay animation was by encouraging the submission of non-game play components.”

A new award for Best Canadian Student Animation Film, celebrating the work of emerging filmmakers and the wealth of up-and-coming Canadian talent, will also be introduced. Canadian student films in competition and showcase will be eligible for this award.

All online entry forms for this year’s competition must be received by May 18. The deadline for preview DVDs is June 1. There is no entry fee.

For more information about this year’s Festival, as well as the online entry form, visit the OIAF website at www.animationfestival.ca.  Questions about submitting a film may be sent to entries@animationfestival.ca or made by telephone at 613-232-8769.

The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) is one of the world’s leading animation events providing screenings, exhibits, workshops and entertainment since 1976.  OIAF is an annual five-day event bringing art and industry together in a vibrant hub and attracting more than 28,000 artists, producers, students and animation fans from around the world.

For more information, visit the OIAF website at: www.animationfestival.ca.