Events Round-Up: Primanima, TAAFI Industry, Manchester Animation Festival, Pictoplasma NYC
A round-up of upcoming animation festivals and events across the world.
Primanima
Where and when? Budaörs, Hungary, October 30–November 2.
What? Young filmmakers, take note: since its inception in 2012, Primanima has run a lively competition focused on student, graduation, and first professional films. There’s an emphasis on career progression, with a number of masterclasses and workshops for local and international students alike. Each screening is followed by an intimate Q&A with the creators.
The program is rounded out by parties, concerts, and screenings aimed at the whole gamut of age groups, from pre-teens to adults. Among the special events this year are a screening of the hybrid feature documentary Chris the Swiss, a panorama on Serbian animation, and a masterclass by Croatian animator Lucija Mrzljak.
More information: https://primanima.eu/en/
TAAFI Industry
Where and when? Toronto, Canada, November 2–3.
What? The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI), which takes place in February, launched this spin-off conference last year. For its sophomore edition, the conference has lined up more than 30 speakers from North America to discuss key trends in the animation industry.
Headlining speakers include John Musker, the recently-retired Disney veteran who co-directed Aladdin, The Princess and the Frog, and Moana, among others; Elizabeth Ito, a supervising director on Adventure Time and creator of Netflix’s upcoming City of Ghosts; Cort Lane, Marvel’s senior vice president for animation and family entertainment; and Aaron Long, director on Bojack Horseman and Tuca & Bertie.
More information: https://taafi.com/
Manchester Animation Festival
Where and when? Manchester, U.K., November 10–14.
What? A relatively new addition to the U.K.’s animation scene, Manchester Animation Festival (MAF) has swiftly grown into one of the country’s most dynamic festivals. It has a strong industry program catering to students and professionals in Manchester, a hub of British animation.
Workshops and panel discussions this year will cover subjects from scriptwriting to the process of setting up a studio. Ireland’s Brown Bag Films are partnering with MAF on many of these events. There will also be a masterclass by Michael Dudok de Wit, making-of sessions about Netflix’s Klaus and Aardman’s A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon, and the festival’s annual animation quiz.
More information: http://www.manchesteranimationfestival.co.uk
Pictoplasma NYC
Where and when? New York City, November 11–12.
What? Now in its eighth year, this two-day conference probes the subject of character design from various angles, much like its sister event in Berlin. The line-up of speakers comprises illustrators, cartoonists, designers, fine artists, and of course animators and animation directors. The lectures are complemented by a screening of recent animated shorts.
This year’s confirmed speakers from include Nikita Diakur, whose award-winning shorts Ugly and Fest tear through the fabric of cg graphics, embracing spontaneity and glitches. The other animation filmmakers on the line-up are Alex Kiesling, Dan Woodger, and Untitled Army (a.k.a. Lucas Camargo).
More information: https://conference.pictoplasma.com/#conference
(Image at top: Brazilian artist Lucas Camargo, a.k.a Untitled Army, will be one of the speakers at Pictoplasma.)
