View Conference 2023 Takes Flight With Italian Premieres Of ‘Migration,’ ‘Chicken Run: Dawn Of The Nugget’

This year’s View Conference will unspool in Turin, Italy, from October 15-20 with as strong a lineup of speakers, presentations, and screenings as we can remember including the Italian premieres of Aardman’s Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget and Illumination’s Migration.

We’ve dug through the entire packed program and picked out a few highlights that we’re most looking forward to from this year’s event.

View Conference Gets Illuminated

A major highlight at this year’s View Conference will be the Italian premiere of Benjamin Renner’s Migration. Renner will be in attendance for the screening and will host a discussion about the making of the film.

View Conference director Dr. Maria Elena Gutierrez said of landing the ducky debut:

It is an honor to welcome Benjamin Renner to our live stage at View Conference 2023. This Italian premiere event will give our global audience an exclusive preview of this highly anticipated movie, which enjoys its theatrical release this coming holiday season. Migration looks incredible, and I cannot wait to hear what Benjamin has to say about the creative journey he went on to bring it to the screen.

Migration will touch down in U.S. theaters on December 22.

Dawn Of The Conference

Migration won’t be the only bird-based feature to make its Italian debut at this year’s View Conference. Aardman Animations’ highly anticipated sequel Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget will also screen at the event, with director Sam Fell in attendance.

Gutierrez said:

For many years, Aardman has shared its unique vision of the world through the wonderful medium of stop-motion animation. It’s a privilege to welcome Sam Fell, director of Aardman’s latest movie, Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, to speak in person at View Conference 2023. I know his unique blend of wit and wisdom will inspire our international audience as he recounts the story of the making of this new animated spectacle.

Dawn of the Nugget will be released by Netflix worldwide on December 15.

Packed Filmmaker Lineup

As has become standard for View Conference, this year’s edition features a star-studded roster of filmmakers who will participate in roundtables, masterclasses, and Q&As. The lineup includes Henry Selick (Coraline), Joaquim dos Santos (Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse), Peter Sohn (Elemental), Peter Ramsey (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse), Nick Bruno and Troy Quane (Nimona), and Jeff Rowe (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem).

Other big names from the animation industry attending this year’s View include DNEG Animation head of character animation Ted Ty and legendary Disney animator Andreas Deja, whose debut directorial effort Mushka is in the middle of a festival run. Disney vfx supervisor Kyle Odermatt will preview Walt Disney Animation Studio’s 62nd feature film Wish, heading to theaters on November 22. Dreamworks vfx supervisor Marc Scott will be in Turin to provide an early look at the studio’s upcoming feature Trolls Band Together.

Artificial Intelligence

This year’s View conference will host several talks focusing on artificial intelligence and its relationship with the animation and vfx industries. Among them are:

• A.I. and Education – A roundtable discussion with Neil Peplow, director and CEO of London Film School; Terrence Masson from NYC’s School of Visual Arts; Lotte Kronborg, head of studies at BFA Animation; and Gray Marshall, chair of visual effects at SCAD.
• Out of Distribution: Thriving Creatively in the Age of A.I. – A keynote presentation by artist and creative technologist Scott Eaton.
• Copyright and How to Secure Your Digital Artworks – Wacom senior VP Heidi Wang navigates the legal issues surrounding copyrights and artificial intelligence.
• Characters and A.I. – A discussion with John Gaeta, Oscar-winning vfx supervisor of The Matrix and CCO at Inworld A.I.
• AI-Powered Video Magic: Creating Trailers and Videos Made Simple – A how-to discussion with Goldtooth vfx supervisor Andreas Maaninka.

VFX

View Conference 2023 will host presentations, panels, and roundtables featuring some of the top vfx professionals working in the industry today. Among them are Oppenheimer vfx supervisor Andrew Jackson, Avatar: The Way of Water vfx supervisor Joe Letteri, Barbie vfx supervisor Glen Pratt, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse vfx supervisor Michael Lasker, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 vfx supervisor Stephane Ceretti, Thor: Love and Thunder vfx supervisor Jake Morrison, Lucasfilm vp and executive creative director Doug Chiang, and ILM’s animation director Hal Hickel.