Friday 2 November

Open Shorts
9:45 - 11.00
This year the festival again received an abundance of films from around the world. This screening will feature a selection of out of competition films, many of which are premieres and a number have received awards and citations at other festivals. - read more (pdf)

In Conversation with Erica Russell
11.15 - 12.30pm
This is a rare opportunity to see the Oscar nominated work of Erica Russell in full 35mm and to see her in conversation with Professor Paul Wells, who has written about her considerable impact on British animation. He described her as a true auteur. Unique amongst British women animators who at the time were reflecting on the embarrassing minutiae of everyday British lifestyles; Erica’s work dramatised emotional states through dance idioms, alternative abstract stylings, and world music. - read more (pdf)

French Computer Animation with Introduction by Professor Paul Wells
1.30 - 3.00
In recent years France has achieved an unrivalled world-wide reputation for creative and technical innovation in computer animated short films. Supinfocom, the leading European school for 3D computer animation, regaulary tops the prize-lists at international festivals, and is well represented in this selection. From 3D to Flash, and a stunningly seamless integration of puppet and computer effects, the award winning films in this special screening demonstrate an astonishing variety of styles and textures. - read more (pdf)

Animation in the You Tube Generation + drinks/networking
3.30 - 6pm
This panel discussion will look at the impact of new and emerging online platforms and tools and will ask what the opportunities are for animators and filmmakers and can online distribution and exhibition lead to professional commissions? The panel comprises an exiting line up of animators who have had a significant impact online and who mix this ‘amateur’ work with professional commissions: Greg McLeod, from the Brother's McLeod who are responsible for the recent Skittles ad campaign and whose ‘Spamland’ has received nearly 1m views on You Tube; Lasse Gjertson, whose films have had a huge impact on You Tube, particularly ‘Amateur which has received more than 6m views and 6 honours, including most viewed all time; Katy Davis, who has been shortlisted for the MyMovie Mashup competition and has been a feature profile on MySpace and produced the award winning short animation, Gone Fishing. The panel will also include Ana Kronschnabl: author of Plug in Turn on: A Guide to Internet Filmmaking and is the founder of plugincinema.com. The panel will be chaired by Kate Taylor who has worked in short film distribution and exhibition since 1998 and has been involved in a number of leading festivals and agencies, including Kinofilm, onedotzero, British Council and is co-founder of the London Short Film Festival.

We are grateful to the West Midlands Animation Forum who have supported this event

Sherbet Retrospective
7.00 - 9pm followed by drinks
Sherbet is a BAFTA winning animation production company producing ground breaking visuals for high profile TV commercials, TV series, experimental independent films, music promos, TV and online graphics. Set up in 1996, Sherbet has won countless awards including a BAFTA in 1999 with The Man With the Beautiful Eyes, and was a BAFTA nominee in 2002. Sherbet has also produced three series of Monkey Dust in association with Talkback Thames for the BBC and RTS award winning animation and fx for Girls in Love series 1 and 2 with Granada Kids. This event will showcase some of their award winning work followed by a Q&A with some of the staff and directors. The event will be chaired by Neil Hadfield who has worked on a wide variety of TV Commercials, Idents, Music videos, Title Sequences and TV Series’ for a range of studios, including Bermuda Shorts, Studio AKA, Sherbet, Grand Slamm Productions, and is currently Subject Leader in Animation & Moving Image at the University of Central England.

TRUNK: Music
9.00 - 10.30
We're winding down the evening with music and animation. TRUNK Animation Studio is an award winning mixed media production company, using everything from 2D and 3D computer aided techniques to stop frame and manipulated live action. This screening will feature the studio’s music video collection which will be looped in the cinema and available for drop-in with drinks and chat. - read more (pdf)