9.45 – 11.00am

This year the festival again received an abundance of films from around the world. The first screening of the festival will include a special focus on CGI films many of which have received awards and citations at other festivals.

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Three times British Academy Award Nominated director Osbert Parker, is perhaps best-known for his signature style of using cut-out animation mixed with live action to create one-of-a-kind imaginary landscapes within commercials and short films.

For the past three years Parker has been experimenting and crafting two short films that are receiving great acclaim on the film festival circuit. “FILM NOIR” was nominated for best short animated film by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2006 and also was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival that year. "YOURS TRULY" best short animated film winner at the British Animation Awards 2008 was nominated for a BAFTA this year and selected for Sundance. Both films have been screened at Telluride Film Festival.

Osbert will be talking about his work and showing clips to illustrate his unique style. He will be in conversation with animated documentary filmmaker, Samantha Moore, who teaches at the University of Wolverhampton and is member of The Centre for Art, design, research and Experimentation at the School of Art & Design.

Flip is delighted to welcome award winning games developers Ninja Theory, responsible for the visually stunning Heavenly Sword and Kung Fu Chaos.  Known for their creativity and animation production values, Ninja Theory are committed to developing gaming experiences that can rival film and literature and elevate the form to new heights.

Head of development and founder of Ninja Theory, Nina Kristensen, Lead Animator, Guy Midgely, and Technical Art Director, Stuart Adcock will be here to talk about the animation tools that were used for Heavenly Sword and explain how they achieved that stunning look. Nina, Guy and Stuart will also be talking about games routes for animators and what skillets are needed to get into the industry. The discussion will be chaired by Andy Nuttall, Games Development Manger with Sky and currently a member of the BAFTA Games Committee.

The discussion will be liberally illustrated with clips and there will be plenty of opportunity for Q & A.

This open session will focus on showreel and portfolios. What makes a perfect showreel and what are different sectors looking for in a showreel? How can you get your showreel seen? Flip is inviting 6 brave animators to present their showreel to a panel of experts representing various sectors, including games, character animation, advertising, 2d and 3d animation.  The panel will feedback to the animators and offer constructive advice and guidance on how to get a foothold in the industry. The presentations will be in front on an audience, so everyone benefits from the expertise and advice offered by the panel.

Panellists include:

Dan Calvert is a senior animator at Blitz Games and supervises in-game character animation, advises on technical direction and directs pre-animated sequences produced internally and externally.

Mick Foley, from Sumo Dojo Productions. Mick is a member of both the PACT National Council for Animation and is a Council member on the Skillset Animation Forum. Before this Mick was the principal producer and company director of the award winning animation production company Puppetoon Productions.

Roger McIntosh is an Animation Director with more than 30 years experience in the industry, specialising in design, key animation, storyboarding and story development. Animation and Directing Credits include “Who framed Roger Rabbit”, “Beatrix Potter”, “Testament”, “Kipper”, “Percy the Park keeper”, “Angelina Ballerina”. He is currently Animation Director on “Tommy Zoom”, a 2D children’s’ series commissioned by the BBC as part of their CBeebies renewal programme.

6.00 – 7.30pm

Sita is a goddess separated from her beloved Lord and husband Rama. Nina is an animator whose husband moves to India, then dumps her by email. Three hilarious shadow puppets narrate both ancient tragedy and modern comedy in this beautifully animated interpretation of the Indian epic Ramayana. Set to the 1920's jazz vocals of Annette Hanshaw, Sita Sings the Blues earns its tagline as "The Greatest Break-Up Story Ever Told."
Directed, written, produced, designed and animated by Nina Paley, Sita Sings the Blues has already won 2 major awards this year at Annecy International Animation festival and Berlin International Festival, and this special Flip event is one of only two UK screenings this year.

Sita Sings the Blues Screening is supported by Sampad.

"Igor" is a playfully irreverent comedy that brings a new twist to the classic monster genre. In a world filled with Mad Scientists and Evil Inventions, one talented evil scientist's hunch-backed lab assistant has big dreams of becoming a Mad Scientist himself and winning the annual Evil Science Fair. Directed by Anthony Leondis, starring John Cusack, Myleene Klass, Steve Buscemi and John Cleese.