Special Showcase: International Schools

Aiming to promote the animation industry in Brazil, Anima Forum invites all kinds of market professionals for lectures and discussions during four days at Anima Mundi. This year, besides the Masterclasses, we'll have members of three international schools of animation as special guests: Eric Riewe, from Gobelins, in France, Maureen Furniss, of CalArts (USA), and Marlene Nascimento, from the Image and Sound Course at the University of Buenos Aires. As a complement of their visit and the debate, the festival will present showcases of graduation films by former students of these schools.

Gobelins

Gobelins' animation department, l'école de l'image, was founded 30 years ago, and prepare artists for the growing need of the French animation industry in the 1970s. Today, students from Gobelins are present not only in animation studios all over France, but also in major international labels, such as Dreamworks, Sony, Disney, Pixar and many others, and they are recognized for their technical excellence and creative for its high professional level.

The Gobelins program in Anima Mundi presents short films made by its students during the last two decades. The first of them is the segment that serves as an introduction in all official sessions of the International Festival of Animated Film in Annecy, France. In the sequence, the short films made for the final projects of the course, made in 2D or 3D. Three of these films include a making of the production process.

Anima Facta Est (2007), animação coletiva da escola Gobelins

Henry Sellick (Coraline, Nightmare Before Christmas), Brenda Chapman (Prince of Egypt) and Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, Wall.E) are among the "notable students" from The California Institute of the Arts. Since 1961, the Calarts maintains its tradition of promoting a unique and privileged environment for students from all areas of art live together closely, in full collaboration.

Part of the former students attended the Department of Experimental Animation (Experimental Animation), created by Jules Engels. This department focuses on the practice and principles of visual arts, including animation as an art form dynamic and constantly evolving. Other former students, now influential in the animation industry today, formed by the Department of Character Animation (Character Animation) created in 1975, in which the main focus is training in classical animation connected to a deep understanding of the art of acting, also applied to modern techniques like computer graphics.

The "Calarts... and its Distinguished Alumni" Showcase will be divided into two sessions at the Anima Mundi, alternating between the two visions of the course, reflecting the coexistence of stimulating experimentation and application of the art of animation, as in day-to-day school campus in Valencia.

Wormholes (1992), from Stephen Hillenburg, the brilliant creator of SpongeBob,

UBA

Within the course of Image and Sound Design at the University of Buenos Aires, the discipline Audiovisual Design 3 - Animation is offered to the students, and it deals with basic concepts of animation and its various techniques. The training includes the management of production and resource management in order to develop films and the possible absorption by the market, in private and public sectors. As the final course, students perform a short film individually or in groups, with free choice of technique and theme proposed by the Chair.

The current professor of animation course, our guest Marlene Nascimento, made a selection with some examples of work developed by students for the third special session of the schools in the Anima Mundi.

Our guest Marlene Nascimento, the current professor of the animation course, made a selection with some examples of their works for the third special session of the schools in the Anima Mundi.

Florencia Blanc's Un Pequeño Vagabundo (2008),

one of the short films from the UBA program

Check here the locations and schedules of special exhibitions of the schools of animation:

Gobelins: Rio de Janeiro - Sat 17 - Cinema 2 CCBB - 18h30 / Sun 18 - Oi Futuro Ipanema - 15h30 /

Mon 19 - Arteplex - 14h / Sat 24 - Teatro II - 17h30 / Sun 25 - Odeon BR - 18h30 São Paulo - Sat 31 - Memorial Video - 15h / Sun 01 - Memorial 2 - 19h

Calarts:

Program 1

Rio de Janeiro - Fri 16 - Oi Futuro Flamengo - 13h30 / Sat 17 - Teatro II - 14h / Sun 18 - Cinema 1 CCBB - 19h30 / Fri 23 - Cinema 2 CCBB - 16h30 / Sat 24 - Teatro II - 12h30 / Sun 25 - Odeon BR - 15h30 São Paulo - Wed 28 - Memorial Video - 18h / Sun 01 - Memorial Video - 15h

Sessão 2 Rio de Janeiro - Sat 17 - Oi Futuro Ipanema - 13h30 / Tue 20 - Cinema 2 CCBB - 18h30 / Fri 23 - Cinema 2 CCBB - 18h30 / Sat 24 - Teatro II - 14h / Sun 25 - Odeon BR - 17h São Paulo - Wed 28 - Memorial Video - 16h30 / Sun 01 - Memorial Video - 16h30

UBA: Rio de Janeiro - Sat 17 - Teatro II - 10h30 / Sun 18 - Oi Futuro Ipanema - 13h30 / Wed 21 - Arteplex - 14h / Sat 24 - Teatro II - 15h30 / Sun 25 - Teatro II - 14h

São Paulo - Wed 28 - Memorial Video - 13h30 / Sun 01 - Memorial Video - 18h

Animation and documentary

In 2009, the presence of Priit Parn in Anima Mundi revealed to the Brazilian audience that Estonia is very well situated on the animation's world map. Maybe we can find the largest population of animators in its 45,000 km square, producing some of the wildest, most innovative films of the genre.

In this edition, we prepared a special screening of Mait Laas' documentary The kings of time (Aja Meistrid), aiming to show how traditional the culture of animation in Estonia is. In a mixture of archival footage and animation, the film reveals the story of two great names of Estonian animation, Elbert Tuganov and Heino Pars, who have become masters of their craft. Tuganov is the creator of Ott in Outer Space (1962), a puppet animation who achieved international notoriety. Heino Pars, who started as an assistant Tuganov, is also a pioneer: Nael, his 1972 feature film, is one of the first Estonian animations to present an abstract content. The social satire, frequently targeting the Soviet political system, was also prominent in the work of these two creators.

Mait Laas' The Kings of Time (2008)

And the International Panorama program also reserves a special selection of films in which the documentary language is blended with animation techniques. Panorama Documentary will present six short films demonstrating that the animated film can deal with the straightest form of reality, sometimes even more efficient than photographic images. Among the short films selection includes Samantha Moore's The Beloved Ones, about the difficulties of two Ugandan women living with HIV; Tanko Bole Chhe, which reveals the art and the passion of Kutch's artisans in the region in India, and Rattus Rattus, a Brazilian animation about the sanitary campaign made by Oswaldo Cruz in the streets of Rio de Janeiro.

Nina Sabnani's Tanko Bole Chhe (2009)

South Africa in exhibition

The Tale of How (2007), a film by Ree Treweek and Jannes Hendrikz
featured in South Africa special exibition

As Soccer fans, we are profoundly sad about Brazil's departure in World Cup. But, if there's any consolation for us, we can say that Brazil is always very well represented every year in Anima Mundi. And in this edition the same applies to the venue for the 2010 World Cup: the South Africa special program will offer a sample of what is best in animation from the country, revealing the variety of styles and aesthetics of this industry in development .

Brent Dawes' Because You’re Gorgeous (2007)

South Africa is still relatively unknown in the world of animation. But that is about to change, and we hope that this collection of films (the first of its kind outside the country) highlights the diversity of this growing industry. Altogether, the program presents 28 South African animations, including short features, video clips, commercial and institutional films, compiled by Animation SA, a nonprofit organization that represents the animation in South Africa.

Anthony Silverston's The Slipper Cycle (2003)

As examples of the animation in South Africa is booming and deserves to be seen, three features are in production now in the country, to be released next year: The Lion of Judah, Jock of the Bushveld and Zambezia. And for those who work in local industry, we hope that 2010 is also remembered as the year that the local animation has become world famous!

Jacquie Trowell's Beyond Freedom (2006), an animation that mixes

different techniques to discuss about the struggle toward democracy and freedom.

By the way, we also would like to show some sportsmanship here at Anima Mundi: Netherlands brings 10 productions to the festival this year, and five of them are in the competitive program :)

Anima Mundi 2010: the films

Brazil, Australia, France, Canada, Denmark, Ukraine, Japan, Cuba, Switzerland, Latvia, Argentina and another 35 countries: you can already check the complete list of Anima Mundi 2010 films on the website.

In the following days, you will find more details about some of them here, begining with the feature-length movies. Stay tuned!

Anima Mundi Masterclasses

It's been five years since the Anima Forum, event that happens along the Anima Mundi program, gives signs that the animation industry in Brazil is growing more and more. With this growth, demand for skilled professionals in the animation market also increases. So, as a novelty this year, the Anima Forum will present three masterclasses with distinguished experts in different areas related to animation. This activity replaces the traditional one themed workshop offered in the latest years at the festival.

On July 21st, in Rio de Janeiro, the Spaniard Jordi Grangel will illustrate the development of a feature film in The Creative Process on the Character Design of Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. Grangel is co-director of a studio with the same name in Barcelona, along with his brother Charles . They provide production services of classical and digital animation for clients like DreamWorks, SKG, Sony Pictures, Warner, Universal and Walt Disney and Consumer Publications Products.

On day 22, the Canadian Andy Malcolm shows their specialty: creating and recording all kinds of sound effects, essential for any type of movie. Foley for Animation is the name of his masterclass, in which the audience can participate in the creation of creative sounds that are recorded and time synchronized with a scene of animation. Acting in the area of sound design since the 70's, Andy has worked with some of the most acclaimed directors of animation and live action in the world, and is now has his own studio, the Footsteps, in Toronto.

The last masterclass in Rio will take place on July 23, with Guilherme Marcondes talking about the design of films that mix animation techniques, animation on the border in Frontier animation: Developing projects in the limit between techniques. Gulherme works with animation and design, and his film Tyger, an original blend of 2D animation techniques, 3D, puppets, live action models, was elected one of the best shorts by popular jury at Anima Mundi 2006.

Tyger (2006), de Guilherme Marcondes

The masterclasses will take place in São Paulo too, in July 29 (Jordi Grangel) and 30 (Guilherme Marcondes). More information about the program you find here.

Alê Abreu in Anima Mundi 18 Years

Only 20 days left to Anima Mundi 2010! Just for warming up, we will start revealing some details from this 18 year edition of the festival. Starting with the visual identity that can be already be seen here on the blog and on our website, the art is authored by illustrator and animator Ale Abreu, who has been present in Anima Mundi since the very beginning of the festival.

Ale began studying animation at age 14, and in 1993 released his first short film, Sirius. In 1994, he started working in his second work, Espantalho (Scarecrow), an animation film that gained, among 12 other awards, the best Brazilian film award in Anima Mundi 1998. Garoto Cósmico (Cosmic Boy), his first feature, was one of the highlights of the Anima Mundi 2007, where Alê also had a retrospective and participated in Papo Animado (Animated Chat). In 2008, he participated with the short feature Passo (Step), and his new work, Vivi Viravento, (one of the 17 Tv series pilotes of the AnimaTV program), is on our program this year.

Cósmico, Luna e Maninho, characters fom
Alê Abreu's Garoto Cósmico, featured in Anima Mundi 2007

About the illustration done for the Anima Mundi 2010, Ale said: "In order to create the imagery for the 18 years of Anima Mundi, I tried to represent the intense desire for liberty and dreams, common to all young people. Anima Mundi is this little colorful planet, where there is a great vibration, a meeting point for wondering beings in a rich and vast universe of styles, techniques and languages. In 2010, Anima Mundi celebrates its 18 years of existence, and I begin a new cycle in my journey."

New Rules for ANIMA MUNDI WEB & CEL!

New Category! Films on any Theme will also be accepted, in the category "General Theme"!
Thanks to convincing requests, we have just made some changes in the Rules of the ANIMA MUNDI WEB & CEL 2010 Contest.

The theme proposed by the Contest this year will keep being "18 Years", for the category with this same name.
The inspiration for this theme comes, of course, of the 18th Edition that Anima Mundi Festival will celebrate this year. But we are not expecting films about our festival! The idea is to illustrate through the animation language the sensations one may experiment at 18 years old: i.e. freedom, responsibility, youth, action, emotion, boldness, initiative, etc, etc, etc!

We believe this theme is wide enough and applies well both to abstract and narrative works.
The animations selected by the Contest selection committee for the "18 Years" category will compete to 3 Prizes: The Traditional Public and Professional Prizes, and the Special Extra "18 Years" Prize, also awarded by the Public Jury.
That means films in the "18 Years" category can win 3 Prizes!

But anyway the Contest will keep also open to works in any theme, in the category "General Theme". Animations in this category will not be eligible, of course, to the "18 Years" Prize. But they can win both the Public and Professional Awards!

Each of the 3 Awards consist in a 2 thousand reais cash prize and an Anima Mundi Trophee.

Oh, there's something else yet: deadline is extended up to June 14th!
Prepare your animations. Each entrant can send up to 3 works.
(Already existent works can be submitted too).
Please find the new rules here!

Now it's time for WEB & CEL - 18 years!

It's like that every year: as soon as the submissions for Anima Mundi Festival are closed (we had more than 1400 entries this year!) it's time to start receiving animations for our Internet and Mobile Phone Contest: ANIMA MUNDI WEB & CEL 2010.

Submissions are already open in the online entry-form in the Personal Area of the ANIMA MUNDI website! Professional and amateur animators have until May 29th to create, animate and send their works under the theme "18 YEARS".

Who doesn't want to be 18 years old? That magic age when one conquers freedom and autonomy, with the full power of youth... What kind of dreams, desires and anxieties take place in the mind of a 18 year old mind? And what better way to represent it all than Animation?

Each participant may enter up to 3 different works, that may have from 30 seconds to 10 minutes lenght. The animations will be sent online within the entry-form, already converted (by the entrant) to SWF (Flash) or FLV (Flash Video) files - with up to 10Mb weight.

Two cash prizes and Anima Mundi Trophees will be awarded to the winners chosen by the Public and professional Juries!

Please read the Rules here and participate!

EXTENDED DEADLINE

Dear Friends,

The deadline for submitting films to ANIMA MUNDI 2010 and to the Anima 18 competition have been postponed to March, 31st.

To participate you must login to the ANIMA MUNDI COMMUNITY n our website.
This is also the deadline for sending your preview DVD and promotional material.

Don't miss this opportunity! Sign in and participate!

You saw it first in Anima Mundi (and chose it too)

Have you already sent the names of your three favorite films you want to watch again in Anima Mundi 18 Years programme? It's undestood that your participation really matters for us. You can see by the popular jury award that happens in Anima Mundi: the films you choose every year frequently succeeds in other festivals.
Here's some examples:









The third edition of Animasivo animation forum that takes place in Mexico will have a special programme of Brazilian animation films this year. The Anima Mundi was invited to present this session and selected these ones:

Josué e o pé de macaxeira, directed by Diogo Viegas (Best Brazilian Animation by the popular jury in Rio, 2009)

L.E.R.,directed by João Angelini (Best Brazilian Animation by the popular jury in São Paulo, 2009)

Tyger , directed by Guilherme Marcondes (2nd Best Brazilian Animation by the popular jury in São Paulo, 2006)

Ratos de rua, directed by Rafael de Paula Rodrigues (Travelling Anima Mundi Prize 2003)

Vida Maria, directed by Márcio Ramos (2nd Best Brazilian Animation by the popular jury in Rio, 2007)

O bloqueio, directed by Claudio de Oliveira

Pax, directed by Paulo Munhoz (Best Brazilian Animation by the popular jury SP/Rio, 2006)

Muragens - Crônicas de um muro, directed by Andrei Milhara Padilha Duarte

Qualquer nota, directed by Marcelo Ribeiro Mourão (2nd Best Brazilian Animation by the popular jury in Rio, 2005)

Mexico's Animasivo also promotes many other activities: there's a mexican animation retrospective, an international award and special programmes. Like us in Anima Mundi, they also offer converses with animators and animation workshops in their agenda. You can learn more about Animasivo in http://festival.org.mx/main/animasivo









The portuguese animation festival Monstra will happen next month in Lisbon and will have an Anima Mundi special screening too. Besides Josué, Vida Maria, L.E.R, Qualquer Nota and Muragens, the Monstra selection includes:

Como surgiu a noite, directed by Andres Lieban (3rd Best Animation for Children by the popular jury in Rio, 2005)

Dossiê Rê Bordosa, directed by César Cabral (Best Brazilian Animation and Best Short Feature by the popular jury São Paulo/Rio, in 2008)

Papercut, de Pedro Eboli

The Monstra festival happens in a biennial basis and offers a great overview of what's new in animation. During the festival, children can also check the Monstrinha segment, with educational activities with the purpose to show the interdisciplinary features in animation. The official website is: www.monstrafestival.com


As you can see, these selections are made by films you awarded. Considering the quality of the jury's choice during Anima Mundi Festival, its possible to see how special the 18 Years screening is going to be.

Vote now!

The special form for you to choose your three favorite films in Anima Mundi is now avaliable on the website. As we said before, the 18 most voted will be part of Anima Mundi 18 Years special programme in this year's festival. If possible, send us the complete information with Title, Author and Country of each film. But if you don’t remember everything, no problem: just send us the best description you can make of the film, and we will find a way to identify your choice. It's really important that you help us to choose! The form is avaliable for everyone who is logged on the Anima Mundi Community section until March 23^rd. Among the participants, 18 will be awarded with special invitations to the festival, including, of course, tickets to the 18 Years Screening!

In case you need some help to remember all Anima Mundi editions, please check the Animemory section in the website. We are waiting for your vote!

Up wins the Annie Award

The animated feature Up is really flying high. The movie was the winner for best animated feature at the 37th annual Annie Awards, and director Pete Docter also won the award for directing in a feature production. Coraline, another big favorite, featured in the last year's Anima Mundi, took the prizes for best soundtrack, best production design and best character design.

Te ceremony also gave honors to Tim Burton, Bruce Timm, from Batman - The Animated Series, and Jeffrey Katzenberg, cofounder of DreamWorks. They have received the Winsor McCay Awards for their career achievements in animation.


The Annie Awards is considered a preview for the Academy Awards animation categories, and just one year the Annie Winner didn't take the Oscar too. And this time Up also runs for the Best Picture in the Academy Awards!

What have you done (or what you'll do) at the age of 18? Took your driver's license? Got into college? Apart from the usual changes, the 18th anniversary comes along with many rites of passage, and some of them only each one of us can tell. And the same goes for a festival. In 2010, the Anima Mundi turns 18 and wants to give a big party. And one of the news in this year's edition is that everyone can participate of the program!

Anima Mundi 18 years

Help us choose the 18 best films of the 18 years of Anima Mundi!

Login to our website personal area, find the special form and send us your message with up to three of your favorite films you want to watch again in 2010. If possible, send us the complete information with Title, Author and Country of each film. But if you don’t remember everything, no problem: just send us the best description you can make of the film, and we will find a way to identify your choice.

Please send us your vote before March 23^rd. Among the participants, 18 will be awarded with special invitations to the festival, including, of course, tickets to the 18 Years Screening!

ENTER YOUR FILM!

You may already submit your film for the pre-selection of ANIMA MUNDI 2010.
The Festival will take place in Rio de Janeiro from 16 to 25 July and in São Paulo from 28 July to August 1st.
Deadline for submissions is March 23rd.
Please find entry-forms and rules at
www.animamundi.com.br

And the "European Oscar" goes to...

The end of the year comes, and with it the awards for the best films of 2009. Last december 12 it was time for the prestigious European Film Awards, that took place in German. And the winner in the Animation Category of the year was ... Mia et le Migou, by Jacques-Rémy Girerd!

Mia was competing with other 17 finalists, and the jury was composed of more than 2,000 professionals of all Europe. Not just anything, isn't it? According to Jacques-Rémy, via email, the ceremony was "touching, funny and great". And he added: "Rio gave the signal ! Merci"
That's it, in Anima Mundi 2009 in Rio the film got its very first award! Mia et le Migou was elected the Best Feature Animation by the public vote both in Rio as in São Paulo!

In the official website of Drôme department, you wil be able to watch a revealing photografic essay on how the Mia et le Migou was made - pratically a handmade animation.

Coraline leads the Annie Awards nominations

The zoetrope-shaped
Annie Award trophy

Henry Selick's Coraline is the favorite animation for the 37th Annie Awards, a prize given by the International Animated Film Society. The english feature received 10 nominations, beating Up and The Princess and the Frog. In this year edition of Anima Mundi, the audience had the opportunity to see a special presentation of Coraline and have a conversation with the animation crew of Laika Studio, who worked on the puppets and de stop motion animation of the movie. Here in the blog, you can see how was the presentation here, and also check an interview with Scott Tom, one of the coordinators of the studio, here.

Coraline

Other contenders for the Best Animated Feature prize include The Fantastic Mr. Fox and Cloudy With a Chance of MeatBalls.

Saludos del Planeta Bacán

The partnership between MUAN, Anima Escola and the Planeta Bacán project was a success! Our friends from Chile said they've been surprised with the quality of the short films produced by the students from the schools included in the campaign. According to Cecília Anriquez, from IBM Chile, "great part of this success comes from the preparation process given to the educators. And, from now on, the students will certainly wish to participate in the next edition of Anima Mundi!" :)


Watch here the competition winner short film, En el amor y en la guerra todos reciclamos:

The films were always produced under the theme "An intelligent planet". And the result was really clever, isn't it? You can check all the other shorts (and also improve your spanish) in Planeta Bacán website's gallery.

Anima Escola 2009

Está em pleno curso o Anima Escola 2009, um programa de capacitação na linguagem da animação especialmente concebido para as escolas. Pelo 8º ano consecutivo, o projeto é realizado em parceria com a Secretaria Municipal de Educação do Rio de Janeiro, e busca desenvolver nos alunos e professores sua própria expressão artística, construindo sua consciência crítica frente à massiva utilização desta linguagem pelos meios de comunicação. Além, é claro, de proporcionar aos envolvidos a experiência de criar seus próprios filmes animados!


Mais uma vez, o software MUAN é parceiro na empreitada, facilitando o processo e "revelando" com agilidade o resultado final dos trabalhos para os alunos. E mesmo depois de finalizado o projeto, o professor pode continuar trabalhando com seus alunos, criando e produzindo filmes de animação.

Aida Queiroz, uma das diretoras do Anima Mundi, no processo
de capacitação dos professores da Rede Municipal do Rio

Apesar de não ser o objetivo final do Anima Escola, alguns dos filmes produzidos pelos alunos acabam ganhando visibilidade fora do programa. Foram os casos, por exemplo, do Pequeno Cordel do Sapo Voador, que ganhou o prêmio de melhor roteiro no Festival MostraMundo de Recife, em 2005, e do divertido (e talvez assustador) Baletéia e a Boneca Misteriosa, filme criado na oficina realizada no Núcleo de Artes Alencastro Guimarães (RJ), que ganhou menção honrosa no 13º Vitória Cine Vídeo, em 2006.

Cena da animação Baletéia...,
que pode ser assistida aqui