The 2016 Asian Animation Summit (AAS) is set to be held in Brisbane this November.
AAS is designed to attract animation practitioners interested in co-producing projects with partners in the Asia Pacific, as well as broadcasters, distributors and investors from the region and beyond.
During the three-day industry event, 24 new projects from Australia, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand and elsewhere in the Asia Pacific looking for financing and partners will be presented. Around 200 film practitioners are expected to converge on Brisbane for the event.
The summit will also coincide with the Asia Pacific Screen Awards (ASPA) and the opening night of Brisbane Asia Pacific Film Festival.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said showcasing the animated films and filmmakers of the Asia Pacific boosted the profile of Queensland as an international screen hub.
“The Queensland Government has attracted the Asian Animation Summit to Brisbane, which will provide great opportunities for Queensland and Australian animation producers to pitch their series to the world.
“I will continue to forge ahead, building relationships with companies to ensure Queensland is seen as the prime location for any new productions and that jobs will continue to be created for locals," Ms Palaszczuk said.
Screen Queensland CEO Tracey Vieira said hosting the AAS would help to position the state as a leader in innovative screen content production.
“The AAS facilitates the co-production of Asian-region animation projects for television, subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) services and the internet,” Ms Vieira said.
"Screen Queensland has already developed a number of successful Australian-first initiatives in this area, and I look forward to further developments.”
AAS will also be joined in Brisbane by another film industry event – the CILECT (The International Association of Film and Television Schools) Congress, which will bring together audio-visual education institution representatives from around the world.
The events are expected to bring a combined 400 delegates to Brisbane and, along with APSA’s international guests, will see more than 500 international film practitioners in the city at once.
APSA Chairman Michael Hawkins said the events would play an important part in delivering economic value to Brisbane.
“The awards will provide the perfect opportunity for the conference delegates and APSA guests and nominees to collaborate on a scale the film industry hasn’t seen in Australia before.
“In our 10th edition of APSA, we are delighted to showcase the creativity of our neighbouring cultures in the vast Asia Pacific region to an international audience of some 500 leading film practitioners.”
The Asian Animation Summit will be held November 22 – 24.