Fast becoming one of the most popular animation festivals in the world, the 2015 Melbourne International Animation Festival hits Melbourne’s ACMI at Federation Square from June 21 for eight filmtastic days.
This years’ festival includes the now highly sought after two day RENDER Animation Conference, The Centenary of Australian Animation Symposium, Max Hattler Is In The Room, Meet the Filmmaker presentations, a free Careers in Animation forum (presented by Holmesglen), and an extended group of impressive international and local guests.
Kicking off with the all important and much-loved Australian Showcase, other highlights across the 2015 Festival include; Panorama Programs, Best of the Next Student Festival, Late Night Bizarre, Kids Program, Music Video and the ever popular Best of the Fest.
As well as the core International Competition Programs this year there are also a diverse collection of excep- tional curated programs including; Signe Baumane, Window On Slovakia, Irish Stories: Brown Bag Films, and Late Night Frederator. It’s EPIC.
The Melbourne International Animation Festival celebrates the best current, retrospective and historical ani- mated films from around the world with a myriad of screenings, workshops, kids programs and presentations over eight days. Pushing audiences beyond the boundaries of universal assumptions about animation, MIAF15 is challenging, surprising, and magical. There’s something for everyone!
Full program details and event descriptions: www.miaf.net
MIAF15 SNAPSHOT:
~ Opening Night – Australian Showcase: (21 June, 7:30pm): MIAF’s annual showcase of the best new Australian animation. The biggest collection of new Australian animation screened anywhere with introductions by many of the filmmakers. Hot ticket films include Husk, The Orchestra and The Story of Percival Pilts, which comes com- plete with it’s own Oscar buzz.
~ RENDER Animation Conference (22, 23 June, 9am-5pm): The annual RENDER Animation Conference is a unique opportunity to experience a diverse range of detailed presentations offered by an impressive roster of international and Australian animation experts. Full line-up online here: www.miaf.net/render
~ Symposium – Centenary Of Australian Animation (22, 23, 25, 27, 28 June): this momentous Symposium is the ideal opportunity to honour some of the great achievements of the Australian animation landscape and talk to some of the people who made it happen, as well as those carrying the baton forward.
~ Max Hattler Is In The Room (24 June, 7pm): World renowned multi-media artist Max Hattler will present a collection of his films, and moving image video art. A prolific and much sought after animator, Hattler is an ener- getic and engaging presenter and his imagination knows few limits.
~ Special invited guest, Signe Baumane (27, 28 June): Signe Baumane is one of the world’s more challenging and confronting animators. Her potent honesty infiltrates and energises every fissure of her work. She travels to Melbourne to present a retrospective of her short films spanning nearly two decades, and will conduct a spe- cial Q&A after the screening of her hand-made, independent animated feature Rocks In My Pockets.
~ International Competition Programs: Seven programs running across the Festival, from 3500+ entries MIAF have created a diverse selection of the best new animated short films from around the workld.
~ Window on Slovakia (27 June, 4:30pm and 6:30pm): Animation has a rich and varied heritage in Slovakia, a land often caught between multiple cultures and conflicting influences. These two programs shine a light on the small but intensely creative Slovakian animation spectrum.
~ Late Night Bizarre (27 June, 10pm): One of MIAF’s most popular programs. This is animation that hunts you down and beats you bad. You can run but you’ll only die tired. Not for the faint-hearted or the pre-offended, this is MIAF’s moment to run amok.
~ Kids Program (27 June, 1pm): This program returns the simple fascination and wonder of animation to Kids. Not a toy ad in sight, it has been carefully chosen to connect with the imaginations of the most discerning audi- ence there is. Lots of clever animals, plenty of laughs and a couple of scary moments for good measure.
The Melbourne International Animation Festival is proudly supported by Screen Australia, Film Victoria and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image.
RENDER Animation Conference 22 – 23 June, 2015
RENDER 2 Day Early Bird: $99 (Until 1 June) RENDER 2 Day: $165 Full, $140 Concession
MIAF15
21 – 28 June, 2015
ACMI Cinemas: Federation Square, Melbourne TICKETS/PASSES: For full details visit www.miaf.net/tickets
Bookings: 03 8663 2583, www.miaf.net or in person at ACMI Tickets and Information Desk. Facebook/Twitter/Instagram @animationfest