Spark Computer Graphics Society (Spark CG) is again attracting top talents to Vancouver for SPARK ANIMATION 2018 to be held between 25-28 October.
Started in 2014, SPARK ANIMATION is a celebration of innovation and inspiration in the international field of animation. Along with a conference, business symposium and career fair, SPARK ANIMATION 2018 will again host an annual film festival, honouring animated features and shorts selected by a diverse list of independent/studio filmmakers, executives and industry leaders.
As a major highlight in its 10 year history, SPARK ANIMATION introduced festival film submissions and selected its first jury comprised of animation experts.
Spark CG and Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH president Sylvain Provencher, is pleased with the festival’s track record in selecting films that have gone on to win industry accolades. “We are proud to bring top innovators in animation to Vancouver to judge some of the world’s finest films in this category,” he said. Several films selected in 2017 went on to be nominated for Best Short Film (Animated) at the Oscars, including Garden Party, Negative Space, and Revolting Rhymes.
Over the years, the jury has featured directors, producers, educators, independent creators, studio visionaries and Oscar winners. The 2018 Festival Jury is no exception and includes the industry luminaries such as independent director, Ann Marie Fleming; Bardel Entertainment co-founder, Barry Ward; Capilano University senior faculty, Don Perro; Warner Bros. Animation executive producer, Jinko Gotoh; independent director, Lou Hamou-Lhadj; Nimble Collective co-Founder and CEO, Rex Grignon; independent director, Robin Joseph; Sony Pictures Imageworks VFX supervisor, Sue Rowe; Kaiken Entertainment president and co-founder Ulla Junell and DNEG head of build, Zoe Cranley.
Submissions are currently open for SPARK ANIMATION 2018 and the deadline has been extended from 27 August to 10 September. The festival has proudly honoured diversity and inclusion, ensuring a mix of animation styles, different languages, a diaspora of cultures, and a wide range of CG storytelling from the traditional to the abstract.