Oh My God, Oh My God, It's Almost Here!!!

Courtesy: Warner Bros. Pictures, of course.

Planet Comicon 2012 Dates Announced

Planet Comicon promoter Chris Jackson announced the dates for next year’s event on Facebook. Kansas City’s largest comics and pop culture convention will be held April 14 and 15, 2012.


For more details, check out the original article posted on June 21, 2011 by Kirk Chritton

Byron Cohen Gallery offers online animated exhibit

Continuation of current ONLINE EXHIBITION at Byron Cohen Gallery

Barry Anderson : New Work

Janus (1) from Barry Anderson on Vimeo.

A selection of Barry's video animations will be on view in a solo exhibition at the Walter Maciel Gallery in Los Angeles July 16-August 19.

New work is being created for the exhibition Between Thee and Me to be held at both the Kansas City Jewish Museum of Contemporary Art and the Greenlease Gallery at Rockhurst University later in the summer.

Two new images will be featured on the MO Bank art billboards in the Kansas City Crossroads district beginning in August.

WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING
Where many earlier video artists saw video as an alternative to the relative clarity of film, and often employed it as a means for revealing "real time," or critiquing mass media, Anderson instead embraces the nonlinear structure and high definition of digital filmmaking to encourage aesthetic confusions between art and commerce, document and fiction.
- April Watson : Associate Curator, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

Barry Anderson's investment in new media - not only in its capabilities, but in the vision that it engenders - deepens our own. To witness a survey of Anderson's work is to re-experience our own wondrous apprehension of the changing world around us - changing, that is, according to our new, ever-more-elaborate technologies. Oddly, and thankfully, enough, what Anderson's work does for us is slow down our sense of technological evolution - a sense that has threatened to overwhelm us in its increasing acceleration - by slowing down our experience of technological innovation.
- Peter Frank, Senior Curator, Riverside Art Museum

Online Film Quiz I Owned!

Animation quiz online.

I defy you to beat theresidentfilmsnob's time.

Joshua Lucht scored 100% on the

"Animated Movie Quiz!?!" Quiz

100%

20 out of 20 correct, 1 minute, 49 seconds

Flixster: Quizzes - Trailers - Movies

Conference Chair Peter Braccio Talks SIGGRAPH 2011 to AWN

Find out what's in store when SIGGRAPH goes to Vancouver this summer.

posted on AWN by Bill Desowitz, Wednesday, June 15, 2011 at 3:21 pm

IFCKC Presents The One Night Stand Project

Article written by Justin Gardner of CinemaKC, Tuesday, June 7th, 2011 at 2:05 am  

Next Saturday, CinemaKC presents the 11th Annual One Night Stand by the Independent Filmmakers Coalition of Kansas City (IFCKC) on June 18 at the Screenland Armour Theater on 408 Armour Rd. in North Kansas City. The program includes a mixer at 6:30pm followed by the screenings and a Q&A with filmmakers starting at 7:30pm.

The One Night Stand filmmaking challenge is simple. Starting at 9:30 am on Saturday, June 18th, teams will have just ten hours to conceive, shoot and produce a short film, to be screened at 7:30pm that same evening. All of the teams are given a theme, a required line of dialogue, and a prop to use in the film. No production can be done prior to the event.

“It’s similar to most of the forty-eight hour competitions,” says IFC president Brian Boye, “except we did it first. The One Night Stand was one of the first timed competitions in the country. This will be our eleventh year, and it keeps getting better.”

Teams will have just 10 hours to write scripts, rehearse, shoot, and edit the short films. The final length of each story will be determined by the number of teams that enter the competition. The entry fee for teams is $30, and there is no limit to the number of teams or team members.

The One Night Stand has been one of the more successful fund-raising events for the IFCKC, a 501(c)3 organization that works to help local independent filmmakers gain experience and learn more about the filmmaking process. Professionals, semi-pros, and hobbyists all participate in the organization’s events, and some have gone on to be successful professionals in the film industry. Admission will be $10 for IFCKC members, $15 for non-members. Download the One Night Stand entry form by clicking that link.

For more information, follow us on Facebook.com/CinemaKC.

CinemaKC’s Strategic Partners are ArtsKC, Film Commission of Greater Kansas City, Blackberry Castle Productions, Film Society of Greater Kansas City, Independent Filmmaker’s Coalition, Kansas City Film Critics Circle, Kansas City FilmFest, Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee, Kansas City Fringe Festival, Kansas City Screenwriters, Kansas City Urban Film Festival, Kansas City Women in Film and TV, Kansas Film Commission, Kansas International Film Festival, Missouri Film Commission, Missouri Motion Media Association, Reel Spirit, Thank You Walt Disney, UMKC Film Department, United Motion Picture Association, University of Kansas Film and Media Studies, Variety the Children’s Charity of Greater Kansas City, and Women of the Motion Picture Industry.

CinemaKC’s Business Alliances are Allied Integrated Marketing, Allied Theatre Craft, American Heartland Theatre, Haywood Marketing Communications, Kansas City Area Development Council, KC Stage Magazine, KC Studio, Prizm Productions, Screenland Armour, Screenland Crossroads, Screenland Crown Center, StagePort KC, Substream Music and Sound Design and T2.

KAFF Animation Collection on Daazo.com

Press Release from Kecskemet Animation Film Festival

Hungary’s Kecskemet Animation Film Festival is celebrating its 10th edition this year. On this occasion 15 animated shorts connected to KAFF were collected and made available in a dedicated channel for a broad audience at Daazo.com - The European Short Film Centre.

Apropos of the KAFF jubilee the finest award-winning films of the previous nine festivals are included in this special edition. The oldest piece is Mária Horváth’s Door No. 8, which won the award for Best Short Film at the very first KAFF in 1985. From the competition in 1993 Béla Weisz is represented with his animation Sprinkling that won the most prestigious award, the Grand Prix of the festival. The latest piece Ariadne’s Thread made by Attila Bertóti was the winner of the Best Short Film Award at the last festival in 2009.

KAFF 2011 celebrates among others the round birthdays of such acclaimed Hungarian animation directors as Marcell Jankovics and Zsolt Richly who turn seventy and Ferenc Cakó, István Orosz, Zoltán Szilágyi Varga who have their sixtieth birthday this year. In this online collection you can find a piece from each birthday director. Marcell Jankovics world-famous animation director is represented by one of his masterpieces Fight. It was the winner of Palme d'Or for Best Short Film in 1977 and shows an unquestionable talent of anatomic drawing skill and animation competency. Ferenc Cakó one of the most well-known Hungarian animation film director gets a place in the collection with his Golden Bear-winning animation Ashes, which was created with his groundbreaking sand animation technique.

2011 is a double celebration for the fans of animation, as in addition to the 10th KAFF, Kecskemétfilm Studio is also celebrating another important anniversary: the 40th year of its foundation. In the spirit of the jubilee some of the most successful earlier creations of the studio are also included in the collection.

Daazo.com is a community website for sharing and watching professional European short films supported by the MEDIA Programme of the European Union. Besides creating a community website for young European filmmakers, Daazo.com also serves as an archive of classic European short films. The aim of the KAFF Animation Collection is to preserve and maneuver these hidden masterpieces into the spotlight.

The KAFF Animation Collection is available now on www.daazo.com/kaff2011. To learn more about the films visit our blog and watch the pieces of the KAFF Animation Collection online!

D23 Expo to Host Exclusive Advance Screening of The Lion King in 3D

Press Release from D23 Expo

Fans attending Disney’s D23 Expo (August 19-21, 2011) will have access to an exclusive advance screening of “The Lion King” in Disney Digital 3D, ahead of the film’s highly anticipated theatrical and home entertainment releases, The Walt Disney Studios announced today. The screening will be held August 20 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.

“With Disney fans coming from all over the world to experience the D23 Expo, we’ve got the perfect setting and the perfect audience to share in the 3D launch of ‘The Lion King,’ ” said Steven Clark, head of D23. “We’re thrilled to bring our most devoted fans an exclusive look at one of the most iconic and beloved Disney films of all time. This is Pride Rock in a way it’s never been seen before.”

The Circle of Life takes on a new dimension as Simba, Mufasa, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa grace the screen once again, this time in breathtaking 3D. Beginning Sept. 16, a special two-week theatrical extravaganza will showcase the Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning film on the big screen in Disney Digital 3D for the first time ever, followed up by the home entertainment debut Oct. 4, celebrating the Diamond Edition release of the epic movie “The Lion King” in high-definition Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D.

Released in 1994, “The Lion King” remains one of the most successful animated films of all time. The classic tale of the African savanna wowed audiences worldwide with spectacular hand-drawn animation along with inspiring songs by Sir Elton John and Tim Rice, plus an evocative score by renowned composer Hans Zimmer. Three years later, the landmark film was adapted into a Tony Award®-winning musical, becoming an instant hit on Broadway, where earlier this year it became the seventh longest-running show ever. Winning over 70 major awards, it has delighted more than 55 million theatergoers around the globe.

ABOUT D23 EXPO 2011

The D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings the entire world of Disney under one roof, providing attendees with unprecedented access to Disney films, television and theme parks as never before. Tickets for the D23 Expo 2011 fall into three different pricing tiers, based on purchase date (visit http://www.d23expo.com/ for details), and D23 Members can enjoy additional savings plus members-only benefits. Multi-day money-saving tickets are also available for both D23 Members and the general public.

ABOUT D23

The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official community for fans in Disney’s 88-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication Disney twenty-three; a rich website at www.disney.com/D23; a new collectibles line, the Walt Disney Archives Collection; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year, highlighted by the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, August 19-21, 2011. Fans can join D23 at www.Disney.com/D23, all Disney Store locations within the United States, select shops at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort and at www.DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow us “DisneyD23” at Twitter and on Facebook.

35th Annecy International Animation Film Festival is off and running

Press release 6th June 2011

The 35th Annecy International Animation Film Festival is off and running

6th June: Here we go for a panoramic view!

Resolutely turned towards the future, this edition once again promises to be totally awesome, bewildering, brimming over with surprises and packed full of colour! Annecy is an undeniable success, year after year. The number of films received is still on the rise, with 1,986 productions from the different categories scrutinized by the selection committees.

Monday 6th June

• 8:30 pm Opening ceremony (by invitation), screening of Studio Shorts (Pixar, Disney...).
• 10:15 pm Gaint screen, Pâquier lawn: Rango
• 10:30 pm Musée-Château courtyard: Popeye and the Thousand and One Nights by Dave Fleischer, free entry

Tuesday 7th June 

• 10:30 am Bonlieu Grande salle: Colorful (feature film in competition)
• 11:30 am-1:00 pm Mifa Creative Focus, Events area: Walt Disney Animation Studios and Sony Pictures Animation recruitment session
• 3:00-6:00 Gobelins Annecy: "3D Animator" open day (CITIA cinema theatre)
• 4:00 pm Bonlieu Grande salle: The Rabbi’s Cat (feature film in competition)
• 6:00 pm Décavision 2: Travelling, 70 Years of Animation at the NFB, Tradition of Innovation
• 8:30 pm Bonlieu Grande salle: The Prodigies (feature fi lm out of competition) with Antoine Charreyron (director), Viktor Antonov (creator of the visual concept), Humberto Ramos and Francisco Herrera (character designers)
• 10:15 pm Giant screen, the Pâquier: Gnomeo and Juliet

Wednesday 8th June

• 9:30 am Mifa opens
• 9:30 am-12:30 pm Chambre de métiers: conference Feature Films: 4 Case Studies, Chico & Rita, Pinocchio, Soul Man and Zarafa.
• 11:00 am-12:30 pm Bonlieu Petite salle: Ernest & Célestine (WIP) with Daniel Pennac
• 4:00 pm Bonlieu Grande salle: Chico & Rita (feature fi lm in competition)
• 6:00 pm Bonlieu Petite salle: Studio Shorts (Pixar, Disney...)
• 4:30-6:00 pm Bonlieu Festival boutique: signing session with Nicolas Poupon and Bruno Solo, Le Fond du bocal
• 10:15 pm Gaint screen, the Pâquier: Rio presented by Carlos Saldanha

Thursday 9th June

• Noon Décavison 1: screening of the fi rst 3D footage of Un monstre à Paris with Bibo Bergeron (director) and Philippe Kaempf (director of EuropaCorp Distribution)
• 2:00-4:00 pm Bonlieu Petite salle: Making of "Rango" with Hal Hickel, Head of Animation at Industrial Light & Magic (USA)

Friday 10th June

• 9:30-11:00 am Bonlieu Petite salle: Space Pirate – Captain Harlock (WIP)
• 11:00 am-12:30 pm Bonlieu Petite salle: The Boy with the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (WIP)
• 2:00-4:00 pm Bonlieu Petite salle: Making of "Rio" with director Carlos Saldanha (Ice Age)
• 6:00-8:00 pm Bonlieu Petite salle: Leiji Matsumoto, a Knight of Eternity master class
• 8:00 pm Mifa, La Plage: Annecy 2011 YouTube press conference and prize ceremony
• 10:15 pm Giant screen, the Pâquier: How to Train Your Dragon, CANAL+FAMILY evening 

Saturday 11th June

• 3:00-5:00 pm Fnac: Meeting with Mathias Malzieu
• 4:00 pm Salle Pierre Lamy: Ciné-concert, 1st Cimfa animation music composition
• 6:00 pm Décavision 3&4: Osamu Tezuka’s Buddha – The Great Departure (feature fi lm out of competition)
• 8:00 pm Bonlieu Grande salle: Closing award ceremony (by invitation)
• 10:15 pm Giant screen, the Pâquier: prizewinning films

For full programme details and up to the minute news: http://www.annecy.org/

Cinesite Announces Four Winners of Its 2011 Inspire Internship Programme

Cinesite, one of the world’s leading film visual effects houses, today announced that it’s awarded places on its 2011 Inspire internship programme to four exceptional candidates – Luke Armstrong, Ruairi Twohig, Eleanor Bond and Tom Flavelle. The winners were chosen from more than 200 applicants for their exceptional compositing, modelling and texturing skills. The placements will commence in June and run for six weeks.

Luke Armstrong is from Reading, Berkshire, and is graduating from Portsmouth University this summer after studying for a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Animation. He was chosen for his broad range of basic compositing skills. Ruairi Twohig from Sandymount, Dublin, has graduated from the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art, Design and Technology with a Bachelor of Arts in Animation. His interest is in compositing, but he was chosen for his good understanding of VFX disciplines across 2D and 3D. Both Luke and Ruairi will be mentored by Cinesite’s compositing team.

Eleanor Bond and Tom Flavelle are both graduating this summer from Bournemouth University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Visualisation and Animation. Eleanor, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, was chosen for the detailed sculpture, realistic shading and textures demonstrated by her showreel. Tom was chosen for his mix of environment and character work.His hometown is Truro in Cornwall. Both interns will be mentored by Cinesite’s modelling and texturing team.

The judging team was overwhelmed by the level of talent demonstrated by this year’s entries. “All of the candidates' showreels conveyed enthusiasm and hunger to break into the visual effects industry,” commented Antony Hunt, managing director of Cinesite. “We see great benefit for the industry in continuing to grow the Inspire programme year-on-year as it’s this next generation of talent that will enable our industry to evolve. I wish Luke, Ruairi, Eleanor and Tom the best of luck with their placements and hope they enjoy their time with us.”

Cinesite’s Inspire internship programme is in its second successful year. Last year’s winners, Alex Betancourt and Chris Mulcaster, were both given full-time roles at the company after completing their placements, working on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. They’re both now working on the upcoming Disney/Pixar film, John Carter of Mars.

International Photo Contest: Children and the 2012 Election

We are pleased to announce that Colors of Life, a non-profit, non-partisan organization, which uses the emotional power of photography to advance charitable activities, has chosen Every Child Matters to be the beneficiary of its annual international photo contest. Previous beneficiaries have included a children’s hospital in the U.S., an institute for children with special needs in Guatemala, and a micro-credit financing organization for women in Afghanistan.

The theme of the contest, naturally, is ‘Every Child Matters’. ECM intends to create a nationwide traveling exhibition of the top 30 photos to draw public attention to the needs of children. The exhibition will visit major American cities from November of 2011 right up to the 2012 November election.

If you or someone you know have an interest in photography, this could be a great way to get your own work seen by a panel of veteran photographers, while giving child advocacy a boost. The 3 top photos will be selected by the National Portrait Gallery’s curator of photography. Visit colorsoflife.org/photocontest to learn more about the contest. Submissions of up to 3 photos may be made until June 30, 2011.

First Friday Art Event - The American Spirit

First Friday Art Event

"The American Spirit"

June 3rd, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

and June 4th, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Buttonwood Art Space, 3013 Main Street, KC MO

"The American Spirit" art show is full of images from the creativity of American artists and their views of our land, people, and all that makes us American. Come see america through the eyes of the artists. Join us for art, jazz, and fun!

Burgers by Westport Flea Market

Beer by Weston Brewing Company

Jazz by Dan Thomas Trio featuring Chris Clarke and Michael Warren