Events
Call-For-Entries
KAFI is proud to present the Finalist Films for 2009. These films were selected from over 555 films from around the world for competition screening-judging in the Commissioned, Independent, Student and Web categories. This year's films have a variety of styles, story lines and techniques from the young artists (12 and under) to the seasoned professionals and independents. All films selected as a Finalist will be shown on the big screen during KAFI at the historic State Theatre in downtown Kalamazoo. This is art at it's finest. You won't want to miss this! Check the schedule for dates and times for these screenings.
Educators Conference
Igniting the spark of creativity through animation, the evolving technologies employed in this form of artistic expression, and teaching methods and strategies to appeal to today's growing "Gamer Generation" will be among the topics at a one-day conference for educators launching the fifth Kalamazoo Animation Festival International (KAFI).
The conference is scheduled for Thursday, May 14, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and will kick off the four-day KAFI, sponsored by Kalamazoo Valley Community College. The conference will be held at the college's Anna Whitten Hall in downtown Kalamazoo. The $185 fee entitles educators to take part in the entire festival, running through Sunday, May 17, also in downtown Kalamazoo. Purchase your pass here.
In addition to a speaker from a university in Portugal and professionals in the field, presenters and panelists will hail from schools of animation throughout North America, including Grand Valley State University, the Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in Toronto, Ohio State University, the International Academy of Design and Technology in Detroit, and the State University of New York in Fredonia.
Sessions will focus on:
- With today's students being raised with ready access to technology, the traditional classroom environment is changing, meaning that to reach the "Gamer Generation" requires new methodologies and strategies, and animation can play a role in that.
- How animation is becoming the focal point on interdisciplinary collaborations in the arts and sciences.
- Animation's current and emerging technologies, and software, and how many of these can be accessed at no cost.
- How the role of the animator is changing in today's professional and film-production world.
- The steps to take in establishing an introductory class in animation and how this expanding form of artistic creation can spark creativity in students.
...and more! See the complete listing of speakers and events for this great Educators Conference.
Kalamazoo Animation And Music Competition (KAAMC)
KAAMC is a pilot project for animation and music students from Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Western Michigan Universityto advance the appreciation of the two art forms in the visual and audio word. Teams of animators and composers create an original blended masterpiece to be judged and screened during KAFI.
KAAMC Application Form (128 KB)
KAAMC Guidelines & Rules (116 KB)
