Over 550 Films From 42 Countries Submitted for KAFI 2009
Some 557 films have been submitted from animators in 42 countries for the fifth Kalamazoo Animation Festival International, set for May 14-17 in downtown Kalamazoo, and they will be vying for $15,000 in prize money. The entries from Europe originated from Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Finland, Bulgaria, The Czech Republic, France, Estonia, Georgia, Switzerland, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Portugal, The Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Romania, Spain, Serbia, and Russia. In addition to the 287 entries from 32 of the 50 United States, animators from Argentina, Mexico, Canada, Chile, and Brazil have submitted entries in the various categories of competition. Africa is represented by both South Africa and Nigeria. Other countries in the “United Nations of Animation” include Australia, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Turkey, Singapore, The Philippines, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, Iran, and India. The 2007 KAFI attracted 502 animators from 36 countries as the Kalamazoo event lived up to the “international” aspects of its name. Meanwhile, the festival’s benchmark event, the “Cartoon Challenge”™, has attracted inquiries from a dozen colleges and universities across North America. Ten will be chosen by judges to take part in that competition.
Now held every other year and sponsored by Kalamazoo Valley Community College, the four-day festival salutes the art form of animation and its entertainment, education and entrepreneurial functions. Entries in past KAFIs have been nominated for Academy Awards and were awarded Oscars at the prestigious event.
During the Thursday-through-Saturday period, attendees can experience a film festival targeted for both adults and children that includes screenings of the entries chosen as finalists in the KAFI competitions. Professional development seminars, training sessions for students, distinctive family-oriented events, and a one-day conference for educators are offered to enhance animation skills, prep young people for careers, and use this creative medium as a tool for teaching and business ventures.
In addition to programs tailored to those who view animation as a profession and an art form, KAFI 2009 will offer free events for people who equate cartoons with fun and entertainment. One new addition to the fifth KAFI will be hands-on activities designed for children and family-oriented attractions.
Another new twist will be festival events that link the worlds of music and animation, as majors in those artistic fields at Western Michigan University and KVCC combine their creative talents to produce animation based on original compositions. These teams will compete for $5,000 in prize money. Their productions - under the umbrella of what is called the Kalamazoo Animation and Music Competition - will be part of the festival agenda.
Already booked for a presentation is Mike Mitchell, who is directing Shrek Goes Fourth for DreamWorks. One of the highlights of KAFI 2007 was a special preview screening of Shrek The Third.
The “Cartoon Challenge”™ will have teams from animation programs spanning North America, engaging in a “24/4” cartoon-creating competition prior to the convening of the 2009 KAFI. The 10 teams chosen to compete will arrive at KVCC's Center for New Media in downtown Kalamazoo on the Sunday preceding festival week and bivouac there. Their objective will be to conceive, script, design, and produce a 15 to 30 second animated feature on a public-service topic over the four days. The teams don't know the topic until the competition begins.
All of the activities and events will be held in KVCC's Center for New Media, Anna Whitten Hall, and the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, with the major screenings booked for the historic State Theatre. Kalamazoo’s Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, which joined with the college as the prime sponsor of the four previous festivals, is again the key financial supporter.
Nuts-and-bolts information about all KAFI activities, the new Kalamazoo Animation and Music Competition, and the “Cartoon Challenge”™ can be obtained throughout this website, or by contacting Maggie Noteboom at the festival office at (269) 373-7883.
