In line with the Annecy Festival‘s spotlight on Mexican animation, Women in Animation has tapped accomplished artist and Emmy Award winner Sandra Equihua (El Tigre, Maya and the Three) to create the imagery for this year’s WIA World Summit. Taking place Monday, June 12, the day-long event is themed this year “Break the Box: Gender and Leadership.”
In an interview with WIA, Equihua shared her inspiration for the piece: “I’m hoping people understand that the representation in the diverse colors pouring out of this tunnel is the range and diversity in the WIA group. We must work together, and weave together to go upwards.” When asked her thoughts on the Mexican Animation focus, she added, “It’s an extraordinary honor! I hope we don’t get too rowdy and scare off the locals.”
Equihua was born in Tijuana, where she graduated from Ibero University with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design. As a graphic designer, illustrator and character designer, she has collaborated on projects with her husband, Jorge Gutierrez, and with major studios such as WB, Disney, Nickelodeon and Netflix. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son.
VIEW Conference has announced a trio of award-winning animation and visual effects filmmaking legends have joined the roster of speakers for the 2023 edition, taking place October 15-20 in Turin, Italy. Registration is now open for the English-language event. The just-announced speakers are:
- Henry Selick, the Academy Award-nominated director of stop-motion feature films including LAIKA’s BAFTA Award-winning Coraline, which he wrote, directed and co-produced, and most recently Wendell & Wild for Netflix. Attending in person, he will share his wealth of talent and experience at VIEW Conference 2023. Selick will also deliver a special workshop giving attendees a once-in-a-lifetime chance to interact with and learn from a true master of his craft.
- Doug Chiang, Academy Award winner and VP/Executive Creative Director of Lucasfilm, oversees designs for the Star Wars franchise, including films, theme parks, games and new media. He will be attending VIEW Conference 2023 in person, appearing live on stage to deliver a special presentation on his inspiring work. In addition, Chiang will lead a hands-on workshop giving attendees an unrivaled opportunity to learn from and work with an authentic design genius.
- Hal Hickel is one of Industrial Light & Magic’s most experienced animation supervisors. He will appear live on stage at VIEW Conference 2023 with an eye-popping presentation on the extraordinary animation and visual effects of the award-winning Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian – Season 3. Hickel will also bring to the event his unique skills as a mentor, inviting the VIEW Conference audience to ‘ask him anything’ about the world of animation and VFX.
The 25th Bucheon International Animation Festival (BIAF) unveiled the 2023 poster, designed by Alain Ughetto, the director of last year’s Grand Prize-winning feature No Dogs or Italians Allowed.
“In search of a better future, men, women and children cross the mountain, risking everything. They leave to work for a long time. They leave with suitcases, shovels, and pickaxes. Where do they come from? And where are they heading?” — Alain Ughetto
The stop-motion film about Ughetto’s own family history of immigrating from Italy to France, also received a Special Jury Award from Annecy ’22 and the European Film Award for best animated feature.
The BIAF2023 trailer, also directed by Ugetto, will be released in September. The Festival will be held from October 20-24 in Korea, just outside Seoul. (biaf.or.kr)
After growing attendance by 20% in its 2022 event, MIA International Audiovisual Market (miamarket.it) will return to Rome from October 9-13. The 9th edition will again present the global AV industry with a curated market — a physical and digital space for animation, documentary, drama and film professionals.
Organized by Gaia Tridente and promoted by ANICA and APA, MIA is among the top international forums dedicated to content co-production, financing strategies and business models, sales and distribution, talents and projects circulation. Its program encompasses a dedicated Co-production Market and Pitching Forums, Market Screenings, Content Showcases, b2b meetings, tailored networking activities as well as an impressive line-up of conferences.
One of the world’s biggest entertainment franchises and centuries of Japanese craft techniques come together in “POKÉMON X KOGEI | Playful Encounters of Pokémon and Japanese Craft,” the new exhibition coming to JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles from July 25, 2023 to January 7, 2024. The show will swap out certain artworks during its run, giving attendees an opportunity to view new artwork on return visits.
Debuting in the U.S. after opening to great acclaim at the Japan’s National Crafts Museum earlier this year, the exhibition features over 70 works created by 20 renowned Japanese artists using their skills and ever-evolving techniques in crafts including lacquer, ceramics, textiles, metalwork and other media to creatively channel the world of the globally popular Pokémon brand.
The exhibition showcases celebrated artists ranging from Japan’s living national treasure and metal artist Morihito Katsura, to exciting young artists like sculptor Taiichiro Yoshida. Ingenious creations include playful images of Pikachu, Rowlet, Litten and Popplio stencil-dyed onto silk cloth, Charizard integrated into a large ceramic jar, and a dazzling Jolteon sculpted from individual pieces of gold- and silver-plated copper hammered into the shape of lightning bolts.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts recently announced the BAFTA Television Craft Awards winners, awarding three honors of the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon. This include the VFX award, in which the fantasy drama was competing with Dangerous Liaisons, Gangs of London and Wednesday.
The honors bestowed on House of the Dragon (HBO, 1:26 Pictures, Bastard Sword, GRRM Productions; Sky Atlantic) are:
- Makeup & Hair Design — Amanda Knight, Barrie Gower, Rosalia Culora
- Sound: Fiction — Alastair Sirkett, Doug Cooper, Martin Seeley, Paula Fairfield, Tim Hands, Adele Fletcher
- Special, Visual & Graphic Effects — Angus Bickerton, Nikeah Forde, Asa Shoul, Mike Dawson; MPC, Pixomondo
The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences has opted to postpone the 50th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards and the Creative Arts & Lifestyle ceremony will be postponed in response to the current Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike). New dates are to be announced. These events used to present several animation honors which have since been spun off with the introduction of the Children’s & Family Emmys, which held its inaugural edition in December.
