SPARK ANIMATION 2024: Festival Jury, Dates & First Titles Announced
Skwigly
The Spark Computer Graphics Society (SPARK CG), a non-profit dedicated to fostering the computer graphics industry, proudly announces the 16th annual SPARK ANIMATION. This year’s festival is set to be the largest yet, running from 31 October to 3 November 2024 in Vancouver, Canada, with online programming extended until 31 December 2024. The event is both Oscar®-Accredited and Canadian Cinema & Television-Accredited, making it one of the most prestigious festivals in the region.
SPARK ANIMATION 2024 allows global creators to qualify for the Academy Awards® and the Canadian Cinema & Television Academy’s Best Animated Short category without a traditional theatrical run. The hybrid event will feature a diverse lineup of film premieres, presentations, talks, Q&As, artist alley, and networking opportunities.
The festival opens with the Canadian Premiere of Claude Barras’ ecological fable Savages. The screening is supported by the Consulate General of Switzerland in Vancouver. Other highlights include:
- The Sloth Lane – charming family drama directed by Tania Vincent & Ricard Cussó – Canadian Premiere
- (S)KiDS – Leslie Solis’ punk rock musical, featuring all-new music by Vancouver’s Rare Americans – North American Premiere
- Sunburnt Unicorn – adventure story from Alberta’s Nicholas Johnson – BC Premiere
- Dounia: The Great White North – the continuing adventure of Dounia and her family from director André Kadi & Marya Zarif – Western Canadian Premiere
The festival will close with the Canadian Premiere of Naoko Yamada’s acclaimed film The Colours Within.
Meet the Festival Jury
SPARK ANIMATION’s renowned jury, featuring professionals from across the industry, will oversee the festival’s competitions. The full jury includes:
- Alan Barillaro – Author and Film Director, Passion Pictures
- Alyssa Zárate – Art Director and Environment Supervisor, The VFX Mentor
- Athena Georgaklis – Executive Producer, Independent
- David Mullins – Co-Founder, CCO, Writer, and Director, ElectroLeague
- Dawn Fidrick – Production Team Manager, DNEG
- Don Perro – Senior Lecturer, Capilano University
- Jinko Gotoh – Producer, Sony Pictures Animation
- Kenny Park – Artist, Klei Entertainment
- Melissa Tierney – Producer, Animal Logic
- Rick Mischel – CEO and Founder, Artists Animation Studio
Marina Antunes, Festival Director of SPARK ANIMATION, shared her excitement:
“We are thrilled to offer another year of groundbreaking animation and to be recognized not only by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences but also by the Canadian Academy. This year’s jury will have the tough job of selecting the “Best in Show” and other prize winners among such diverse and creative projects.”
Since its founding, SPARK ANIMATION has supported and uplifted many animators, with seven previous “Best in Show” winners earning Oscar® nominations. This year’s winner will again be eligible for Academy Awards® consideration and the “Best Canadian Film” award for the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television.
Tickets for select in-person programming are available now at sparkanimation.ca.
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