Here comes our favourite weekend!!

Right here in Wagga Wagga, we bring a selection of the world’s finest recently released short animated films, mix those up with a few classics, try and think of something intelligent to say about them all, turn off the lights and show ‘em! Shazzam!

We finalised the films for the International Programs in March after sifting through the 2000+ entries we received over summer... and we're very excited to tell you that it's a particularly good year for auteur anuimation. And of course, we'll be sure to keep up the very fine AIAF traditions of special prizes and surprise screenings.

Stay tuned for updates and news…. but in the meantime block out the AIAF weekend in May.

You know you want to!

Fri 14 May
6.00pm – International Program #1
8.00pm – SIGGRAPH Wrap-Up

Sat 15 May
2.00pm – Kids Screening (4-7 years old)
4.00pm – Animation 101
5.00pm – Animation 102
6.00pm – Australian Panorama
8.00pm – International Program #2
9.30pm – Late Night Bizarre

Sun 16 May
2.00pm – Kids Screening (4-7 years old)
4.00pm – Animation 103
6.00pm – International Program #3
7.30pm – Digital Panorama

International Programs (Competition)
The backbone of the AIAF line-up. These screenings gather together the very best recently released short, auteur animations from the 2,000+ submissions we receive from 40+ countries. Three programs cover every imaginable style and genre and the Digital Panorama focuses on the finest new CG gems.

SIGGRAPH Wrap-Up
SIGGRAPH is without doubt one of the most important gathering points for the international digerati. Whether it is short films, ads, software demo reels, trailers or music videos, SIGGRAPH exists to bring the finest digital animators and their work together. This year, we bring the very best works from SIGGRAPH Asia and the ‘mainland’ USA SIGGRAPH (held in New Orleans) to the big screen.

Australian Panorama
One of our most popular and important programs. Showcasing Australian animation is what AIAF loves to do best and, as a result, it’s this program that we tour nationally and internationally. The program will feature a collection of the best, recently released Australian animated shorts and will present local work in all of its diverse glory.

Late Night Bizarre
When your mailbag fills with more than 2000 short animated films, as ours does each year, there’s going to be some pretty ‘wrong’ moments. This AIAF favourite brings together a collection of the strangest, most mind-expanding indescribables from that mailbag and puts them up on the big screen where we can all have a good look at them. Some are fall-over funny, some are outlandishly odd, some are just impenetrably imponderable. Together, they are Late Night Bizarre. Buckle up Spanky!

Kids Program
A very special program of films selected to spark the imaginations of our littlest, most special audience. Heaps better than Saturday morning TV and not a toy ad in sight!

Animation 101 - Malcolm Turner
“Adventures In Ancient Animation”, FREE
AIAF Co-Director, Malcolm Turner travels extensively in the course of pulling together this festival. This year his adventures included a spending a truly inspiring weekend in deepest Somerset trawling through an awesome archive of old “Felix The Cat” episodes, hanging out with Autour de Minuit who are one of Europe’s most impressive producers & distributors of digital animation, sorting out tour details with Edouard Salier who produces very ‘big-concept’ films, learning a lot more about the guy who animated Donald Duck, learning heaps about historical Australian animation, finally got round to sorting out a Slinky Pics Tribute program and dropped in on a dozen or so festivals. From this unique perspective, Turner will discuss these adventures in colourful detail as well as present an up to date snapshot of the contemporary indie international animation scene – complete with a special selection of the old and new films that excited him most.

Animation 102 - Chris Pahlow
"Blending Animation & Live Action", FREE
Nestled in London’s Brick Lane sits one of our all time favourite animation studios – Slinky Pics.
Co-founded by producer Maria Manton and animator/director Chris Shepherd, Slinky has produced a truly stunning catalogue of short animated films. There has not been a single AIAF that has not shown a Slinky Pics film. In addition to Shepherd, Slinky Pics has provided a home base for a truly impressive family of British animators. Leigh Hodgkinson, Bunny Schendler, Emily Skinner, Suzanne Deakin and Laura Heit have all produced films under Slinky’s roof that have shown in previous AIAFs. And the REALLY good news is that one of Slinky Pic’s most successful animators – Lucy Izzard – will travel to AIAF to present this very special program and talk about the Slinky magic.

Animation 103 - Animation 103: Lucy Izzard
International Guest (UK): A Special Presentation + Q&A, FREE
Lucy studied animation at the Kingston-Upon-Thames University in the UK. Her graduation film “Tea Total” won the BBC Three New Animator Award in 2005. On the strength of this, Lucy was commissioned by BBC Three to write and direct two short films – “One Of The Family” and “Come Rain Or Shine”. These films screened all over the world and cemented her position in the British animation scene and lead to her being invited to join Slinky Pics, one of London’s most innovative indie animation studios. Lucy will screen some of her own films, a selection of her favourites from the Slinky Pics archive and will wrap up the presentation with the WORLD PREMIERE of her latest film “Lucky”.

(NB Programs are subject to change)