Animated Shorts from Woodbury University Students Accepted to Two International Animation Festivals

    BURBANK, CA, September 29, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Two animated shorts from Woodbury University's Animation program have been accepted to separate international animation festivals this fall, the university's School of Media, Culture & Design announced today.

Gator's Aid, an animated short from Woodbury 2017 B.F.A. graduate Tyler Rogers, will be screened at the International Short Film Animation Festival at Sony Pictures on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. Rogers directed, designed and animated Gator's Aid -- the tale of a comic encounter by a hapless bird and a mother alligator. The World Animation Celebration International Short Film Festival is a joint production of Animation Libation Studios and Animation Magazine. Hosted by Sony Pictures Animation, the event will showcase animated shorts from more than 45 countries. The weekend's schedule is packed with animated films, industry panels, guest speakers, portfolio reviews, recruiters, schools, guest artist demos and more.

"Selection by the World Animation Celebration is a tremendous, well-deserved honor for Tyler," said Sue Vessella, Dean, School of Media, Culture & Design. Ric Heitzman, Professor of Animation at Woodbury, added, "The festival showcases the best animated professional and student short films from around the globe, including CG, 2D traditional, 2D digital, stop motion and experimental - all of which makes Tyler's achievement even more significant. In terms of animation industry luminaries, the festival's panel of judges is absolutely stellar -- Stephen Chiodo, Rick Farmiloe, Anthea Kerou, Lee Lanier, Audu Paden, Sherie Pollack, Robb Pratt and Charles Solomon. That's among the reasons we're so incredibly proud of Tyler and delighted that Woodbury's animation program was able to support him in gaining this recognition."

Meanwhile, the animated short, Hide and Shriek, from Woodbury Animation's Junior Studio II course, has been accepted to the 2017 Palms Springs International Animation Festival and will screen on Nov. 10. Hide and Shriek is the story of a young girl's memories and fears sparked by attending a traditional Dia de Muertos celebration. The film is a collaborative effort by Dani Bowman, Chris Castillo, Connie Chakma, Ming Qian Huang, Andrew Hill and Tucker Joneson. Teaching the Junior Studio class were David Brain and Dori Littell-Herrick.

For its inaugural season, the Palm Springs International Animation Festival received more than 2,000 unique film entries from 92 countries. The team of jurors worked to select 150+ titles, from shorts to features, that showcase the breadth of the art form. Judging criteria include nine cinematic virtues: storytelling, humor, heart, ideas, originality, visual interest, craftsmanship, diversity and gut-level viewing pleasure. The festival will feature award-winning films from Cannes, Annecy, Tribeca and Sundance, with Oscar and Grammy artists and producers in a variety of styles from 2D, 3D, hand drawn, water color, oil painted, VFX & rotoscoping, experimental, sand, paper, anime, and stop-motion. The program will screen films for all ages in a variety of genres from drama, comedy and sci-fi, to fantasy, horror and abstract.

2017 World Animation Celebration Animation Festival, Sept. 30-Oct. 1: Doors open at 11:00 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday, at Sony Pictures Animation, 9050 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City. Tickets are available at https://www.worldanimationcelebration.com.

Palm Springs International Animation Festival, Nov. 10-11: The screening of "Hide and Shriek" is set for Nov. 10 at 11 a.m. at the Annenberg Theater, 101 North Museum Drive, Palm Springs, followed by a panel discussion at noon. For more information on tickets, visit http://www.psiaf.org/.

About Woodbury University
Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. The university ranks 15th among the nation's "25 Colleges That Add the Most Value," according to Money Magazine, was voted "Best Graduate School" in the Los Angeles Daily News 2017 Readers Choice Awards, and is a 2017-18 College of Distinction. Woodbury was a finalist for the General Community Service Award, a part of the 2015 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll recognition program. With campuses in Burbank/Los Angeles and San Diego, the university offers bachelor's degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media, Culture & Design, and College of Liberal Arts, along with a Master of Business Administration, Master of Architecture, Master of Interior Architecture and Master of Science in Architecture. The San Diego campus offers Bachelor of Architecture and Master of Architecture, Master of Interior Architecture and Master of Landscape Architecture degrees, as well as a Master of Science in Architecture, Real Estate Development. Visit woodbury.edu for more information.

MEDIA CONTACT
Ken Greenberg | Edge Communications, Inc. | 323-469-3397
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