Sydney International Animation Festival

Overview

UTS produces all sorts of interesting things: plausible, yet probably false, rumours about its infamous tower being designed to prevent student protests, projects to bring the expert to the everyday and a chunky design department that produces architects, fashionistas and animation. That final component is being brought to the fore for four short days in September, as UTS hosts its 2011 Sydney International Animation Festival. Though popular sites like YouTube, Vimeo — or even Atom Films — made what was once the domain of late-night TV or occasional film festivals into the sort of thing you can get a hold of with the click of a mouse, the flicker of bright colour on a blank screen still works better in company.

The festival has brought together animated films from across the world and closer to home. Its international program of Global Greats shows shorts from across Europe, Asia and North America, including I Love You by Waking Life animator Katy O'Connor and the squirrel-worrying Traumdeutung. France gets a special focus with graduation programs from French animation super-school Supinfocom jostling for attention with all the latest shorts from across Korea's venerable animation industry. Also up are nights of local action from UTS and further afield, an evening of stranger stuff and shorts ostensibly reserved for children.

Stills from I Love You by Katy O'Connor.