Computer Animation Festival:
Animation Theatre

Erin Callihan
24 July 2002

"For over 25 years, SIGGRAPH has celebrated the achievements of artists, scientists, programmers, and interactive designers. The computer animation festival is the most prestigious of its kind."
– John McIntosh, Computer Animation Festival Chair.

Sit back, relax, and get ready to be wowed. You are about to witness three and a half hours of bliss.

If you’ve been to SIGGRAPH in the past, you are aware of the popularity of the Animation Theatre (AT) venue. What you may not know is that this year the bar has been raised. For the first time in SIGGRAPH history, every theatre submission has been carefully juried by a select group of the industries best, guaranteeing the audience the most elite collection of entertainment. Another change in this year’s format is that every submission will be shown in its entirety, regardless of length (each animation ranges from 30 seconds to 24 minutes). Thirdly, the animation festival length has been narrowed to 3.5 hours, rather than the four hours it has ran in the past, to ensure that only the best of the best will be screened.

If you’re not wowed yet, I’ll try to clarify just how select these pieces are.

There were 640 total submissions from around the world, including 281 international submissions and 338 student submissions. The Electronic Theatre (AT’s "Big-Brother") will boast 37 pieces, while the AT will flaunt 65 highly-touted works, which have been organized into four collections: Commercials, Promos and Shorts; Film Clips, VFX and Shorts; Visualizations, Video Games and Shorts; and Strictly Shorts. The Electronic Theatre and the Animation Theatre, collectively known as the Computer Animation Festival (CAF), are, in the like of all festivals, considered a celebration.

"The Computer Animation Festival is an affirmation of vision, intelligence and creativity," expresses CAF Chair, John McIntosh (School of Visual Arts, New York, NY).

The Animation Theatre resides in two neighboring screening rooms which alternate viewing schedules, allowing SIGGRAPH attendees to better fit their hectic schedule. So whether you sit and watch the AT in its entirety or watch a few minutes between your other SIGGRAPH sessions, prepare to laugh, gasp and stare in awe and the diverse collection of animation.

Vizzavi’s "Tennis" and "Chicken Smiles" commercial spots ignited roaring laughter from the packed theatres on the first day of the AT, while Mikros Image SA’s "Les Crabes" was equally as fun to watch. Feature films, such as "Dinotopia" and the "Sum of All Fears," explained their special effects through wireframe renders, while gamers enthusiastically recognized "Tekken 4" and "The Wolfman." The visually stunning "Le Conte du monde flottant" held a mystified captive audience for 24 minutes.

So if you want to take a break from the SIGGRAPH chaos, step into the dark, quiet Animation Theatre – where the only thing missing is the popcorn.