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The Association for Computing Machinery's A.M. Turing Award has been described as the "Nobel Prize of Computing," and is revered by many as the greatest honor in the field. Though highly regarded by computing professionals, the Turing Award comes with a monetary prize that, while significant, has traditionally been much smaller than other cash awards disbursed with prizes of similar gravity, such as the Nobel Prize. The 2013 Nobel Prizes were accompanied by cash awards of 8 million Swedish krona (roughly equivalent to $1 million U.S. dollars). Last year's Turing Award prize was $250,000.

On November 13, the Association for Computing Machinery announced that the funding level for the Turing Award will be quadrupled to $1 million, thanks to Google, which is providing the prize. The new prize amount will go into effect for the 2014 award, the recipient of which will be announced in 2015.

Stuart Feldman, Vice President of Engineering at Google Inc., explained the reason for Google's hefty financial support: "We think it’s important to recognize when people make fundamental contributions in computer science," he said, "and we want to help ACM raise awareness of these innovators and the contributions they’ve made to the world."

The A.M. Turing Award has been given out once a year since its inception in 1966. It was named in honor of Alan Mathison Turing (1912–1954), a British mathematician and computer scientist who made fundamental advances in computer architecture, algorithms, formalization of computing, and artificial intelligence that paved the way for innovations that changed the world. ACM's most prestigious technical award, the Turing Award is given in recognition of major contributions of lasting importance to computing.

"The Turing Award is now funded at the monetary level of the world's most prestigious cultural and scientific awards and prizes," said ACM President Alexander Wolf, Professor of Computing at Imperial College London. "With the generous support of Google, we can celebrate the mainstream role of computing in transforming the world and the way we communicate, conduct business, and access entertainment. We can also commemorate the pioneering, fundamental contributions of our ACM Turing Award recipients in advancing computing as a science and a profession."

Visit the ACM A.M. Turing Award website to learn more about past recipients of the prize and their achievements. 

Nominations for the 2014 ACM A.M. Turing Award are open until November 30, 2014.

SIGGRAPH 2015 is the 42nd occurrence of the world's largest international conference on computer graphics and interactive techniques. The conference and exhibition will take place in Los Angeles from August 9 to 13, and is expected to draw attendance in the tens of thousands.

Widely recognized as the most prestigious forum for the publication of computer graphics research, SIGGRAPH is a showcase for the latest advances in everything touching on computer graphics and interactive techniques. The conference also hosts the international SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival, which is recognized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as a qualifying festival for the Academy Awards. Over the years, several films from the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival have made it to the Academy Awards, some even going so far as to take home the Oscar for Best Animated Short. 

The SIGGRAPH conference consistently delivers an impressive variety of art, research and technology, with all of the juried content representing the highest caliber of technical skill and creative talent. For more information on the types of work that can be submitted to SIGGRAPH 2015, or to submit your work for consideration, follow the links below.

• ACM Student Research Competition (Deadline: Same as Posters)
• Appy Hour (Deadline: June 24, 2015)
• Art Papers (Deadline: January 27, 2015)
• Computer Animation Festival (Deadline: March 3, 2015)
• Courses (Deadline: February 17, 2015)
• Dailies (Deadline: April 28, 2015)
• Emerging Technologies (Deadline: February 17, 2015)
• Immersive Realities Augmented/Virtual Reality Contest (Deadline: March 31, 2015)
• Panels (Deadline: Feb 17, 2015)
• Posters (Deadline: Feb 17, 2015 -normal- or May 6, 2015 -late-)
• Real-Time Live! (Deadline: March 31, 2015)
• Studio (Deadline: February 17, 2015)
• Talks (Deadline: February 17, 2015)
• Technical Papers: 

19 January 2015 (Submission form due)
20 January 2015 (Paper deadline)
21 January 2015 (Upload deadline)

More Information for Submitters

• SIGGRAPH 2015 Theme
• Info for Presenters
• Affiliation Guidelines
• Equipment Insurance
• Representative Image Guidelines
• Uploading Files

Please note that every piece submitted to SIGGRAPH 2015 through the Call for Submissions is reviewed by a highly qualified jury composed of top practitioners in the relevant field. To allow adequate time for the juries to review the submissions, deadlines are several months ahead of the conference. All submission deadlines are strictly enforced, and deadlines are 22:00 UTC/GMT. 

The ACM SIGGRAPH Distinguished Artist Award is given out once a year to an artist who has created a substantial body of work that significantly advances the field of digital art. ACM SIGGRAPH members are warmly invited to nominate individuals for the 2015 Distinguished Artist Award by contacting the ACM SIGGRAPH Artist Award Chair. Nominations are due by December 15, 2014.

The past recipients of the Distinguished Artist Award are Harold Cohen, Manfred Mohr, Jean-Pierre Hébert, Charles Csuri, Yoichiro Kawaguchi, Lynn Hershman Leeson and Roman Verostko.

Criteria for the Distinguished Artist Award:

• The artist has been contributing internationally to the digital arts for more than 20 years. 
• The artist has produced important work(s) referenced in digital art history/theory papers/books. 
• The artist has established an unexplored area in the field of digital art/media art. 
• The artist has been advancing the use of digital technologies in creative expression.
• The artist has contributed to the history and/or theory and/or practice of digital art through writing and presentations at conferences and symposia.

Nominations should include as much information about the nominee as possible, specifically:

• Name(s) of the individual(s) being nominated (address and/or phone number and/or email address are also appreciated).
• References to websites with the artist's works and texts when applicable (multiple references are welcome).
• Nominator's name, address, telephone number, fax number, and email address.
• A statement by the nominator describing the significance of the artist's contributions according to the criteria above.

Only nominations submitted through the contact form on the SIGGRAPH website will be considered. 

SIGGRAPH Asia, Asia's largest and most respected conference on computer graphics, will take place this year from December 3 to 6 in Shenzhen, China. Online registration for the conference closes on November 20.

Nearly 8,000 attendees from over 60 countries are expected at SIGGRAPH Asia 2014. Experts from a wide range of fields will be in attendance, including top-level professionals in key areas such as hardware, software, film production, game production, research and education. Presenters and exhibitors at the conference will unveil cutting edge graphical and technical achievements at a furious rate.

2014 marks the first year SIGGRAPH Asia will be hosted in Shenzhen. Given the burgeoning graphics industry in China, with recent government policies encouraging strong investment in animation, graphics and 3D technology, the conference is well placed. Nothing makes this clearer than Thursday's keynote speech by Digital Domain co-founder Scott Ross, entitled "Can Asia Become Hollywood?" 

The SIGGRAPH Asia 2014 Technical Papers program received a record-breaking 355 submissions. Of those, 63 papers were accepted, many of which reveal utterly groundbreaking advances in computer graphics and interactive techniques. Check out the video below for an eye-opening preview of some of the breakthroughs published at SIGGRAPH Asia 2014.

For many SIGGRAPH Asia attendees, the Emerging Technologies exhibit is their favorite part of the conference. This year, the E-Tech display showcases numerous mind-boggling technologies spanning the areas of virtual reality, augmented reality, robotics, wearable devices, 3D graphics, haptic devices and more. Take a look at some of the incredible advances on display in the preview video below.

In addition to leading-edge research, fascinating technologies and illuminating production talks, SIGGRAPH Asia 2014 also offers courses, workshops, business and technology symposiums, posters, master classes, and a world-class computer animation festival. Don't miss out on the excitement! Register for SIGGRAPH Asia 2014 today.

Mortadelo & Filemon is a beloved Spanish comic book series about the slapstick exploits of two secret agents in the TIA (Técnicos de Investigación Aeroterráquea, a spoof on the CIA). This year, the series has been adapted to a feature-length computer animated movie by Madrid-based Ilion Animation Studios. The film, entitled "Mortadelo & Filemon: Mission Implausible" (Mortadelo y Filemón contra Jimmy el Cachondo), will debut in theaters across Spain on November 28, but participants of SIGGRAPH Asia have the opportunity to attend a special screening of the film as part of the conference's Computer Animation Festival. The showing at SIGGRAPH Asia is the first time "Mortadelo & Filemon" will be screened in Asia.

In addition to a screening of "Mortadelo & Filemon," SIGGRAPH Asia 2014 offers attendees a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the film's production with a Featured Session entitled "Creating a quality featured animation from a renowned IP with budget constraints: "Mortadelo & Filemon: Mission Implausible."

According to Javier Fesser, the film's director, "Mortadelo & Filemon" has a style that is neither photo-realistic nor traditionally animated. The intention behind this unique style is to convey the imperfections of a dirty world.

"Mortadelo & Filemon" is especially remarkable because of the budget constraints under which it was created. "We pushed the efficiency of the studio," said Fesser, "finding new workflows to produce stable shaders, writing custom software to reuse lighting between shots and a whole suite of animation tools for a streamlined production."

If you're planning to attend SIGGRAPH Asia 2014 and are interested in the "Mortadelo & Filemon" events, details are as follows:

Featured Session: Creating a quality featured animation from a renowned IP with budget constraints: "Mortadelo & Filemon: Mission Implausible"

Friday, December 5, 11:00 am – 12:45 pm
Bougainvillea Hall

Computer Animation Festival Special Screening: Mortadelo & Filemon: Mission Implausible

(English Subtitles)
Friday, December 5, 2:15 pm – 4:00 pm
Bougainvillea Hall

Registration for SIGGRAPH Asia 2014 closes on November 20. For more information on the "Mortadelo & Filemon" events at SIGGRAPH Asia, visit the Computer Animation Festival and Featured Sessions pages of the SIGGRAPH Asia 2014 website.