Embark on a Journey into AVGC’s Wonderland: Unveiling AniMela’s Must-See Spectacles!

Animela is India’s first Animation, VFX, Gaming, Comics & XR Festival, scheduled for 19th – 21st January 2024 at the Films Division, Mumbai. The Festival’s main objective is to empower the Indian AVGC-XR sector by providing a platform for mentorship, education, film screenings, experiential zones and markets for Indian IPs, and to promote young, emerging talent to be able to take their stories to the world.

 

Here, within the vibrant corridors of NFDC, visitors will encounter a curated selection of top-notch experiences designed to elevate their perception of the artistry and technological prowess driving the AVGC-XR domains. Let’s embark on an insightful journey through the festival’s top 10 unmissable spectacles:

  1. Cinematic Splendor from Across the Globe: AniMela has a myriad collection of films sourced from all over the world. Among the highlights are ‘Slide’ by American animation master Bill Plympton, the directors of Loving Vincent DK Welchman and Hugh Welchman’s new film, ‘The Peasants’, French animation veteran Michel Ocelot’s family film, ‘The Pharaoh, The Savage and The Princess’ and the Indian Premiere of Japanese film Hokkyoku Hyakkaten no Concierge-san directed by Yoshimi Itazu. Other strong programmes include the India Shorts Programme, which consists of fantastic short films by both budding and prominent filmmakers from across India. This will also include the World Premiere of the Indian animation film ‘Lucky Dog’ directed by Ujwal Nair.

 

  1. Meet the Masters: Meet and Greet with the Director, Annecy International Animation Film Festival, Mickaël Marin and the Head, MIFA (Annecy Animation Film Market) Véronique Encrenaz; a wonderful chance for Indian animators and artists to interact with the top global players in the industry. They will be present at the screening of the “Best of Annecy 2023” program, a collection of short films that consists mainly of winning films from this year’s festival.

 

  1. Insights into the Craft of Stop-Motion: A stop-motion animation workshop by 2023 Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lachlan Pendragon, who will present his film ‘An Ostrich Told Me The World is Fake and I Think I Believe It’ and do a Masterclass on how it was made. The process is fascinating, and this session is a fantastic opportunity to understand just what goes into making an award-winning film.

 

  1. Sultana’s Dream Screening and Q&A with the Director: Screening of Sultana’s Dream followed by a Q&A with the director and crew. The film is an International award-winning animated feature inspired by the story of the same name by Rokeya Begum. It was co-produced with India, and the director, Isabel Herguera will be at AniMela and will present the film along with some key crew members including Indian animation expert Upamanyu Bhattacharyya. The team will also conduct a Behind the Scenes session that will delve into the process of the film and how it was made.

 

  1. VFX Unveiled:  A Deep Dive into the VFX of monumental films RRR and Baahubali with the accomplished team Srinivas Mohan and Shobu Yarlagadda, the masterminds behind these cinematic wonders.

 

  1. Panel Discussion Unplugged: ⁠A Panel Discussion on Making Animation and VFX Films in India with Gitanjali Rao, Shilpa Ranade and Anamika Haksar, which will be moderated by Soumitra Ranade. The three filmmakers will recount their creative journeys while making their pathbreaking films; Bombay Rose, Goopi Gawaiyaa Bagha Bajaiyaa and Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Re Ja Riya Hoon respectively, and answer questions on what it took along the way.

 

  1. Indian Indie Comics: Showcase of Indian Indie comics, along with interactions with their creators who will be present at AniMela. This will be curated by Indie Comix Fest. A panel discussion on publishing Indie comics will also take place, featuring artists Abhijeet Kini, Anand RK and Bharath Murthy in conversation with Vivek Nag. They will discuss their varied experiences, each one having had a different journey: self-publishing, crowdfunding and associating with a major publishing house.

 

  1. Passion + Education + Profession: An Ask-me-Anything session with esteemed industry leaders in the AVGC space who will share insights & guidance on career pathways and the way forward. Panelists include: Preeti Vyas (CEO of Amar Chitra Katha), Ninad Chhaya (Senior Vice President at Reliance Games) and Virendra Patil (Founder of Zebu Animation, a renowned Indian animation studio).

 

  1. Global Distribution Decoded: Session on navigating the global distribution market for animated and short films, conducted by Luce Grosjean, Co-founder & CEO of Miyu Distribution. In a world where people say short films and animated films have a limited market, she will speak about her experiences and how she has changed the game. Another must for young artists and filmmakers who want to understand how global film distribution works.

 

  1. AniMela-IMC Pitch: AniMela is bringing Annecy Festival’s International MIFA Campus for the very first time to India. Five of the most talented animators in the country have been selected and will participate in a 4-day intensive workshop with mentors from Annecy. They will then get a chance to present their project at the AniMela – IMC Pitch event. This is a unique opportunity for the AniMela attendees to get a glimpse of these five promising projects and see what it takes to create a world-class Pitch.
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