Have We Got Good News for You – New Judges, New Sponsorship
We have some very exciting news! In fact, you could say we’re rather animated about it! Get it? *sound of crickets*
Puns aside, we’re delighted to announce that Christian De Vita will be joining the jury for the Best Animation Award.
Christian was born in Rome and has given masterclasses, focusing on visual narrative and storyboarding, around the world. He has spoken at the Annecy Festival, the Red Stick Festival in Louisiana, the Stuttgart Tricksfilm Festival, Bradford Animation Festival, and Animafest in Zagreb, as well as judging the international entries at the Dresden Film Fest.
Christian also teaches at Centro Sperimentale in Turin and the Animation Workshop in Denmark.
In 2007, Christian led the storyboard team for the production of Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr Fox. His other credits include The Little Big Panda and Tim Burton’s black and white stop-motion Frankenweenie.
Christian is currently writing and directing the PJ Masks, which he developed for TV for Entertainment One and Disney. He has since directed the first season.
You can watch an online masterclass with Christian here. In the video, he gives his top tips for storyboarding.
Best Animation Award sponsorship confirmed
We also have a brand-new sponsor! All About Ipswich will sponsor our Best Animation Award!
All About Ipswich is the official visitor brand for Ipswich. Its aim is to boost the local visitor economy and inspire local communities by promoting the town’s culture, heritage, events, and experiences.
John Ferguson joins Best Documentary Award Jury
We are also thrilled to announce that editorial photojournalist John Ferguson will be joining the Best Documentary Award Jury.
John has worked with many international and national media outlets and major NGOs. He has a diverse range of photo stories from conflict zones and national disasters to promotional campaigns focusing on poverty and rural loneliness.
John says that he has a specific interest in working on projects about under-represented and marginalised communities. He is currently working on a project based around mental health issues within the black community. The project has now gained support from mental health charity MIND.
We look forward to hearing both Christian and John’s insights into the judging process later in the year. You can submit to have your short film considered on FilmFreeway!
