buzzz worthy. . .
NEW YORK, March 26, 2015 -- Reeves Lehmann, chair of the BFA Film & Video and BFA Animation programs at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), announce the 26th Dusty Film & Animation Festival will
be held Saturday, May 9 through Tuesday, May 12, 2015 in New York City.
The four-day event showcases more than 100 films and animations from
students graduating this spring. Annie Flocco, independent
producer/filmmaker and SVA faculty member, will produce the event.
According to Flocco, the Headlining Sponsors are AbelCine, Adorama
Rental Company, Animation Magazine, B&H Photo, Bryan Singer, Carlos
Saldanha/BottleCap Productions, Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films, Feature
Systems/Kits and Expendables, Foto Care, Gotham Sound, IFP, New York
Women in Film & Television, Nice Shoes, Nickelodeon, Rota6, SCS
Agency, SVA Campus Store, Technicolor PostWorks New York, and Toon Boom
Animation. One hundred percent of sponsors' donations benefit future
students in grants and in-kind gifts.
The 2015 Dusty Festival kicks
off with three days of screenings, concluding with a May 12 awards
ceremony. Fifteen awards—including Outstanding Film and Achievement in
Directing, Outstanding Documentary, Outstanding Animated Film, and the
New York Women in Film & Television Award—recognize outstanding
thesis work. All screenings are FREE and open to the general public at
the SVA Theatre, (333 West 23rd Street) NYC. Final list of presenters/special guests are TBA.
"We are thrilled the Dusty Film & Animation Festival is celebrating its 26th
year," says Reeves Lehmann. "We invite everyone to come and discover
the next generation of great filmmakers and animators, who we know will
entertain and educate audiences near and far."
This year, SVA presents Dusty Outstanding Alumni Awards to producer/director Daniel Minahan (Game of Thrones, True Blood, Marco Polo) and animator Alex Kupershmidt (The Lion King, Lilo & Stitch, Frozen), announced Reeves Lehmann and Annie Flocco. The awards take place Tuesday, May 12, 2015
at 6:30pm at the SVA Theatre. "We're tremendously proud of the work
that Dan and Alex have done since they got their start at SVA," says
Lehmann. "They're role models for the artistic community in supporting
young talent."
The Dusty Film &
Animation Festival was established with the mission of introducing films
made by students in the BFA Film & Video and BFA Animation programs
to a wider audience, and was named after SVA Founder Silas "Dusty" H.
Rhodes. "Our festival receives industry-wide recognition and is
considered one of the top student film festivals in the country," states
Annie Flocco.
School of Visual Arts has
been a leader in the education of artists, designers and creative
professionals for more than six decades. With a faculty of distinguished
working professionals, dynamic curriculum and an emphasis on critical
thinking, SVA is a catalyst for innovation and social responsibility.
Comprised of more than 6,000 students at its Manhattan campus and 35,000
alumni in 100 countries, SVA also represents one of the most
influential artistic communities in the world.