Editor

The most important animation festival in the Baltic and Nordic regions, which runs between 16 and 20 November 2011 in Tallinn, Estonia, promises a feast of short and feature animation from across the world whilst new initiative AnimaCampus, running 15-19 November and presented by the Tallinn European Capital of Culture 2011 programme, will be a meeting point for young animators eager to learn more about their craft.
Animated Dreams Animation Film Festival will begin on 16 November with an opening screening which will include three brand new Nukufilm films, the legendary Estonian studio which specialises in puppet animation. Two of the films - Hardi Volmer’s Domestic Fitless and Rao Heidmets’s Coming of Oracle, will receive their premieres whilst Ülo Pikkov’s Body Memory will be hotly anticipated as it screens having already won numerous awards from the festival circuit .There will also be the chance to catch the premiere of the Estonian film Big House directed by Kristjan Holm and a product of the Silmviburlane studio.
The screening will also include Maya Yonesho’s Summer Moment, a beautiful meditation on time and memory that was shot in Estonia, that acts as a celebration of the Animated Dreams' Japanese indie programme. The Japanese focus will see more than 50 short contemporary animations from Japan shown in programmes including Fantasy & Fanfares, Mystery & Metamorphoses and an individual film-maker programme presented by CALF (an independent animation label from Japan). There will also be the chance to see the stunning Japanese feature film Midori-ko.
Other highlights of the programme are the International Competition, containing over 30 films from 18 different countries, which is a mix of the freshest ideas, traditional as well as innovative trends, head-spinning and enchanting visuals, entertaining humour and moving tears! All films will compete for the prestigious Wooden Wolf that has been created by Nukufilm. There’ll be a chance to sample the work of some of the upcoming Estonian animators as well as a retrospective of the work of Estonian animator Rein Raamat as the festival celebrates 80 years of Estonian animation. And let’s not forget the Love, Sex and Desire late night programme which will bring a decidedly erotic edge to the festival.
Alongside the screenings, there will be a packed programme of industry talks, thematic workshops and events around AnimaCampus Tallinn. The event will be a meeting point for a hundred young animation filmmakers who, over five days will get the chance to share experience with top players in the field and build international networks. Talks from the likes of Laika Studio’s Mark Sharpiro, will take young animation talents behind the scenes of the Oscar nominated Coraline whilst discussing the company’s marketing and brand management, will help younger talents learn about the ever changing nature of the animation world whilst engaging with their contemporaries. AnimaCampus Tallinn promises to become an important fixture on the animation map over the coming years.
The manager of Animated Dreams and AnimaCampus Mark Kuslapuu said:
“This year’s festival once again is jam-packed with some astonishing animation from the Baltics and beyond and we are sure that audiences will once again enjoy all that we have to offer. The AnimaCampus Tallinn is also a bold step for us as we cement our reputation as an event that not only screens great films but actively encourages animators both old and new. We look forward to welcoming audiences and filmmakers alike.”
Full information about the Animated Dreams programme can be found at www.anima.ee or via Facbook at http://www.facebook.com/animateddreams
Animated Dreams is a sub-festival of the Black Nights Film Festival (PÖFF) which also encompasses a main programme of feature premieres and retrospectives.
PÖFF and AnimaCampus Tallinn are part of the Tallinn – European Capital of Culture 2011 programme.