Melbourne Prepares for International Animation Day 2024 with Special Tribute
The Melbourne International Animation Festival (MIAF) has announced its plans to celebrate International Animation Day (IAD) 2024. The celebration, scheduled for Sunday, October 27, 2024, will take place at The Backlot Studios in Melbourne, Australia. While International Animation Day officially falls on October 28, MIAF organizers have opted for an earlier celebration on a weekend to make the event more accessible to audiences.
IAD, coordinated by the Association Internationale du Film d’Animation (ASIFA), honors the birth of animation, marking the first public performance of projected moving images by Émile Reynaud’s Théâtre Optique in Paris on October 28, 1892. Since its inception in 2002, the event has grown into a global celebration of animation as an art form.
This year's MIAF IAD event will feature a retrospective tribute to the late Antoinette Starkiewicz, a celebrated Polish-Australian animator known for her bold and innovative work. The tribute is curated by MIAF programmer Chadai Chamoun, who organized an extended session following the success of a similar tribute held earlier in the year at MIAF 2024. After the screening of Starkiewicz's works, Chamoun will host a discussion with a panel of guests to further explore the animator's lasting legacy.
In addition to the tribute, MIAF’s Creative Director Malcolm Turner has curated a selection of international short films. This collection will include newly released films alongside others that were unable to be included in the MIAF 2024 lineup.
As a special surprise, MIAF hinted at the possible introduction of a yet-to-be-announced element to the event, though no further details have been disclosed.
Renowned animator Bill Plympton has provided the official artwork for International Animation Day 2024. Plympton, known for his distinctive style, has had an illustrious career, with his work spanning short films, feature-length animations, live-action filmmaking, and more. His films "Your Face" (1988) and "Guard Dog" (2005) have received Academy Award nominations, and his latest feature, "Slide," was showcased at MIAF 2024.
Tickets for the event will be simplified this year, with one pass granting access to the entire day's program. MIAF newsletter subscribers will receive early access to tickets, along with special pricing offers.
MIAF also took the opportunity to remind filmmakers about upcoming festival submission deadlines, including the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and the St Kilda Film Festival, both of which offer opportunities for animators worldwide to showcase their work.
As the animation community eagerly anticipates this celebration, MIAF has promised further details on their website and in future newsletters leading up to the event.
The full program, including the list of international shorts, will be revealed in the coming weeks.