The Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI) has opened up its submission process for animated films for their inaugural event to take place June 22 – 24th, 2012.

It’s free to submit works before February 29th 2012 and submissions close April 15th 2012. The entries will be curated by a committee of experts, and selected films will be eligible for: Audience Choice Grand Prix and Best of Fest Grand Prix. Besides films, Animated Commercials, Game Cinematics, and Motion Graphics are all welcome and encouraged.

TAAFI is accepting both International and local Shorts (22 minutes or less) and Features (60 Minutes or Longer) of all genres and techniques! If it is animated we would like to see it!

To access the application and find full details visit http://www.taafi.com/submit/

IdN have selected 32 clips from the last five issues of their Motion Gallery, which revolve around the world of Network Branding, Projection Mapping, Mixed Media, Infographics and 8Bit Video-Games Technology. This DD isa compilation and review of the best work of 2011. Specifications: 106 min, Dolby Digital, All Region DVD and 8 page Frenchfold insert.

It’s that time of the year again! Escape Studios is teaming up with Oscar-winning visual effects company The Mill, Autodesk, HP, CG Society, 3D Artist and Digital Artist to launch a Social Media competition aimed at aspiring CG artists looking to break into the world of film, TV, games or commercials and young professionals only just starting out in their CG careers.

To enter the competition, just visit the CGWhiz page and submit your portfolio as a video.

It’s that time of the year again to announce the now traditional Encounters Bristol International Film Festival. It will be happening this November, showcasing animation and live action talent from around the world.

This year it will host a series of symposiums on future ideas and future trends with industry specialists, such as Studio AKA. There will be 3D and RED Camera workshops and more. It will include some free events and guests including Francine Stock, presenter of Radio Four’s The Film Programme.

The full festival programme, delegate registration and online ticket sales will be available mid-October. For more information visit the Encounters Festival website. And, of course, you can find them on Facebook and Twitter @EncountersSFF #ENC2011.

I can’t get over how good this is. This is the work of Luciano do Amaral, a Brazilian 2D and stop-motion animator. He paints stages, designs models, builds armatures, does illustration, designs and paints. The movements are all so precise and subtle that it takes the brain a while to realize it’s stop-motion.

I take my hat off Luciano, I really do. I have always admired Brazilian animators, I’ve seen a lot of amazing work come from those latitudes but I think this is the first stop-motion work I see. Very exquisite, you can see the passion all over it. It makes me want to give it a try, but I know I’ll just disappoint myself. So I’ll just watch this over and over.

Too much flattery? See by yourself:

Disney Junior is bidding to collect a million Disney memories in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

The campaign is being supported by a host of stars including Sir Michael Cane, Thandie Newton, Jason Isaacs, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Julie Walters CBE, Lewis Hamilton , Mel C, Ben Price, Fay Ripley and Dermot O’Leary.

Head over to the million Disney memories page and donate your first ever Disney memory to the campaign, which Disney will turn into £1million for the hospital when they hit the magic number of 1,000,000 memories.

Sir Michael Caine says: “I remember crying my eyes out when Bambi died and laughing my head off at the Seven Dwarfs. My favourite Disney villain? The Wicked Witch in Snow White. My First hero was Mickey Mouse and he’s my favourite.”

Tammy Semen and Kyle Marshall are hosting an art show showcasing the many talents of the Toronto animation scene. The show will be at the Gladstone Hotel (1214 Queen St. West, Toronto,
Ontario). Show runs June 29– July 5, with reception on June 30, at 7pm.

They have a great crew of artists that includes: Chuck Gammage, Scott Caple, Robin Budd, Mike Geiger, Rex Hackelberg, Mark Thornton, Larry Jacobs, Hobo Divine, Deanna Marsigliese, Sam Chou, James Walsh, Chris Land, Tom Gravestock, Colin Jack, Ivan Rusev, Matthew Fernandes, Ariel Villaverde, Pasquale La Montana and Kyle Marshall

While his wife is undergoing slimming treatment, André goes on a discovery tour of this very unusual center…

Directed at Supinfocom Arles in 2010 by Bertrand Avril, Pierre Chomarat, David Dangin and Thea Matland.

slimtime official website

Some more great work from the Danish animation school, the Animation Workshop. Bertram is a little boy, who, while struggling with his homework, dreams himself into the future where he experiences how it is to be a pilot, a zoo keeper and other amazing things.

I love the story and the performance. The transition between one scene and the next are inspired and well carried out. Enjoy!

Á Côz, by Emmanuelle Walker, is an animated series of small dramatic comedies starred by a six year old little girl, who understands (better than most) that the future of our planet is hanging by a hair. She proposes her naive solutions to stop the destruction. All the episodes reach the same conclusion: “When you’re all are dead, I will still be here!”