Events Archive - Fredrikstad Animation Festival

Symposium Researching Animation – Nordic Perspectives

What do we do when we research animation? Which questions do we ask, and what possibilities of animation are uncovered by these questions? Research is all about asking questions, from the most seemingly stupid questions to the most unexpectedly bright questions. We never run out of questions, as there are always new ways to wonder about what is, what could be, and what the world of animation can become. The very concept of theory, as the ancient Greeks said, stems from wonder. Animation Studies is a young and blooming field of research, wondering about animation in all its wonderful forms. It is this basic tenet, wonder, that unites the Nordic researchers presenting in this symposium. We want to show a variety of perspectives in this symposium, allowing the audience to get a broader view of some of the concerns, topics, and questions that occupy Nordic researchers now.

In Researching Animation: Nordic Perspectives, we will ask questions about animated literacy, media archeology, new forms of collaborations in VR, the potential health benefits of video games, and the political importance of letting students tell their own stories.

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Participants

Ray Whitcher

Ray Whitcher is a lecturer and practitioner of animation hailing from Johannesburg, South Africa, now lecturing at Uppsala University, Sweden. In his professional career, Ray has animated lyric videos for clients including Marshmello, YungBlud, and Corey Taylor, illustrated comics for Star Wars: Clone Wars Confidential as well as various illustrative and design projects. In his lecturing capacity, Ray teaches 2D animation for video games, concept art development, critical theory, and professional practice (including pitching). He has also published scholarly articles on Comic Practices in Africa, Intermediality, and Curatorial Practice.

Sophie Mobbs

Sophie Mobbs is an associate professor at the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences. Prior to working in higher education, Sophie spent 10 years working as an artist and animator in the games industry for companies that included Sony, Silicon Dreams, and Rebellion, contributing to eight published games across various platforms. She now specialises in teaching 2D and 3D animation, character creation, and art for computer games and XR applications. Her research interests focus on serious games and in particular the application of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality games and experiences as medical treatments.

Laura Søndergaard Isaksen

Laura Søndergaard Isaksen is a project manager and researcher of Animated Learning with an educational background in pedagogy and an M.A. in Philosophy of Education. She has been working with Animated Learning since 2016 on a variety of projects within film and media literacy and she has been teaching children, youngsters and teachers, pedagogues and students how to use animation in both creative and learning processes.

M. Javad Khajavi

M. Javad Khajavi is an award-winning multi-disciplinary designer, animator, developer, and researcher who works at the intersection of art, design, and technology. Javad made his first animation by writing a computer code in 1995 at the age of ten and has been interested in the intersection of art and tech since then. He is tech-savvy and whose works span several disciplines including 2D and 3D animation, game technology, and virtual reality. Currently, he is an associate professor at Volda University College in Norway where he leads the Animated Arts and Media Research Group. Previously, he was an assistant professor at the National University of Ireland, Maynooth. He is the founder of Fanoos Studio and Vertical Cosmos, and a graduate of Nanyang Technological University’s Ph.D. program in media arts + design in Singapore. He is deeply invested in interdisciplinary research approaches that are informed by practice-oriented research, design thinking, and analytical methods and tools in engineering.

Samantha Moore

Samantha Moore is a UK-based, international award-winning animation director. She loves the joyfulness and eclectic nature of animation. No one ever finds animation intimidating, and yet it can convey complex ideas to a wide audience in an engaging way. Sam has worked on diverse subjects, from competitive sweet-pea growing, to cutting edge microbiology, archaeology, neuroscience, and her own experience of having twins. Sam is currently working on a short animated magical realist fairy tale about dysentery, A Language of Shapes (2022) funded by a Wellcome Trust award and made in collaboration with the Mostowy microbiology lab at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Sam teaches part-time, as an Associate Professor in animation at University College Volda (Norway) as well as Senior Tutor (Research) in animation at the Royal College of Art (UK).

Narissa Schander and Vibeke Heide – EduFest

Students in upper secondary school and folk university are invited to a special day during FAF. On Thursday 20 October, all classes in media, design, and art are welcome to the Fredrikstad Kino for a programme of lectures and film screenings. The seminar will feature two speakers from Norway.

First is Narissa Schander, originally from Moss. Schander is an animator and specialist in 2D animation. Recently she has worked in Ireland at Cartoon Saloon on 2D Special Effects for Wolfwalkers,  and she has also been involved in the production of My Little Pony The Movie, the Norwegian-produced Titina and the upcoming Netflix film, My Father’s Dragon.

Then, director and producer, Vibeke Heide will take the stage to discuss diversity and representation in the animation industry. Originally from Harstad, Heide was educated in Oslo and has won the Golden Chair at the Short Film Festival in Grimstad and the Amanda Prize during the Norwegian Film Festival.

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Participants

Narissa Schander

Narissa Schander has spent the last 12 years specialising in 2D animation. She has recently worked in Ireland at Cartoon Saloon on 2D Special Effects for Wolfwalkers where the focus was on animating fire, water, smoke, magic, and much more. Previously, she has also contributed to Disney and BBC TV series such as Wander over Yonder and Dangermouse. Schander moved to Canada and was a composition artist for the film My Little Pony The Movie. Throughout her career, she has worked diligently with Mikrofilm on many great projects such as Frydenlund Frisørsalong, Kakerlakkene, It was Mine, Maratondagboken, and Titina. Narissa’s last project was in Ireland at Cartoon Saloon as a 2D Special Effects Supervisor on Netflix’s upcoming film, My Father’s Dragon.

Vibeke Heide

Vibeke Heide is a trained film director from the Norwegian Film School. She writes, directs, and produces short films and music videos through her own production company Sentimeter film. The films have, among other things, been awarded the Golden Chair during the Short Film Festival in Grimstad and the Amanda Prize during the Norwegian Film Festival. In addition to being a filmmaker, Heide works with diversity in art and culture at Transcultural Arts Production, and as a volunteer for the Oslo Fusion Film Festival.

Animation Production Day Part I, II, and III

The third edition of the Norwegian Production Day will focus on Japanese Anime, and the speakers are well-recognized Japanese producers and directors in the animation industry. This convention will be the largest event focusing on Japanese Anime that has ever taken place in Norway and has been broken into three parts.

The Animation Convention is organized by Animasjon Norge, a subdivision of Produsentforeningen Virke, Qvisten Animation and the Fredrikstad Animation Festival, in collaboration with Frame by Frame.

 

Part I: Eiko Tanaka
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Part II: Koji Takeuchi & Toshio Suzuki
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Part III: Yasuhiro Yoshiura
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Participants

Eiko Tanaka

Eiko Tanaka is a producer who has participated in many animated films and has accomplished highly acclaimed projects with STUDIO4℃. Genres of her productive efforts vary from theatrical movies, short films, TV-series, music clips, and commercials, to newly adopted media such as stereoscopic visions and projection mappings. Tanaka has produced films such as MEMORIES, Spriggan, Princess Arete, THE ANIMATRIX, and MIND GAME. Tekkonkinkreet, was also produced by Tanaka and won the Japan Academy Award for Best Animation Film and was also selected at Berlinale. Tanaka also contributed to co-creation projects with international companies such as Batman: Gotham Knight and Thundercats, and Halo Legends as a producer. MUTAFUKAZ was an ambitious project co-created with the French company Ankama. After 5 years of production, Children of the Sea was released in more than 30 countries. The latest films Poupelle of Chimney Town and Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko have been invited to lots of international film festivals, and also released and enjoyed in many countries.

Koji Takeuchi

Koji Takeuchi began his career at Nippon Animation Co. in 1976 as a member of the production team. He worked on various hit TV-series with directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki. In 1980, he joined Telecom Animation Film Co. and worked on many TV-series and feature films such as Lupin the 3rd, Sherlock Hound, Chie the Brat, and Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland. Additionally, he worked with many non-Japanese studios including Warner Bros. Animation and Walt Disney Television Animation. Recently, he has devoted his time to young animation creators and has designed workshops with the Japanese government’s Agency for Cultural Affairs since 2011. In addition, he established the Japan Educational Network of Animation. In 2013, he studied Animation Education at Gobelins, l’école de l’image in Paris. From 2014 to 2019, he directed the Japanese government’s Agency for Cultural Affairs commissioned project, ANIME TAMAGO. He took up the position of the festival director of the Tokyo Anime Award Festival in 2016 and has been holding the post since then.

Yasuhiro Yoshiura

Yasuhiro Yoshiura is a writer and director. He started animation production while he was in college, and after graduating, he made his own animation Pale Cocoon. Since then, he has been active in production. Time of Eve in 2020 was his directorial debut. Since then, he has mainly written and directed original works.

Toshio Suzuki

Toshio Suzuki (b. 1948 in Nagoya, Japan) is the producer and executive director of Studio Ghibli. Suzuki graduated from Keio University with a degree in Literature in 1972 and joined the publishing company Tokuma Shoten Co. Ltd. After working for the weekly magazine Asahi Geino, he cofounded the monthly animation magazine Animage. While serving as co-editor, and later chief editor of Animage, Suzuki took part in the production of films by Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, including Nausicaä of the Valey of the Wind (1984), Grave of the furefklies (1988), and My Neighbor (1988). He participated in the founding of Studio Ghibli in 1985 and has worked at the studio since 1989, producing almost all of Studio Ghibli’s theatrical films including Only Yesterday (1991), Pom Poko (1994), Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001), Ponyo (2008), The Wind Rises (2013), Earwig and the Witch (2020) and the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka which opened in 2001. Credited as planning for The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013) and executive producer for When Marine Was There (2014), he is also the producer of the Japanese-French co-production The Red Turtle (2016). He also hosts his own radio program “Sweating Ghibli” on Tokyo FM since 2007. Suzuki is producing a new feature Kimitachi Wa Do Ikiruka (How will you Live)?) directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

Identity and LGBTQ+ Representation Panel

Over the century, openly queer animated characters have been a rarity, but times are changing. What is the significance of films showing queer people, are they always portrayed correctly and what role does diversity have in film and animation? In this panel discussion, filmmakers Vibeke Heide and Frank Mosvold will talk about representation, diversity, and identity in film and animation. As well as how to approach topics related to LGBTQ+ and whether is it permissible to call it queer anymore. The conversation is led by festival director Anders Narverud Moen.

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Participants

Frank Mosvold

Frank Mosvold has a master’s degree in film production from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles. He has directed 14 short films and created and produced two animated TV-series: Hubert (26 episodes) and Ella Bella Bingo (Elleville Elfrid, 104 episodes). Mosvold is now producing and co-directing his first animated feature, based on his Ella Bella TV-series by the same name. The film premiered  in January 2020.

Vibeke Heide

Vibeke Heide is a trained film director from the Norwegian Film School. She writes, directs, and produces short films and music videos through her own production company Sentimeter film. The films have, among other things, been awarded the Golden Chair during the Short Film Festival in Grimstad and the Amanda Prize during the Norwegian Film Festival. In addition to being a filmmaker, Heide works with diversity in art and culture at Transcultural Arts Production, and as a volunteer for the Oslo Fusion Film Festival.

Meet The Filmmakers: Short Film Competition

Meet the filmmakers behind the films in the festival’s competition programmes for Nordic-Baltic short films. Get the opportunity to ask what you want, know more about the films, directly from the filmmakers, and get insight into the ideas, processes, and techniques behind the films.

In a loose atmosphere at St.Croix huset, the filmmakers from the Nordic-Baltic Short Film programmes will engage in a Q&A session that is moderated by preselection jury, Ben Mitchell, who is the chief editor of Skwigly.co.uk.

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Participants

Ben Mitchell

Ben Mitchell is a Bristol-based animator, filmmaker, and writer. As an independent director, he has created six short animated films that have been screened for 200+ festivals and touring programmes across the world. In his freelance work, he has produced work for CBeebies, Channel 4, WildBrain Spark, A Productions, Shy Guys Studios, and Rumpus to name a few. As an animation industry writer and researcher Ben is the Editor in Chief of the UK-based magazine site Skwigly and author of the book Independent Animation: Developing, Producing and Distributing Your Animated Films. He has also worked with and alongside a number of international industry events in a variety of capacities and served as visiting lecturer/tutor at several universities.

Animated Live True Cuckoo

The music artist True Cuckoo is the animator Andreas Paleologos, a multi-artist who for the first time will create an animated concert experience exclusively for the audience in Fredrikstad. In this year’s edition of Animated Live, True Cuckoo offers positive, playful and small-scale electronica, a delightful mix of new and old sound, and equally exciting animation on the screen. “I play synth on Youtube” True Cuckoo is his own words about himself, with his diverse background in animation, visual arts, and music, striving for simplicity is an important factor for Cuckoo.

Warm up is DJ Sissyfus, who plays from 22:00. The concert start at 23:00.

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Participants

Andreas Paleologos

The music artist True Cuckoo is the animator Andreas Paleologos, a multi-artist who for the first time will create an animated concert experience exclusively for the audience in Fredrikstad. In this year’s edition of Animated Live, True Cuckoo offers positive, playful, and small-scale electronica, a delightful mix of new and old sound, and equally exciting animation on the screen. “I play synth on Youtube” is Cuckoo’s own words about himself – with his diverse background in animation, visual arts, and music, striving for simplicity is an important factor for Cuckoo.

Cuckoo is best known for his presence on Youtube, where the melodies and music are conjured up from thin air during recording while sharing all his ill-concealed secrets to his great entourage.

Peter de Sève – Masterclass I

Who does not know the characters of Peter de Sève from films such as Ice Age, Finding Nemo, and Zootopia? Peter de Sève is considered one of the best in the discipline of character design and is an award-winning illustrator. De Sève’s art is rich in detail and sensitive, while at the same time he has his own ability to bring out the characters’ lived lives and history in his subtle strokes. In his masterclass, he will go through his creative process and demonstrate methods to bring out the special emotional expression that animation characters require to get the public’s attention.

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Participants

Peter de Sève

Peter de Sève’s work spans four decades and various media, including magazines, books, television commercials, Broadway posters, and character designs for animated feature films. He is perhaps best recognized for his many covers for The New Yorker Magazine and his character designs for the blockbuster Ice Age franchise (Scrat is a veritable international celebrity). De Sève has also contributed to such films as Finding Nemo, Robots, The Little Prince, and The Grinch to name only a few. His many distinctions include the prestigious Hamilton King Award from the Society of Illustrators, and an Emmy Award for best character design in a television show (Sesame Street). In 2016 he was inducted into the Society of Illustrator’s Hall of Fame, that organization’s highest honor. Recently, de Sève has contributed to various animation projects for Walt Disney Feature Animation, Universal, and various productions in Norway and France. Most recently he worked as the lead character designer for Netflix’s recently acquired Roald Dahl franchise, which includes among other classic stories, Matilda, The BFG, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Heikki Jokinen

Heikki Jokinen has been a freelance journalist and critic since 1986. He has an M.A. in political science and comparative cultural research. His articles have been published in over 125 newspapers and magazines around the world. He has written or edited 20 books and lectured at art universities on five continents. Jokinen has been a member of more than twenty juries and selection committees on the film festivals including Annecy, Stuttgart, and Zagreb animation festivals. In the 1990s, he was a member of the Animerte Dagers festival and selection committees. Jokinen is the former vice-president of ASIFA. He has been chair of the Finnish Animation Association, the Finnish Critics’ Association, and the Finnish Comics Society. Now, he is a board member of Cartoon – European Association of Animation Film and chair of Kopiosto, the collective management organisation for reprographic and audiovisual authors’ copyright.

Mark Burton – Masterclass II

Screenwriter, producer, and director Mark Burton has, over the last 20 years, worked for studios like Aardman, Dream Works, Disney, and Warner Bros. He is recognized as one of the greatest screenwriters for animation in Europe and has contributed to many global box offices hits. In his masterclass, he will share his experience of being a feature animation writer, in the UK and Hollywood, and takes you for a bracing walk through his process.

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Participants

Mark Burton

Mark Burton is a British television writer, screenwriter, television producer, film producer, and film director, that currently is working on Paddington 3. He co-wrote and co-directed Shaun the Sheep Movie, which received Oscar and BAFTA nominations for Best Animated Feature in 2015. Later he was involved as a writer and executive producer for the sequel film Shaun the Sheep: Farmageddon which was released in 2019. Other film credits include Gnomeo & Juliet, Aliens in the Attic, and Wallace & Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit, which won an Oscar in 2006 for Best Animated Feature. Mark Burton also has a script credit for Madagascar, which was based on an original idea by him and Billy Frolick.

Heikki Jokinen

Heikki Jokinen has been a freelance journalist and critic since 1986. He has an M.A. in political science and comparative cultural research. His articles have been published in over 125 newspapers and magazines around the world. He has written or edited 20 books and lectured at art universities on five continents. Jokinen has been a member of more than twenty juries and selection committees on the film festivals including Annecy, Stuttgart, and Zagreb animation festivals. In the 1990s, he was a member of the Animerte Dagers festival and selection committees. Jokinen is the former vice-president of ASIFA. He has been chair of the Finnish Animation Association, the Finnish Critics’ Association, and the Finnish Comics Society. Now, he is a board member of Cartoon – European Association of Animation Film and chair of Kopiosto, the collective management organisation for reprographic and audiovisual authors’ copyright.

Marie-Laure Guisset – Masterclass III

Marie-Laure Guisset is a skilled animator with several international productions behind her, including Cartoon Saloon’s The Secret of Kells (2009) and Sylvain Comet’s The Triplets of Belleville (2003). Recently she has been a key staff for the Norwegian animated feature Titina, where she is the animation director as part of the Belgian co-production team.

Working with different formats and with every kind of technique, she loves to bring life to the characters, create empathy, and above all tell stories. With a focus on the essence, she likes to go for less is more, while adding that little detail that will trigger emotions. She likes her teams of animators to focus on how to move the audience instead of how to move the characters.

During her masterclass, she will share tips and tricks gathered during her career of more than 20 years in the animation industry, while having a closer look at the animation style of Titina (2022) and on the theme of “Acting in Animation”.

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Participants

Marie-Laure Guisset

Marie-Laure Guisset is a Belgian animator and animation director based in Brussels. After studying classical animation in Bournemouth and in Dublin, she worked on various awards winnings projects like The Triplets of Belleville, The Secret of Kells, La mécanique du Coeur, Zombillenium, and the series The Smurfs. Most recently she was the animation director of the beautiful Norwegian (and Belgian co-produced) movie Titina, which was directed by Kajsa Naess. Working on different formats and whatever the technique, she loves to bring life to the characters, create empathy, and above all tell stories. With a focus on the essence, she likes to go forLess is more”, but adding that little detail will push the emotion. She likes to bring her teams of animators to focus on “how to move the audience” instead of “how to move the characters”.

Heikki Jokinen

Heikki Jokinen has been a freelance journalist and critic since 1986. He has an M.A. in political science and comparative cultural research. His articles have been published in over 125 newspapers and magazines around the world. He has written or edited 20 books and lectured at art universities on five continents. Jokinen has been a member of more than twenty juries and selection committees on the film festivals including Annecy, Stuttgart, and Zagreb animation festivals. In the 1990s, he was a member of the Animerte Dagers festival and selection committees. Jokinen is the former vice-president of ASIFA. He has been chair of the Finnish Animation Association, the Finnish Critics’ Association, and the Finnish Comics Society. Now, he is a board member of Cartoon – European Association of Animation Film and chair of Kopiosto, the collective management organisation for reprographic and audiovisual authors’ copyright.

New Nordic Animation

What’s cooking in the Nordic countries? FAF has invited four speakers from Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Norway to present their latest projects. The animation scene is growing quickly with new and interesting projects being developed in the Nordic counties. FAF will present some of the hottest producers, directors, and filmmakers from the cool north.

The forum is put together in collaboration with different Nordic associations for animation: SAAVA – The Swedish Association for Animation and VFX, ANIS – The Danish Association for Animation, and the Finnish Animation Guild, Finnanimation.

 

Speakers:

Danish director and visual artist Maria Mac Dalland will present a work-in-progress look at her new series Tiny Toot, which is in production with Toolbox and JA Film. Johan Edström, a producer from Sweden, will present the new film by Anna Mantzaris. Storyboard Artist Lenna Leckin will present the TV-series Unstoppable Yellow Yeti from the Finnish studio, Gigglebug. Finally, the Norwegian CGI studio Expanse’s producer Fredrik Fottland will present their recent work for the live-action animated feature film, Teddybjørnes jul.

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Participants

Fredrik Fottland

Fredrik Fottland is an award-winning producer, with more than 20 years of experience in the animation industry. He co-founded the animation and visual effects studio Expanse in Oslo, which works with feature films, TV-series, and the advertising industry. Expanse has just provided 19 minutes of character animation for Fantefilms live-action animated Christmas film Teddybjørnens Jul. Fredrik has co-produced the animated short films Odd is an egg and Rulletrappen, and is credited as an animation producer and 3D artist on numerous animated feature films. He has a B.A. in multimedia design from Monash University.

Leena Lecklin

Leena Lecklin is a storyboard artist and animator living in Helsinki, Finland. She has worked in the animation field all around Europe, most recently in Cartoon Saloon for the movie Wolfwalkers and then at Gigglebug Entertainment for various projects, such as Unstoppable Yellow Yeti a TV-series and the upcoming Christmas comes to Moominvalley short film. Currently, she is working as a storyboard artist for the Tom and Jerry Time TV-series. As a storyboard artist, she is most interested in telling the story through the characters and their actions.

Maria Mac Dalland

Maria Mac Dalland is an apprenticeship-trained animation film director in the old, analogue paper-and-pencil-way by director Jannik Hastrup at Dansk Tegnefilmkompagni in the early 80s. Mac Dalland worked in Nicaragua for two years at the Nicaraguan Film Institute in the mid-80s. Since the late 80s alternately directed her own films or worked as an animator, compositor, editor, trick photographer, or assistant director on other films. Mac Dalland converted to digital tools over the years with fascination and gratitude (for the ease and magic it brought the work). Mac Dalland’s recent director credit includes the TV-series  My little dog Maestro a 10 episodes produced by Toolbox Film and is in production of the TV-series Tiny Toot a 26 episodes animated TV-series for the youngest kids, produced by Toolbox Film & JA Film 2022-23.

Johan Edström

Johan Edström is a highly recognised producer from Sweden and the CEO of the Stockholm-based animation production company Apparat. Johan has had several different roles in the production of animation and live action films since his debut as a photographer in the early 80’s. He’s worked as director, producer and art designer for numerous short films and other film projects. In recent years Johan has been producing Jonas Odell’s short films.

Johan is a jury member for the commissioned films.

Educational Stand

For both students looking to start their animation studies or continue their education, there are programmes that will interest all of those on the quest for higher education. On Thursday 20 October, festival attendees have the opportunity to speak directly with educators and students from some of the top education programmes in the region.

There will be four schools located in the Fredrikstad Kino foyer. The stands are available from 10:30 – 16:30 on Thursday 20 October.

Game School – Høgskolen i Innlandet

The Game School prepares students for careers such as graphic artists, animators, modelers, riggers, and programmers. They offer two study programmes, Bachelor of Animation and Digital Art and Bachelor of Game Technology and Simulation.

Westerdals – Høgskolen Kristiania

The core of Westerdals Department of Film and Media is audiovisual communication and story-telling, with a focus on production, content, and experience. The School of Arts, Design, and Media currently offers both bachelors and masters degrees.

Høgskulen i Volda

VUC has a broad animation programme, and students can learn everything from stop-motion, drawn animation, and digital animation to animation production. The animation programme has several studios with high-end equipment for free use. Activities in the courses are centered around lectures, projects in teams, and individual work with guidance.

Meet the Future

Meet the filmmakers behind the films in the festival’s competition programme for Nordic-Baltic student films. Get the opportunity to ask what you want, know more about the films, directly from the filmmakers, and get insight into the ideas, processes, and techniques behind the films.

These sessions will happen during breakfast at the Quality Hotel on Friday and Saturday mornings.

Moderator for the Q&A is Ben Mitchell, the chief editor of Skwigly.co.uk.

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Participants

Ben Mitchell

Ben Mitchell is a Bristol-based animator, filmmaker, and writer. As an independent director, he has created six short animated films that have been screened for 200+ festivals and touring programmes across the world. In his freelance work, he has produced work for CBeebies, Channel 4, WildBrain Spark, A Productions, Shy Guys Studios, and Rumpus to name a few. As an animation industry writer and researcher Ben is the Editor in Chief of the UK-based magazine site Skwigly and author of the book Independent Animation: Developing, Producing and Distributing Your Animated Films. He has also worked with and alongside a number of international industry events in a variety of capacities and served as visiting lecturer/tutor at several universities.

Meet the Distributors

How do you distribute your final work to an international market? That’s a recurring question all creatives try to explore. FAF has gathered different distributors that specialize in short film, art film, and independent features, and you can meet their representatives during a lunch break at the Industry Area at Blender Collective, the co-working space of the festival shared with the creative industry of Fredrikstad.

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Participants

Sanne Jehoul

Sanne Jehoul works across the short film slate of Vienna-based sales & festival distribution agency Square Eyes. She is also the programme director of the Glasgow Short Film Festival, Scotland’s leading short film event. Additionally, she freelances across curation and writing, led the industry programme at Vienna Shorts 2022, and sits on the Board of Trustees of Glasgow Artists’ Moving Image Studios.

Luce Grosjean

In 2014 Luce Grosjean founded Sève Films, a distribution company destined to promote student films in animation festivals, as well as young talented directors. In 2017, she associated with Miyu Productions to create Miyu Distribution, which specialised in distribution at festivals and international sales for animation. Four of the films that she distributed have been nominated at the Oscars, one at the César, and her films are known international successes.  Her company received the award of the best short film distribution company in 2020 by UniFrance and La Fête du Court Métrage.

Portfolio Session

Are you a student who is interested in getting your current work reviewed by FAF guests and partners? Are you new in the field, looking for work, and don’t know where to start? Getting feedback is an essential part of starting a career in animation. Bring your portfolio and impress our panel of great artists and professionals. Space is limited so you must order a ticket on Eventive before the event.

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Meet the Financiers

Often, projects stall in the idea phase due to the lack of funding to execute the project. As a filmmaker or producer are you unsure of where to start looking? FAF invited some of the funding organizations from Norway to present themselves at the festival. You can meet NFI, Viken Filmsenter and Creative Europe – Media Desk representatives during a lunch break at the Industry Area at Blender Collective.

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Quiz-o-Rama at Tæps

Just for the occasion of FAF, TÆPS´ regular Thursday quiz will be dedicated to animation and film. With two rounds of 20 questions, the quiz may well be challenging, but only as challenging as it needs to be. Gather a team of up to six friends, and come prepared with sharpened minds and sharpened pencils!

This event will be held in Norwegian.

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Meet the Festivals

Curious to learn more about film festivals throughout Europe? Join some of the friends of FAF and learn more about annual festivals that happen around Europe. This laid-back mingling event will be held at the Industry Area in Blender Collective. Stop by and get familiar with festivals so that you could submit films to their future editions.

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Education Stands

For both students looking to start their animation studies or continue their education, there are programmes that will interest all of those on the quest for higher education. On Thursday 20 October, festival attendees have the opportunity to speak directly with educators and students from some of the top education programmes in the region.

There will be four schools located in the Fredrikstad Kino foyer. The stands are available from 10:30 – 16:30 on Thursday 20 October.

Game School – Høgskolen i Innlandet

The Game School prepares students for careers such as graphic artists, animators, modelers, riggers, and programmers. They offer two study programmes, Bachelor of Animation and Digital Art and Bachelor of Game Technology and Simulation.

Westerdals – Høgskolen Kristiania

The core of Westerdals Department of Film and Media is audiovisual communication and story-telling, with a focus on production, content, and experience. The School of Arts, Design, and Media currently offers both bachelors and masters degrees.

Høgskulen i Volda

VUC has a broad animation programme, and students can learn everything from stop-motion, drawn animation, and digital animation to animation production. The animation programme has several studios with high-end equipment for free use. Activities in the courses are centered around lectures, projects in teams, and individual work with guidance.

Exhibition: Don Giorno al Forno

Ciao potential Investorè!! It’sa me! Don Giorno! Fitnessmogul of days past, bodybuilder icon of days present! Al Forno magnate of days yet to come? Hahaha we’ll see!

You are cordially invited to this event in honor of me and my newest product, “Don Giorno al Forno”! A product of unparalleled taste, finesse, and deal value! This could also be your fast track to investments and bucks in the bank! The hopes for the future are high, and the quality of the pasta even higher! I truly believe the market is ready for this, and I wholeheartedly believe the world has been ready for ME for quite some time! It’ll be a feast for your senses as you get to witness my vastness and pasta poster boy potential! Haha my life is like a movie so makes sense having it at the cinema! Pasta first, Oscars next!

You do NOT want to miss out on this fantastic product!

Entrance fee: Free

Clothing: Fitness Casual

Participants

Andreas E. Lund

Andreas Emil Lund is a trained illustrator from the Vocational School Kristiania. He discovered animation during his education when he wanted several mediums and techniques for storytelling. As a self-taught animator, Andreas has developed a unique animation style that does not necessarily follow general animation principles. The animations Andreas creates have served as a method for developing a distinctive style as an illustrator and designer, which really engages and at times provokes. It’s far from Oscar material, but an experience quite out of the ordinary, and has been nominated and won awards, both at home and abroad.

OBOS presents Family Day

Sunday is the final day of the festival and is dedicated to children and families. Participants of all ages may immerse themselves in screenings of animated children’s films, a workshop, and other fun activities at Fredrikstad Kino. Family Day includes previews and other screenings of children’s films.

As the festival’s official support, OBOS has brought out two screenings for families to enjoy Where is Anne Frank or Titina.

An open workshop held by the regional media workshop E6 is taking place in the cinema foyer, along with other free activities for the youngest animation enthusiasts.

Family Day is made possible through cooperation between E6 Østfold Medieverksted, Fredrikstad Kino, and OBOS.

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