SIGGRAPH electronic theater.(Portfolio)(Computer Animation Festival)

Considered one of the premiere animation events, the annual SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival showcases the best CG works from students and professionals around the globe. And judging from the caliber of the works accepted into this year's festival, the event surely will not disappoint audiences. "The SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival is an internationally recognized event that engages and inspires artists and technologists alike," says Digital Fauxtography's Terrence Masson, chair of the 2006 Computer Animation Festival. "Each year, it serves as a mirror of what is possible today and a window into what can be achieved in the future. It provides equal merit to films from independent and major studios as well as students."

The 2006 event is the culmination of nearly two years of planning and preparation by the festival committee, which comprises industry volunteers who committed thousands of hours to bring this presentation to the SIGGRAPH audiences and beyond, during special post-SIGGRAPH screenings at selected locales.

The committee received a record 726 entries from six continents and 37 countries, including Australia, Germany, Iran, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, and Spain, resulting in a 25 percent increase over the number of submissions from last year. Moreover, the entries represent a range of computer graphics from across many disciplines. In all, 97 pieces were accepted: 34 into the prestigious Electronic Theater and 63 into the Animation Theater. Of those, 51 are animation pieces, five are scientific pieces (including scientific visualization, medical imaging, and technical submissions), 10 are art pieces, 16 are broadcast pieces, three are computer game cinematics, 12 are visual effects pieces, and 38 are student works.

Each year, two Electronic Theater submissions are singled out for special recognition. This year, the animated short film "One Rat Short," from Alex Well of Charlex, received the Best of Show award. This film, which uses computer graphics for a more dramatic and cinematic look as opposed to a cartoon look, follows a New York City rat from his gritty world to the interior of a futuristic laboratory (for more on this project, see "Oh, Rats!," May 2006, pg. 16).

"This piece immediately stood out to the jury for many reasons," says Masson. "The film's emotional tone, cinematography, and technical realization melded wonderfully into a simple yet touching short film. Repeatedly, the two lead characters transfixed our gaze with extreme closeups, and we instantly wondered what they were thinking. Our ability to clearly empathize with the main characters' desires is one of the film's single greatest achievements."

The other award-winning film was "458nm," by Jan Bitzer, Ilija Brunck, and Tom Weber of Filmakademie Baden-Wurttemberg in Germany, which received Special Jury Honors. The film is a romantic story of two mechanical snails that find each other under the moonlight. "The initial submitted artist's description in no way prepared us for the stunning impact of this film. The grace, beauty, and power conveyed with such humble subjects are only more appreciated upon multiple viewings," says Masson. "Intricate details and subtle animation build layer upon layer of simple elegance."

Other notable Animation Theater pieces, as singled out by the jury, include "Robin Hood Flour," from Richard Rosenman of Red Rover Studios in Canada. In this animation, it is a holiday evening and the main characters are being interviewed at their dining room table. They are furiously wrapping gingerbread cookies in ...