The SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival, Part 1. (Art Studio).

The SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival is an internationally recognized event that engages and inspires artists and technologists alike. This year, 76 pieces--selected from 635 submissions for their creative and technical excellence--will be presented at the festival during the annual SIGGRAPH Conference and Exhibition, held this month in San Diego, California. Twenty-five of these animations will be shown during evening presentations in the prestigious Electronic Theater. The remaining selections will be exhibited during matinee performances in the Animation Theater.

Two entries received special recognition. "Eternal Gaze," by Sam Chen, was honored as Best Animated Short for its tale about an artist, his art, and love. The fact that it is entirely computer-generated is quickly lost in the telling of the tale, says chair Darin Grant from Digital Domain. Receiving Jury Honors was "Tim Tom" from Supinfocom. In this short, two characters want to meet, but their efforts are hindered by their creator, a giant omnipotent hand. With nods to the animation masters of the past and their techniques, "Tim Tom" brings life to characters whose emotions are expressed through their notepad faces.

A selection of images from the Computer Animation Festival appear on these two pages.

Eternal Gaze (Best Animated Short), directed and produced by Sam Chen, was inspired by the life of Alberto Giacometti, one of the great artists of the 20th century.

Adidas Mechanical Legs, directed by David Fincher, required Digital Domain to create a photorealistic environment using ...