The Nicktoons Network Animation Festival

Okay, animation fans. You need to be in front of your television set tonight at 10:00 PM / 7:00 PM for the final screening of this year’s Nicktoons Network Animation Festival. It’s not an all-original epsiode, but rather the best of the season. You’ll see all this year’s award-winners, including Crocodile Journals (Diversity Award), A Great Big Giant Robot Ate My Homework (Producers’ Choice), and Libraryhead (Student Award). We’ll also be announcing the Grand Prize winner. That filmmaker gets a cool $10,000. Yeah, you read right. $10,000. That buys a lot of animation paper.

– Eric

What happens when a pig wakes up to find his nose is missing? His suspicion falls on his room-mate, a rat - but there’s more to this mystery of a lost snout than meets the eye (or the ear, as it turns out.)

Tilmann Vogt was born in Stuttgart, Germany on November 17, 1976. In 1997, he started studiying Media-Design at Fachhochschule Mainz. After one year at Savannah College of Art and Design as Fulbright scholar, he went back to Mainz to do his diploma/thesis project Snout in 2003.

From 2004 to the present, Tilmann works as a character animator on commercials and features in Germany.

“Snout” premiers on Episode 6 of the Nicktoons Newtork Animation Festival, Wednesday August 30, 2006 at 10PM EST/7PM PST.

Melissa

Margot lies on a dock in utter boredom, looking at her reflection in the ocean below. Suddenly a bright red telephone floats her way, and to Margot’s surprise, is ringing! When she answers it, Margot is pulled into a colorful underwater world where she meets a quirky octopus. It is then that Margot learns of the octopus’ hobby: Collecting children.

Julie Bergman began a career in animation in 2004 by going to a 3D immersion school. She was awarded with scholarships for her amazing progress and creativity in 3D artwork. Julie now works as an animator for a successful visual effects company.

“Sinking Margot” premiers on Episode 6 of the Nicktoons Newtork Animation Festival, Wednesday August 30, 2006 at 10PM EST/7PM PST.

Melissa

A true story about a man and his uneasy relationship with the neighbor’s dog. The dog still lives next door to filmmaker Chris Armstrong.

Dog Worries was entirely created on a PowerBook Laptop ( including editing and sound recording ) except for a little cleanup at the end. Armstrong has been in the animation business for quite a while but this is his first success at actually completing a personal short film.

“Dog Worries” will be part of Screening One, airing on Nicktoons Network August 26th at 10PM EST/7PM PST.

Melissa

Four underwater friends put hair growth to the test as they each attempt to sprout a moustache.

Not only is Mike Hollingsworth an animator, he’s also “a cartoonist, stand-up comic and writer. A Renaissance Man! Unfortunately the Renaissance was, like, a hundred years ago or something, so Mike has to take work as an animation supervisor for MTV. Alright, that’s enough of the third-person thing. It’s me writing this thing. I’m Mike. And I’d love to tell you that my three biggest heroes are Jim Henson, Charles Schulz and Chuck Jones. Also, I’m totally buff. Like, really cut.”

“The Moustache Contest” premiers on Episode 6 of the Nicktoons Newtork Animation Festival, Wednesday August 30, 2006 at 10PM EST/7PM PST.

Melissa

A tiny voyager flies through a world filled with loves and passions of all shapes and sizes. Small and Deep, Love Stories is an interwoven visual poem about the joys and heartaches of falling in Love.

Hsinping Pan received her MFA at University of Southern California in Animation and Digital Arts. She is currently working as a free-lanced animator and character designer in LA. She is also represented by Duck Studios. Small and Deep, Love Stories is her thesis film. She also made Blue Rain and Dog’s Nightmare which has been screened in festivals around the world.

“Small and Deep, Love Stories” premiers on Episode 6 of the Nicktoons Newtork Animation Festival, Wednesday August 30, 2006 at 10PM EST/7PM PST.

Melissa

Philosophies of life are debated between a mental ward psychiatrist and his insane patient. Whose point of view is right? This film was made by computer animation students Florian Bestel, Guillaume Roux, Xavier Aliot, and Nicholas Chombart.

ESMA, the school who submitted this short, had many many other high quality submissions to the festival this year. You should definitely check out their website.

“Exit” premiers on Episode 5 of the Nicktoons Newtork Animation Festival, Tuesday August 29, 2006 at 10PM EST/7PM PST.

Melissa

After graduating from school and doing community service, Andreas Gashka stayed in Mainz, Germany and enrolled in the media design program at the University of Applied Sciences. As a student, he started experimenting with various analog and digital techniques, including stop-motion, 3D animation, video, illustration and street art.

Andreas just finished half of his studies, and is about to start his internship at BUCK-LA.

“Zeitsprung Timetravels” premiers on Episode 5 of the Nicktoons Newtork Animation Festival, Tuesday August 29, 2006 at 10PM EST/7PM PST.

Melissa

An encaged circus bear dreams of his liberation. Trapped by his fear, his wishes to escape are visualised through a ghost twin.

Ljubisa Djukic studied at the Animation School Hamburg, and is the Art Director and founder of the dyrdee media company located in Berlin, Germany.

I had the pleasure of seeing this film screened at the Ottawa Film Festival last year, and in my opinion, it was one of the most memorable ones at the festival. The expressions that Ljubisa is able to achieve on his characters makes for a very heartfelt short.

“Manege Frei” premiers on Episode 5 of the Nicktoons Newtork Animation Festival, Tuesday August 29, 2006 at 10PM EST/7PM PST.

Melissa

In a war ravaged, futuristic city, a robot roams the streets, and finds light in the arms of a dying girl.

Ming Chang completed this film while studying at Vancouver Film School.

“The Sunshine” premiers on Episode 5 of the Nicktoons Newtork Animation Festival, Tuesday August 29, 2006 at 10PM EST/7PM PST.

Melissa