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From September 17 - 21, the nation's capital will once again become the center of the animation universe. The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) is the largest event of its kind in North America, a major film event attracting attendees from around the world. Film buffs, art lovers and cartoon fans won't want to miss this year's great line up of screenings taking place at the ByTowne Cinema, the National Gallery of Canada, the Canadian Museum of Civilization and the Empire Theatres Rideau Centre. |
All photos courtesy of either Paul Galipeau or
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International Jury for Short Program, Student and Commissioned Films
 Marco de Blois (Canada)
Né à Tracy (Québec) en 1964, Marco de Blois a étudié le cinéma à l’Université de Montréal. Depuis 1999, il est conservateur du cinéma d’animation à la Cinémathèque québécoise, un centre d’archives cinématographiques et télévisuelles situé à Montréal. Son travail consiste à enrichir les collections de films et d’artefacts et à mettre celles-ci en valeur à l’occasion de rétrospectives et d’expositions au Canada et à l’étranger. Membre du comité de rédaction de la revue 24 images, il a publié de nombreux articles sur le cinéma d’animation et le cinéma américain. Il a signé un texte de réflexion sur les débuts de l’animation dans l’ouvrage dirigé par Marcel Jean, Quand le cinéma d’animation rencontre le vivant. Il enseigne l’histoire du film d’animation à l’Université Concordia à Montréal.
 Jonas Odell (Sweden)
Jonas Odell is one of the founders of Filmtecknarna. He specializes in making films mixing live action and various mixed media animation techniques. He has also scripted, co-scripted and written the music to a number of studio productions. Early films that Jonas directed include ‘Dawning’ (1986) and ‘Exit’ (1990). Other productions are the short films Revolver (1993), Otto (1997) and Family and Friends (2002). His short film “ Never Like The First Time! ” was awarded with the Golden Bear for best short film in the Berlin Film Festival 2006. His portfolio also includes two TV series, Alice in Plasmaland (1993) and Body Parts (1994), and a number of idents for Cartoon Network and MTV among others. Jonas designed the title sequence for the MTV Awards 2000 in Stockholm. The past few years, Jonas has also been a much sought after director for music videos and his portfolio includes videos for such artists as Erasure, Goldfrapp, U2 and Franz Ferdinand, for which he received an award for breakthrough video of the year at the MTV Music Awards 2004 as well as a Grammy nomination. Jonas also directs a number of television commercials each year.
Duscha Kistler (Switzerland)
 Duscha Kistler, born in Davos, Switzerland, in 1971, is an art historian and a film scientist. During her studies, Duscha took part in organizing various exhibitions and multimedia projects. She soon became involved with Videoex, a festival for experimental film in Zurich. Her passion for film, art and film festivals eventually brought her to animated film, and to Fantoche, an international festival for animation that takes place every two years in Baden (near Zurich). In the 2003 and 2005 editions, Duscha was responsible for the production management of the festival. Since Fantoche '07 she really is the “person who makes Fantoche happen”: As the programme director she organises and coordinates the entire programme for the festival and decides where the emphasis should be in terms of content. In addition to Fantoche, Duscha is involved in assisting with the dramaturgical aspects of small independent dance and theatre projects.
International Jury for School Showreel and Feature Film Competition
Amica Kubo (Japan)
Amica Kubo graduated from Tokyo Polytechnic University in March, 2007, where she participated, as an undergraduate, in the production of the NintendoDS software Bioum for in-store distribution. Her independent animation short films are Bloomed Words and Go! Moo Coaster. Amica has produced music videos, ads, short animation and illustration for clients such as NHK, HP Japan and Nissan. She also creates original animations and illustrations around the world.
Christopher Mills (Canada)
 Christopher Mills is best known for his video work for Modest Mouse, The Tragically Hip, The Secret Machines, and Interpol--combining live action with animation in a style he describes as, "Rumpled Country Art Doctor Antiques Lover Who Thinks Out Of The Box Yet Imagines Vast Worlds Inside It." In addition to music videos and commercials, Christopher has created visual work for the Art Gallery of Ontario as well as for The Tragically Hip's stadium concert tour in 2005. He created and directed, Macroscopic, a 47-minute experimental documentary about The Tragically Hip that was included in their 20-year retrospective, Hipeponymous, released in late 2005. Christopher has received many awards for his music video work, including "Best Breakthrough Video" for Modest Mouses's Float On, in 2004. His 2006 mixed-media commercial for Hewlett-Packard, called Crazy Town, was his first U.S. commercial.
Heather Harkins (Canada)
Heather Harkins is an animator from idyllic Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, where she is an active member of the Atlantic Filmmakers' Co-Operative. She has curated short film screenings for venues in the Netherlands, the U.S. and Canada, while her own animation has screened on four continents. "Hard Time" Harkins recently won the inaugural Helen Hill Award from the Linda Joy Media Arts Society. She also gives great pep talks to dejected artists--ask if you're in need.
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 This year's Ottawa International Animation Festival poster was designed by Ottawa artist Howie Tsui.
Howie Tsui spent much of his formative years bouncing from Hong Kong to Nigeria and then to Thunder Bay. He received his BFA from the University of Waterloo in 2002 and relocated to Ottawa where he currently divvies his time between art projects and performing in the indie folk band, The Acorn.
His work has been exhibited in Mexico, Australia, US and Canada. A recipient of funding support from the City of Ottawa, the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts, Tsui's work has appeared in such publications as Beautiful/Decay, MIX Magazine and Faesthetic, and can be found in the Canada Council Art Bank Collection.
 In 2008, Tsui will be participating in the Symposium of Contemporary Art of Baie-Saint-Paul. A collection of Tsui’s work will be released by Islandsfold, as well, he will be exhibiting at Le Gallery in Toronto.
He’s currently working on a new series entitled Horror Fables that will debut at the Carleton University Art Gallery in 2009. You can visit his website at www.howietsui.com.
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Tick Tock Tom is the designer of the 2008 Ottawa International Animation Festival Awards. You can see his sculpture as part of the Visual/Audio exhibit at Club Saw, open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 am to 1 am.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
My sculptures are a mosaic of scrap metal. They are meant to present the idea of life within lifeless material. The creature or object presented may cause the initial curiosity, but it is the natural intricacies of the material that attracts attention.
 “And Skinner would tell her that these boards were immortal, inert as stone, proof against moisture and ultraviolet and every form of decay, that they were destined to litter the planet, hence it was good to reuse them, work them when possible into the fabric of things, a resource when something needed to be durable.”
— William Gibson, “All Tomorrows Parties"
Tick Tock Tom est le concepteur des prix du Festival international d'animation d'Ottawa 2008 . Vous pouvez voir ses sculptures à l'exposition Visual / Audio au Club Saw, ouvert du mercredi au dimanche de 9 h à 1 h du matin.
ÉNONCÉ DE L’ARTISTE:
Mes sculptures sont une mosaïque de métal de rebut. Elles sont conçues pour représenter l'idée de la vie au sein d'un matériau sans vie. La créature ou objet présenté peut susciter au départ de la curiosité, mais ce sont les complexités naturelles du matériau qui attirent l'attention.
« Et Skinner lui disait que ces planches étaient immortelles, aussi inertes que la pierre, à l'épreuve de l'humidité et des ultraviolets et de toute forme de détérioration, qu’elles étaient destinés à joncher la planète, en sorte qu'il était bon de les réutiliser, de les incorporer lorsque c'était possible dans la matière des choses, une ressource quand il fallait que quelque chose dure. »
- William Gibson, « All Tomorrows Parties »
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