The UTS: Sydney International Animation Festival will be held on 13 and 14 October at the University of Technology, Sydney. Along with festival favourites such as the International programs, highlights of home-grown animation and the ever bizarre Late Night Bizarre sessions the 2012 festival will feature animations from Tokyo University and the Royal College of Art. Also for the first time the UTS: Sydney International Animation Festival will premiere two feature films!  A Monster in Paris, directed by The Shark Tale’s Bibo Bergeon and the academy award-nominated Czech film Alois Nebel. Full program details can be found at www.siaf.uts.edu.au.

Program:

12.30pm - 1.45 pm - Royal College of the Arts - 25 Years of Animation

London's Royal College of Art animation department has been doing what they do best for 25 years - where does the time go?! For all of those twenty five years RCA films have been screening just about everywhere and we decided it was time to do a stock-take on the hundreds of films that have been created within those hallowed halls. But where to begin? In true SIAF style we went straight to the top - that would be Joan Ashworth, Professor and Head of Animation at RCA and we were gifted a collection of RCA's 'best' 100 films. This is now one of our most treasured possessions and the temptation was to leave immediately before they changed their minds and asked for them back. From that staggering collection of animated wonderfulness comes this tribute to 25 years of outstanding animation craft. It took a couple of months to get through all of that material and in the way these things often work out at SIAF, the whole deal was nailed down over a roast chook in Estonia ... but that's another story.

4pm - 5.20pm - The Australian Showcase

A strong year for Australian animation. There is masterful CG, beautifully crafted puppet animation, and skilfully drawn work. All together it's the most comprehensive look at a year of animatin' in this wide, brown/green/wet land. Lovin it!

5.45pm - 7pm - International Program #1

The best of recently released short animated films from all over the world, coming in from every corner, they use every technique, they can be funny, dramatic, eye-popping, subdued, documentary or autobiographical. The one thing they have in common is that we think they're the pick of the crop. There are also competition programs focusing purely on abstract animation and longer shorts.

7.30pm - 9pm - A Monster in Paris

Paris, 1910, panic sweeps the city. Floodwaters are rising and a monster is on the loose! Formidable Commissioner Maynott and his men hunt it down day and night. With no luck. It could be that in the limelight at The Rare Bird, a Montmartre cabaret where feisty Lucille is the star attraction isn't a bad place to hide after all!

9.15pm - 10.25pm - Light Night Bizarre

Paris, 1910, panic sweeps the city. Floodwaters are rising and a monster is on the loose! Formidable Commissioner Maynott and his men hunt it down day and night. With no luck. It could be that in the limelight at The Rare Bird, a Montmartre cabaret where feisty Lucille is the star attraction isn't a bad place to hide after all!

Full Day pass available.

The Saturday Day pass gives you access to all seasons (including features) that are screened on Saturday 13 October. Enjoy the International program #1, the best of recenet Australian animation and UTS:SIAF's feature film, directed by Bibo Bergeron (The Shark Tale), Monster in Paris and much more!

 Click here for a full festival pass