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Vermont Animation Festival Announced

March 9, 2022

Seventh Annual Vermont Animation Festival Begins Friday, March 25

An illustrated poster with a flock of geese soaring over mountains and a lake.Animators and others  will enjoy the Seventh Annual Vermont Animation Festival, hosted by Northern Vermont University in partnership with Catamount Arts. It will be held March 25-26 on the NVU-Lyndon campus. A full slate of activities is planned for beginner and experienced animators, including workshops, a film screening, and an artist talk by keynote speaker and visual storyteller Jo Dery. The festival is seeking entries for viewing and judging, too!

“We are so excited to be able host this year’s festival in person,” said Kate Renner, NVU visiting assistant professor and director of the Vermont Animation Festival. “Although the industry relies heavily on computers, animation originated as a very hands-on medium. We are thrilled to once again be able to use the resources of the NVU Animation Studio, and to be able to collaborate with other animators.”

Submissions of animated films of all lengths will be accepted through March 4 for festival viewing and judging; films from students and emerging animators are especially welcome. Complete festival information, including workshops and registration, is available at VTAnimationFestival.org.

“We are once again thrilled to be partnering with NVU and the Vermont Animation Festival, said Catamount Arts Artistic Director Molly Stone. “Catamount will be hosting a digital exhibit of Jo Dery’s work on our website at catamountarts.org. Jo’s visual storytelling through the art of animation, as well as her hands-on creative process, will inspire everyone who sees it!”

The Vermont Animation Festival was created in 2015 by former NVU faculty Robby Gilbert to showcase the unique voices of artists in New England working in animation and moving images. The festival provides a forum for regional artists, including NVU Animation and Illustration students, to showcase their work and workshops to engage the community.

“The Vermont Animation Festival also teaches emerging animators that you don’t need a fancy computer set-up to create compelling work,” Renner said. “Students in NVU’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Animation and Illustration program are taught how to use the industry standards for Animation software, and at the same time they are encouraged to create animated work using pencil, paper, and commonly found materials such as sand.”

To learn more about NVU’s program at the Lyndon campus, see NorthernVermont.edu/AnimationIllustration.