THE coming Canberra International Film Festival has received a practical and psychological boost with today’s announcement that the super-cool Academy of Interactive Entertainment will commit to providing the festival with funding support of $50,000 each year for the next three years.
“This sponsorship is very significant for the festival,” festival manager and director of Ronin Films, Andrew Pike said, and with good reason.
The beleaguered festival has been rescued from likely death by a dedicated trio of film-lovers headed by Pike and supported by Michael Loebenstein of the National Film and Archive, where the event will run from November 5 to 15.
Today ACT Minister for the Arts and Minister for Education and Training, Joy Burch, witnessed the signing of the sponsorship agreement by AIE Head of School Graeme Dickson and Pike at the AIE Canberra campus in Canberra Technology Park, Watson.
“We want to encourage the growth of a strong regional film industry and foster the expansion of employment opportunities for Canberrans in animation and film” the academy’s CEO John De Margheriti said.
The plan is for the academy to be involved in the film festival’s education program which includes film-maker talks at high-schools and tertiary institutions, practical work-experience placements and screenings for schools throughout the Festival program. Observers see a future for young creative Canberrans in the new deal.
With the festival screening a larger selection of works by Canberra film-makers in 2015, the hope is to provide a platform for local film-makers to present their work.
“We want to celebrate these creative pioneers and importantly, encourage the new generation of creatives, such as students studying animation at the AIE,” Pike said.
The Academy of Interactive Entertainment is Australia’s most awarded 3D animation, game design and visual FX educator. Its partnership with the Canberra Institute of Technology in the Bachelor of Games and Virtual Worlds Degree course enables students to access a range of resources including extensive libraries, student accommodation and other support services.Canberra Details of the Academy at aie.edu.au, International Film Festival, at the Arc Cinema, National Film and Sound Archive, November 5-15, bookings to ciff.com.au
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