Animation festivals provide a great opportunity for budding filmmakers to meet and exchange ideas. They give novice filmmakers exposure to industry heavyweights, as well as marketing opportunities.
By attending such events, you can even establish long-lasting professional relationships or find amazing job opportunities.
Most animators work remotely, thanks to the wonders of technology. This makes it hard for them to meet other people, so they have to depend on online networks.
Animation festivals allow them to find suitable collaborators as they develop their art form. The following are a handful of other features of animation festivals:
A Showcase of the Best Animation
Animation festivals feature panels of the best filmmakers and other technicians in the industry. These panels preside over a selection of the best animated shorts, adverts, feature films, and other related products.
Such showcasing helps set a high standard for the entire animation industry.
Collaboration Opportunities
Festivals provide networking opportunities for established and budding filmmakers. They can meet on the side-lines, talk, and partner up on current or upcoming projects.
They can also meet distributors, corporate officials, or content buyers to work on distribution deals.
Pushing the Bounds of Animation
Computer hardware and software companies often debut their latest technologies at such events.
This allows them to market them to film studios and independent artists, which in turn allows creators to try them out and come up with new ways of doing things.
Awards and Presentations
Animation festivals culminate in a grand gala where awards are presented to the best in every category.
These awards propel the careers of recipients while encouraging budding animators and filmmakers to keep making more films.
Workshops
Some animation festivals hold workshops. Such classes are essential for all filmmakers and animators as they teach them the professional standard of the industry.
This goes a long way towards improving general standards and helping participants secure lucrative deals or jobs.