June 1st, 2020 
Jerry Beck 
ASIFA-Hollywood recently announced its Animation Educator’s Forum (AEF) will release the Class of 2020 Animation Virtual Showcase highlighting creative work and final projects from animation graduates all over the country. The showcase is the response to limitations, placed by the current COVID 19 situation, on graduating animation students’ ability to exhibit and screen their final projects. The primary focus is to create a venue for celebration and exposure of their accomplishments. A secondary goal is for industry recruiters to gain access to the current student work and enhance local college’s recruitment opportunities.
The showcase link will be available on the ASIFA-Hollywood website and the AEF website beginning June 18th. ASIFA-Hollywood sponsors and supports the Educators Forum and contributed a funding to assist with the development of this showcase.
“It is our hope to have a showcase event which will generate excitement and a sense of achievement for all involved,” said Professor Patricia Galvis Assmus with the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. “The showcase will include 200 student films, including 34 universities in 17 states in the USA and six countries. If successful, there are plans to expand the showcase each year to promote animation students’ work and continue to develop new platforms for this exciting venue,” said Michael Bonitatis for the AEF steering committee.
Bonatatis is the CEO and founder of the global, cloud-based animation studio, Animation Libation Studios, which promotes newly emerging artists from around the world and provides a ‘next step’ to an animation career. Along with Bonitatis, Professor Galvis Assmus, who came up with the idea for the showcase, donated their time and talent to create this virtual showcase. Professor Galvis Assmus has worked in experimental film and computer animation for over 20 years in combination with her even longer professional involvement with experimental digital image creation started in Silicon Valley. Both Bonatatis and Galvis Assmus are volunteer professionals, as are all of the members of the AEF.
ASIFA-Hollywood is the world’s foremost professional organization dedicated to promoting the art of animation and celebrating the people who create it. Today, ASIFA-Hollywood, the largest chapter of the international organization ASIFA, supports a wide range of animation activities and preservation efforts through its membership. Current initiatives include the Animation Archive, Animation Aid Foundation, AEF, animated film preservation, special events, classes and screenings.
For more information on ASIFA-Hollywood, please visit www.asifa-hollywood.org.
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