Reeves Lehmann, chair of the BFA Film & Video and BFA Animation programs at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), announce the 26th Dusty Film & Animation Festival will be held Saturday, May 9 through Tuesday, May 12, 2015 in New York City. The four-day event showcases more than 100 films and animations from students graduating this spring. Annie Flocco, independent producer/filmmaker and SVA faculty member, will produce the event. According to Flocco, the Headlining Sponsors are AbelCine, Adorama Rental Company, Animation Magazine, B&H Photo, Bryan Singer, Carlos Saldanha/BottleCap Productions, Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films, Feature Systems/Kits and Expendables, Foto Care, Gotham Sound, IFP, New York Women in Film & Television, Nice Shoes, Nickelodeon, Rota6, SCS Agency, SVA Campus Store, Technicolor PostWorks New York, and Toon Boom Animation. One hundred percent of sponsors' donations benefit future students in grants and in-kind gifts.
The 2015 Dusty Festival kicks off with three days of screenings, concluding with a May 12 awards ceremony. Fifteen awards-including Outstanding Film and Achievement in Directing, Outstanding Documentary, Outstanding Animated Film, and the New York Women in Film & Television Award-recognize outstanding thesis work. All screenings are free and open to the general public at the SVA Theatre, (333 West 23rd Street) NYC. Final list of presenters/special guests are TBA. "We are thrilled the Dusty Film & Animation Festival is celebrating its 26th year," says Reeves Lehmann. "We invite everyone to come and discover the next generation of great filmmakers and animators, who we know will entertain and educate audiences near and far." This year, SVA presents Dusty Outstanding Alumni Awards to producer/director Daniel Minahan (Game of Thrones, True Blood, Marco Polo) and animator Alex Kupershmidt (The Lion King, Lilo & Stitch, Frozen), announced Reeves Lehmann and Annie Flocco. The awards take place Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at 6:30pm at the SVA Theatre. "We're tremendously proud of the work that Dan and Alex have done since they got their start at SVA," says Lehmann. "They're role models for the artistic community in supporting young talent."Videos