For Immediate Release February 8, 2005

For More Information Contact: Vicki Daugherty, 317-278- 4636

Award Winning Animator to Deliver Keynote Address at Inaugural VisionFest

INDIANAPOLIS - Unofficial "Animation Ambassador", historian, teacher, and award winning animator, John Canemaker will be the keynote speaker at VisionFest, a student animation festival hosted by Indiana University School of Informatics June 2 -5, 2005, in Indianapolis, Ind.

John Canemaker is professor and director of the Animation Department at New York University Tisch School of the Arts. A noted historian of the animation industry, Canemaker has written numerous books including Walt Disney's Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation. He has also directed the documentaries Otto Messmer and Felix the Cat, and Remembering Winsor McCay. His most recent film, The Moon and the Son premiered at the Museum of Modern Art on January 5, 2005

"We are thrilled to have such a renowned figure in the animation world join us for our first event," said Mark McCreary, Assistant Dean of the School of Informatics at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). "Students and attendees will no doubt be inspired by his breadth of knowledge and experiences in the industry."

Students are encouraged to submit work to the competition. Deadline for submission is March 18. Visit www.visionfest.org for information and forms to submit work.

Invited speakers and jurors for VisionFest include Zareh Gorjian, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Kerry Shea, Production Manager, Madagascar , Pacific Data Images; Scott and Georgia Ball, The Animation Closet; and Bob Schreck, Batman Group Editor, D.C. Comics; Dan Casey, Vinton Studios; Rich McKain, Oddworld; Jay Francis and Eric Radomski, Phuuz; artist Matt Wagner; and Ila Abramson, I Spy Recruiting.

What makes VisionFest unique is that all student visionaries submitting work will receive written critiques from the adjudicators. Ideally, this will create a cooperative and collaborative atmosphere that will encourage, progress and advance the student's work.

For more information about VisionFest, visit www.visionfest.org or email vicki@visionfest.org or call 317 278-4636. ###