Anifest India 2024: Celebrating Animation Excellence and Innovation in Pune
Anifest India 2024: Celebrating Animation Excellence and Innovation in Pune
The 16th edition of the oldest and most loved International Animation Festival –Anifest India– was held on Feb 10-11, 2024 in Pune. Two full days, 55 speakers, participants from 40+ design & animation schools and 1600 attendees ensured packed houses across the sprawling MIT-WPU, Kothrud Campus. At the inaugural ceremony, Rahul V Karad, Managing Trustee & Executive President, MAEER’s MIT Group of Institutions and Executive President, MIT World Peace University expressed his solidarity and support for the community. In his welcome address, he stressed upon the need for such community efforts and congratulated TASI for its voluntary initiatives over the past 2 decades.
Speaking at the occasion, Ranjit Singh ‘Tony’, Founder Trustee and Director of TASI Animation Association, highlighted the unique nature of this organisation where each member contributes time, effort and expertise on a voluntary basis. This ensures that 100% of the funds raised for the festival are pushed back into the community. Anifest India is also one of the 5 premier international animation festivals recognised by the Maharashtra Government in its IT/ITES policy document of 2015 and 2023.
The growth of this festival over the past 15 editions is testament to the dedication and sincere devotion of the volunteers. The trust in TASI’s integrity, neutrality and devotion to learning remains firm and competing studios, companies, educational institutes and individuals, as always, continue to donate generously to ensure the success of the festival. There are many firsts associated with the 16th edition of the festival. It is the first time the event has been held outside Mumbai.
The first time, TASI has adopted a brand new format of multiple tracks running simultaneously across both days. The first time, a dedicated portfolio review track has been organised, where attendees met their mentors for personalised evaluation and guidance on their work, the first time 55+ industry experts, some from overseas, converged at the festival, the first time a specialised Student & Parent track has been introduced to provide career guidance to prospective entrants into the AVGC industry and the first time that TASI has introduced an exhibition stall section in the festival. Another first was the drum circle at the inauguration where 100 drums were played in unison by the attendees including the dignitaries on the dais to kick-start the festival.
Speakers at Anifest India 24 included Oscar nominated directors and National award winning film makers, storytellers, directors, producers, sound designers & music composers. There were live demonstrations and hands-on workshops too, where renowned industry experts helped eager attendees on the finer nuances of sculpting, storyboarding and stopmotion animation. The multiple tracks were categorised as Filmmaking 1 (Storytelling), Filmmaking 2 (Art Tech & Business), Visual Effects, Gaming, School Students & Parents, Portfolio Reviews, Live Demos & workshops. TASI’s focus is firmly on the curation of content and it is truly a festival ‘For the animators, by the animators’. Each track ensured a real value add and knowledge takeaway for the attendees. Speakers are chosen for their domain expertise along with their ability to simply present their craft to the audience. Case studies were presented on the making of recent blockbuster movies and popular animated series.
The emergence of Virtual Production as an emerging tool in film production was the highlight of several sessions. Panel discussions were held on a variety of subjects including the Indie Animation movement, the challenges and opportunities for indigenous content creators, emergence of AI and its impact on the art world, sustaining independent studios and what studios look for in students.
All sessions are traditionally designed to be interactive and have dedicated time for Q&A which allows members from the audience to freely interact with the speakers. Another traditional highlight of Anifest India is the Ram Mohan Viewers’ Choice Awards. It is the only animation award in the sub-continent where the audience views and votes for their favourite films across Student, Commissioned and Independent film categories. This year TASI introduced an electronic voting system that streamlined the entire process and provided instantaneous results. The exhibition stalls showcased the latest technology products for the community by some of the leading companies in the world.
