School of Visual Arts

School of Visual Arts Launches “23 on 23,” 23rd Annual Dusty Film and Animation Festival

 

New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/05/2012 -- Reeves Lehmann, chair of the BFA Film, Video and Animation Department at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), announced today that the 23rd Annual Dusty Film and Animation Festival, or “23 on 23,” will be held in New York City on Sunday, May 6 through Wednesday, May 9, 2012. The four-day event will showcase more than 100 films and animations from students graduating this spring, as well as celebrate 23rd Street as a home for the college and the theater. Annie Flocco, producer/filmmaker and SVA faculty member, will produce the event; Meredith Engstrom will co-produce. This year’s headlining sponsors are: AbelCine; Act Zero Films; Adorama Rental Company; AJA Video Systems;  Animation Magazine; Avid Technology, Inc.; Blue Sky Studios; Bryan Singer; CAVA – SVA Computer Store; Eastman Kodak Company; Emmett/Furla Films; Feature Systems/Kits and Expendables; Foto Care; Future Media Concepts; Gotham Sound & Communications, Inc.; Machinima, Inc.; National Board of Review; New York Women in Film & Television; Nice Shoes; Rota6; Scheimpflug; and SCS Agency, Inc. One hundred percent of the sponsors’ donations will benefit thesis students in the form of grants and in-kind gifts.

The festival kicks off with three days of film and animation screenings, and concludes with an awards ceremony on May 9. Thirteen awards—including Outstanding Film and Achievement in Directing, Outstanding Documentary, Outstanding Traditional and Stop Motion Animation, and the New York Women in Film and Television Award—are given to students in recognition for outstanding thesis work. All festival screenings and the awards ceremony are free to the general public and will take place at SVA’s state-of-the-art theater, located at 333 West 23rd Street, NYC. The final list of presenters and special guests will be made public at a later date, and an outdoor screening in June, which will highlight many of the winning films, is in the works.

“We are proud the Dusty Film and Animation Festival is celebrating its 23rd year, and pleased to have the College and the theater on bustling 23rd street,” says Reeves Lehmann. “What better way to meet our neighbors than to host ‘23 on 23’! We hope the public will enjoy another great year of work from SVA’s filmmakers and animators, who we know will entertain and provide food for thought for diverse audiences.”

The Dusty Film and Animation Festival was established and named after SVA Founder Silas “Dusty” H. Rhodes with the mission of introducing films made by BFA Film, Video and Animation Department students to a wider audience. “Our festival receives industry-wide recognition and is considered one of the top student film festivals in the country,” Annie Flocco notes.

SVA is widely regarded as one of the leading art schools in the country for its innovative curriculum, unparalleled faculty of more than 1100 creative professionals, and its participation in the larger arts community of New York City. BFA Film, Video and Animation Department alumni have received accolades from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Sundance Film Festival; International Animated Film Festival in Annecy, France; American Film Institute; Women in Film; and the National Board of Review, among many renowned institutions and organizations.

SVA in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction for their artistic vision. 

For more information on the 2012 Dusty Film and Animation Festival or to speak with one of the experts available for interview, please contact Justin Loeber, Loren Kegler or Alex Hammond at 212-260-7576 or Media@MouthPublicRelations.com.

Available for Interview in Support of
The School of Visual Arts  “23 on 23” Annual Dusty Film and Animation Festival
(Contact: Justin Loeber, Loren Kegler or Alex Hammond, 212-260-7576; Media@MouthPublicRelations.com)

Reeves Lehmann:
Reeves Lehmann is a director, producer, writer, actor and educator. Presently, he is the Chairman of the Film, Video, and Animation Department at the School of Visual Arts. Screenplay credits include: The Landscaper’s Daughter; Horse Power; and numerous short films. Producer/Actor: The Landscaper’s Daughter. Awards include: NY Picture Start Film Fest., US Industrial Film Fest; The Long Island International Film Festival, Nat’l Education Film Fest; International Film and Television; American Film Fest; Eastman Kodak Award. Professional associations: ASIFA; IFP; AVIF; Founder and Director of The International FILM BRIDGE Foundation; The Long Island Filmmakers Association. US Marine Corps Combat Veteran.

Annie Flocco:
Annie Flocco is a producer/filmmaker, SVA faculty member, and producer of the Dusty Film and Animation Festival. Her film projects include: Betty; Super Troopers; Acts of Worship; Went to Coney Island on a Mission From God...Be Back by Five; And She Was; Jump; Follow Me Outside; She’s So Lame; Devil to Pay; and the documentary Anne and Tony: Lives Truly Lived.

Matthew Gossett (BFA 2010 Film and Video):
SVA alumnus Matthew Gossett recently won Best Script of 2011 and a $100,000 prize from Amazon Studios for the film Origin of a Species.

Anna Musso (BFA 2003 Film and Video):
SVA alumnus Anna Musso worked as an assistant to director Alexander Payne on The Descendants, Academy Award-Nominee for Best Picture, starring George Clooney. Her film L Train competed in the short film category at Sundance.

Jesse Roberts and Justin Noto (BFA 2006 Film and Video):
SVA alumni Jesse Roberts and Justin Noto are the heads of AGON Creative (audio/video production services), which recently produced two major music videos for one of Korea’s biggest pop groups, BIGBANG.

Kyle Mumford (BFA 2010 Film and Video)
SVA alumnus Kyle Mumford drew acclaim for his feature-length thesis film, His Naked Mind.

Jake Armstrong (BFA 2009 Animation)
SVA alumnus Jake Armstrong won the Best Undergraduate Animation award at the 2009 Ottawa International Animation Festival for his thesis film, The Terrible Thing of Alpha-9, which traveled throughout the US and Canada as part of The Best of Ottawa 2009. Armstrong’s short was an Official Selection in the Graduation Films category of the Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2010 and took prizes at Denmark’s Bornshorts, Romania’s Muvi Fest, the Coney Island Film Festival, and the Woodstock International Film Festival.

Alonso Homs (BFA 2008 Film and Video)
SVA alumnus Alonso Homs is an expert Red camera technician at leading digital cinema studio Offhollywood. Among other credits, Homs is a stereographer for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby 3D, which is currently shooting in Australia.