This Week at ASIFA . . .
2026 UCLA FESTIVAL OF PRESERVATION / INDEPENDENT ANIMATION FILMMAKING PANEL AT AARON BLAISE'S ANIMATED! MASTER CLASS / FIGURE DRAWING AT TAG / 2027 PAN AFRICAN FILM FESTIVAL / SHORT FILM OF THE MONTH: THE MIRACLE / AEF ANIMATION SALON, STUDENT ANIMATION SHOWCASE, FACULTY GRANT & STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP / UPCOMING EVENTS |
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UCLA Film & Television Archive invites ASIFA-Hollywood Members to the 2026 UCLA Festival of Preservation |
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The biennial UCLA Festival of Preservation showcases the UCLA Film & Television Archive’s latest preservation and restoration work on the big screen, including silent films, Hollywood classics, mid-century television rarities, 1990s independent works, and more. The Festival will premiere four newly restored animated short films by Fleischer Studios and Terrytoons, made possible by funding from ASIFA-Hollywood, and will be introduced by Board Member Jerry Beck. Admission is free and on a first-come, first-served basis. Friday, May 29th - Sunday, May 31st, 2026 |
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Independent Animation Filmmaking Panel and Q&A at Aaron Blaise's ANIMATED! Master Class |
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LIVE UNINSTRUCTED FIGURE DRAWING @
TAG FOUNDATION SKILLS STUDIO |
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Enjoy dedicated time to practice drawing and explore your style in a supportive, creative environment.
No Drawing Experience Required
Bring Your Own Art Supplies
This event is for 18+
Drawing Horses Available (+ Limited Table Seating)
There will be time at the end for sharing your work, networking, and clean-up.
Soo Jin King’s visual development work spans the animation genre: from The Prince of Egypt to Puss in Boots to The Bad Guys: Breaking In. Soo uses composition, color, and texture to bring animated worlds to life. Come draw/paint with Soo and be inspired.
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Pan African Film Festival |
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The 35th Pan African Film Festival will take place February 15 - 21st, 2027, in Los Angeles. Established in 1992 by Hollywood veterans Danny Glover (The Color Purple, Lethal Weapon), the late Ja’Net DuBois (“Good Times”), and Ayuko Babu, PAFF has remained dedicated to the promotion of a broad spectrum of Black creative works, particularly those that reinforce positive images and destroy negative stereotypes of Africans and African-Americans. PAFF is the largest, most prestigious Black film festival in the U.S. Attracting local, national & international audiences it is one of the largest Black History month events in America.
To receive the submission discount, please visit https://www.asifa-hollywood.org/membership to become a member and receive details. Please note that membership must be activated at least one week in order to receive the information.
Note: To be eligible, the film's main storyline must be driven by a leading Black character.
Pan African Film Festival (PAFF) is:
- an Academy Award ® qualifying festival in the Animated Shorts, Live-Action Narrative Shorts & Documentary Shorts categories,
- a FilmFreeway Top 100 Best Reviewed festival, &
- voted one of the Top 10 Best Film Festivals for 2025 by USA Today. |
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SHORT FILM OF THE MONTH: THE MIRACLE |
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Rated NC-17
The Miracle is a portrait of a single woman in a world that is designed for couples and families with kids. I wanted to portray the confusing feelings and loneliness that can come from being in a place where you feel you don’t fit in.
The film is a combination of 2D animation and stop motion. First the characters are animated in 2D, these drawings are printed on transparent sheets, then cut out and hand painted. Then we built physical sets and reanimated the characters frame by frame in those sets.
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To view this screener, please visit https://www.asifa-hollywood.org/membership to become a member and receive screener details. Please note that membership must be activated at least one week in order to receive the screener information.
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AEF Animation Salon: A Personal Journey through the Toon Renaissance of the 1990s with Tom Sito |
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ASIFA-Hollywood's Animation Educators Forum will be hosting its tenth salon, this time with Tom Sito on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 6pm PST on Zoom.
By the 1980s, animated cartoons were seen as an art form in decline, an archaic vestige of the old Hollywood studio system. Yet a decade later, animation was booming: blockbuster movies and TV shows, interactive games and special effects extravaganzas all generating billions of dollars. What happened? It is a story of generations.
Tom Sito, a veteran Hollywood animator who went through it all, takes us deep inside the studio corridors to watch the birth of Roger and Jessica, Bart and Lisa, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Mario and many others. Animation author and producer Jerry Beck will serve as host and moderator.
As a 50-year veteran of the animation industry, Sito worked on everything from Scooby-Doo to The Lion King. He is Professor of Animation at University of Southern California, former governor of the Motion Picture Academy and the author of several books.
Jerry Beck is a writer, animation producer, college professor and author of more than fifteen books on animation history. He is a former studio exec with Nickelodeon Movies and Disney and has written for The Hollywood Reporter and Variety.
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2026 AEF Student Animation Showcase |
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We invite students to participate in the 2026 Student Animation Showcase—an exciting celebration of the next generation of storytellers, artists, and innovators in animation! The last day to submit your film is June 16th, 2026.
We are seeking the best final student short films of the year—projects that demonstrate creativity, originality, and a bold vision for the future of animation. From emotional storytelling to groundbreaking visual design, we want to showcase the work that defines this new wave of talent.
The Showcase connects student filmmakers with a wide audience of fans, peers, educators, and industry professionals, offering a powerful platform for recognition, exposure, and opportunity.
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2026/2027 AEF Faculty Grant Program |
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ASIFA-Hollywood's Animation Educators Forum (AEF) is now accepting applications for the 2026/2027 Faculty Grants program.
The Faculty Grants program is designed to provide support for individuals or groups with reasonable expenditures associated with research, scholarly activity, or creative projects in the field of animation. Applications from animation faculty around the world are welcome!
The application deadline is Friday, May 22, 2026, and recipients will be announced in mid-June. Awards will range from US$1,000 to a maximum of US$5,000 per applicant. Expenditures must occur for the year running from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.
Submissions are online only through our submission site at: http://grants.animationeducatorsforum.org/. The guidelines for applying for the AEF Faculty Grants are found here.
All ASIFA-Hollywood’s Animation Educators Forum members are eligible for Faculty Grants. To become an AEF member, simply send an email to in...@animationeducatorsforum.org to request membership, along with a summary of your teaching experience. There is no cost to become a member.
If you have any specific questions regarding the Faculty Grants, please email Kevin Sandler, AEF Co-Chair and Faculty Grants Committee Chair, at aef_facultygrants@animationeducatorsforum.org. |
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ASIFA-Hollywood's Animation Educators Forum (AEF) is pleased to announce that this year's Student Scholarship program is now open!
This is an international opportunity designed to help students complete their education in accredited college-level animation programs. Applications are accepted from undergraduate students entering the sophomore year or higher and from graduate students working toward degree completion.
The awards of up to $5,000 USD may be applied to tuition, books and supplies, animation equipment (including computer hardware or software), formal academic research (including travel), and senior or graduate thesis work.
Submissions are now open and close at 11:59 PM PDT on August 1st, 2026. To apply, go to http://scholarships.animationeducatorsforum.org
For specific questions, please contact us by email at: scholars...@gmail.com
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| | SUBMIT YOUR FILM TO THE
SHORT FILM OF THE MONTH PROGRAM! |
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 | Please click the button below to submit your short or student film. If your film is selected, you will receive a one-year complimentary membership.
Your film will also be featured on ASIFA-Hollywood's e-newsletter! |
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AMPLIFYING VOICES INITIATIVE |
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Interested in being featured on an ASIFA-Hollywood's eblast and social media via the Amplifying Voices Initiative?
To learn more, email membe...@asifa-hollywood.org. |
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©ASIFA-Hollywood - 1050 W Alameda Ave, #289, Burbank, CA 91506
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