There’s no doubt that animation is big business. But a festival in Berkeley wants to showcase, and nurture, the artistry of indie animation. That’s the GLAS Fest — the Global Animation Syndicate Festival — featuring work from animators around the world.
The festival’s variety means you get feature films like The Lego Movie, but also experimental shorts and international works. And if you’re an aspiring animator yourself, you’ll find plenty of behind-the-scenes programs about how animation studios work. There’ll even be representatives from Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network who can review your portfolio and give you direction on the spot.
But GLAS isn’t really a festival for kids. As festival director Jeanette Bonds says, “A lot of what we’re showing is not geared toward children. It’s much more adult-focused. These are serious films and serious filmmaking that happens to be animated.”
The GLAS Animation Festival is at six different venues in Berkeley. It runs March 22–25; details here.