On Friday, it took place the Ceremony Award for the Official Competition 2009. Expotoons and INCAA's authorities were there as well as international guests to congratulate de winners.

     First place for Feature Film was for “Mullewap – friends forever”, a co-production between Italy/France/Germany, awarded as well with the Toon Boom prize, which was delivered by JR Lemieux. Second place was for “Boogie el aceitoso”, by the Argentinean Gustavo Cova, awarded by Maggie Stagnaro, the Festival’s Artistic Director. “Lost and Found” (UK), had the first place for Short Film; “Oggy and the cockroaches” (France) was the winner for TV Series, and “Dr.W” (Spain) got the Autodesk award; “A Sheep on the Roof” (France) got first place for Graduation Short. Argentina’s Reino was awarded for best Advertising production with “The master of the soup” and “Wheelbarrow”, and second place went to “Capuccine Duck” and “Common Toucan”, from Argentina as well.

      Check out the awarded films full list by clicking here!

     Emmanuelle Dugne, Audiovisual Attachée for South Cone, Embassy of France in Argentina, received the prizes in the name of the three awarded films made in France, in the categories TV Series, Feature Film and Graduation Short.

     Rosanna Manfredi, Managing Director, congratulated the winners and thanked the audience and guests. Next, she granted a honor award to Liliana Mazure, president of Argentinean INCAA, who have supported Expotoons from its very beginning. “It’s truly rewarding to see what can be achieved once you combine private endeavor with institutional work. My congratulations to Rosanna, Maggie and the whole team for their work, for having made of Expotoons a wonderful reality that we get to see today, for having gathered excellent people, for the awards, and for what we are able to watch on the screens this week”, said Mazure.

     There was also granted an honorific mention to the Argentinean short film ‘El Empleo’, for having received the FIPRESCI award at Annecy 2009. One of its creators, Gustavo Plaza, was congratulated by Tiziana Loschi. The Annecy director reminded that Argentina will be focus at 2010’s edition.

     The awarded films were screened at Hoyts Abasto Cinemas.

Also, attendants enjoyed screenings and awesome conferences:

WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS sent Mark Henn, Supervising Animator for THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, to be premiered in Argentina on January 7th; the film brings back Disney Studio’s magic of hand-drawn animation. Old school's Mark Henn, talked about main character Princess Tiana’s animation, the design, the challenges, the technology and his working method. He showed images of his work on paper to a delighted audience, and described the walked path from the first idea to the clean animation. He also spoke about his 30-year career at the WD Studios, and was inquired by the attendants at a full room. Henn let know that 2 other hand-drawn productions are in consideration, and celebrated John Lasseter’s attitude, WD’s Creative Director, who –besides having taken Pixar’s 3D to the highest level— insisted in recovering the valuable legacy of hand-drawn animation. Among the audience, were icons of the field, such as animation director Manuel García Ferré.

The ANNECY INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL joined Expotoons once more. Its director Tiziana Loschi presented the animation world’s most prestigious event, its figures, its history and the news for 2010. With her was Mickaël Marin, responsible for MIFA, the animation market that every year takes place within Annecy’s festival, gathering the main professionals in animation world. In 2010, they celebrate their 50th anniversary, and Argentina will be focus, with a special place not only in the Festival’s screens but also at the MIFA as well. There was also María Verónica Ramírez, director of the animation-specialized TV show ‘Caloi En Su Tinta’, who talked about the importance of the event and the contest for Argentinean animation films to travel to Annecy.

AUTODESK presented a whole set of 3D animated examples, and gave away the main secrets and resources, showing techniques and solutions. Live demonstrations where in charge of Víctor Herrera Dávila, Media and Entertainment Solutions Engineer for Autodesk.

IMAGE CAMPUS launched the 1st 3D-oriented career in Argentina, introducing the complete curriculum for this new Technical degree in 3D Animation. There was also a conference on “Animation of Crowds”, where Daniel Venditti and Rodrigo Tomasso shared their knowledge and experience. Particles system was one of the main topics, and it was shown the making process of a particular scene in the Argentinean film “El secreto de sus ojos”, where artists and technicians used 3D tools in order to achieve a crowd simulation at Buenos Aires’ Huracan Stadium.

Jean-Raymond Lemieux, took the stage once more, along with Sergio de la Cruz, Sales Director for TOON BOOM, to talk about the advantages of digital storyboarding, with live demonstrations of Toon Boom’s Storyboard Pro software –the one used by Fox, Nelvana and other production companies. The storyboard is the first basic step for any audiovisual production. J.R. highlighted quite a few advantages of this new digital technique: Quick and easy organizing, with numbered movable plates, which allow written, drawn and spoken comments. Quick and easy communication, with ability to export to PDF or MOV files, among others, because the storyboard is precisely about “communicating the story to everyone in a production line”. Multiplicity of resources, with basic edition tools for picture and sound, facilitating the making of animatics and recording references. Compatibility with other software and pitch mode. Lemieux underlined the utility of this solution to save time and working force.
Soon a complete interview will be published with much more info on this new Toon Boom solution.

It was closure day for CARTOON CONNECTION. About a hundred European and Latin American animation professionals met to discuss co-production, funding, public and private TV, animation politics, multi-platform approaches, broadcasting, acquisitions and the mutual understanding of both regions.
A total of 16 on-going animation projects from producers from Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, El Salvador, Ecuador were pitched in front of the European committee.

Day 4 –Saturday 28th- starts at 10 a.m., with activities at Sheraton Libertador Hotel: screenings program 'Festival of Festivals', with selected material from Ottawa Animation Festival, Future Film Festival and PISAF. Also, screenings and a meeting of animation artists, with AACA, the Argentinean Association of Animation Film.