Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/863766
52 cgw j u ly . a u g u s t 2 0 1 7 P O R T F O L I O SIGGRAPH 2017 COMPUTER ANIMATION FESTIVAL or decades now, SIG- GRAPH has celebrated cutting-edge animation from around the world in its Computer Animation Festival. Once again, the best work will be presented in the prestigious Electronic Theater. This year, however, the festival is moving beyond the flat screen to present short films and expe- riences in a new space, the VR Theater, where attendees will experience the next generation of storytelling in virtual reality. According to Pol Jeremias, this year's festival chair, an international jury reviewed hundreds of submissions; 23 have been accepted and will be seen in the Electronic The- ater. Ten VR short films will be shown in the VR Theater. The work featured in the festival spans the genres of short films, visualizations, visual effects breakdowns, and game cinematics. For the VR Theater, the work entails short films, documentaries, music experiences, and some very abstract pieces. International contributions are high this year, with 80 percent of the accept- ed festival entries coming from outside the US. "Every year the submissions are just incredible, and this year is no different. I'd like to make a special mention of the quality of the student work this year," says Jeremias. For the first time, real-time short films will be played back in real time, he notes. "The Computer Animation Festival is a unique opportuni- ty to see how far our industry has come over the past 12 months, and this year, with the inclusion of real-time films in the Electronic Theater and VR Theater for the first time, we think we have something unique that the audience will love," Jeremias says. ■ F FORTNITE: FROM HUSK TILL DAWN THE ANTARCTICA SERIES: UNDER A CRACKED SKY JOHN LEWIS BUSTER THE BOXER