In 1999, the Puchon International Student Animation Festival (PISAF) embarked on its journey as the sole animation festival in Asia dedicated solely to students and has since earned high marks for the quality of its selections. PISAF has also committed itself to becoming a venue in which to introduce animations created by animators from home and abroad and nurture new talents in the digital content industry.

The festival’s central program is its International ...More

In 1999, the Puchon International Student Animation Festival (PISAF) embarked on its journey as the sole animation festival in Asia dedicated solely to students and has since earned high marks for the quality of its selections. PISAF has also committed itself to becoming a venue in which to introduce animations created by animators from home and abroad and nurture new talents in the digital content industry.

The festival’s central program is its International Student Competition, which is designed to discover young and promising new talent in animation and showcase their work. There are two categories: Short Animated Films (less than 30
minutes) and New Media Content, which can include many different formats such as Internet/web, Mobile-based, stopmotion graphics, interactive animations and etc. In 2011 over 1,200 films from all over the world were submitted to PISAF. Along with the competition, PISAF offers many opportunities for young animated filmmakers to meet masters of the cartoon and animation world. In 2011, Disney animator John Musker, director of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules and The Princess and the Frog have been featured.

PISAF has played a major role in creating a network linking animation festivals worldwide through its collaborations
with film fests in Annecy, Ottawa, Hiroshima, Zagreb, and the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film. The festival also offers a cartoon and animation experience program to attract interested audience members. The program is also aimed at exposing the ways that cartoons and animation can help develop creativity across a variety of fields. PISAF hopes to see more people enjoying cartoon and animation in the future.

PISAF 2012, the festival’s 14th edition, will be held November 7-11 with screenings, an animation fair, an educational convention and a variety of other special events, including ones hosted by Disney & Studio Ghibli.Less