SIGGRAPH 2021 announces the award winners and lineup of 37 short films, cinematics, scientific visualizations, breakdowns, and more set to appear in the second virtual Computer Animation Festival Electronic Theater this August. Showcasing the best of computer graphics storytelling, the Electronic Theater will premiere to ticketholders on Monday, 9 August at 8:00 a.m. PDT and be available in two versions.
A qualifying festival for the Academy Awards®, the SIGGRAPH 2021 Computer Animation Festival Electronic Theater received over 400 submissions, which the expert jury whittled down to a lineup that spotlights work from 13 countries — including Austria, Switzerland, Poland, the United States, and Thailand. For the first time, tickets are available to the public with a choice between general ticket access and an all-new premium ticket that includes a director's cut version of the Electronic Theater. In addition to juried selections, the festival will showcase a mixture of curated bonus content both new and old as an added treat to viewers.
"The Electronic Theater is well known in the industry as a platform for unique and innovative storytelling, and, after the year we've all had, it's been a pleasure to see how the computer graphics community's creativity continues to thrive," said SIGGRAPH 2021 Computer Animation Festival Electronic Theater Director Mark Elendt, of SideFX. "I'm delighted to be sharing the jury's incredible selections with the world, as well as to offer an extended edition that adds more than an hour of content to the show and spotlights some of my favorite former festival winners."
Added SIGGRAPH 2021 Computer Animation Festival Electronic Theater Juror Kaye Vassey, of Epic Games, "I was energized by the overwhelming variety and diversity in storytelling that my fellow jurors and I saw — both through character/perspective and technique. It was incredibly tough to decide and all who submitted should be proud of what they presented." From a pool of 14 student and 17 professional studio productions, including world premiere short films from Platige Image S.A. and Zati Studio/Thai Media Fund, the 2021 award winners are:
Best in Show "Migrants" Pôle 3D Hugo Caby (France)
Jury's Choice "Meerkat" Weta Digital Keith Miller (New Zealand)
Best Student Project "I'm a Pebble" ESMA Maxime Le Chapelain (France)
Catch a sneak preview of the Electronic Theater on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kbhFFuT5N3I. Tickets to access the virtual Electronic Theater can be purchased separately or added to any registration. The Electronic Theater Special Session is open to Enhanced and Ultimate pass holders. Learn more and register for SIGGRAPH 2021 at s2021.SIGGRAPH.org/register.