New Acorns Poster

I made a new poster for Acorns this weekend for advertising the film. It was a lot of fun to add all the awards/festival selections to the poster! I have recently had some more invitations to festivals and a couple more I've entered into myself, so sadly I think I will have to delay the online release of Acorns for the time being! I am working on some cool stuff for the movie including my own DVDs and little artwork booklets which I will have available to buy sometime next year, so keep an eye out!

I was also interviewed by Creative Skillset last year after their Animation and VFX Showcase in London about how my Graduation film helped me get my first job, and it's just been printed in their 2013 Yearbook! Thanks to my connections through Newport University and an animation graduate from Lupus Films seeing our graduate showcase, I was hired there to work on last year's The Snowman and the Snowdog! I can't wait for the DVD this Christmas! :)

Click the image below to enlarge the interview.

Until next time! :)

Acorns at ANIMA, Klik! and Blackrock!

Acorns has been selected for screening at more festivals at the end of this year!

This October, on the 10th-12th, Acorns has been selected for the 'animation for children' category at the ANIMA - Córdoba International Animation Festival 2013 in Argentina! You can view their list of selected films here: http://www.animafestival.com.ar/eng/2013/08/11/anima2013-list-of-selected-films

Also this month, on the 11-12th October, Acorns is screening at the Blackrock Animation Film Festival  in Dublin! It looks like a fantastic time, so for anyone is Ireland this month, Acorns is confirmed in the "Best International Student or Graduate Film Category" and is screening in the Pop-Up Cinema One, Main Street in Blackrock on Saturday, 12th October 2013. Enjoy!
 More info on films, screenings and dates, please see their website: http://www.blackrockanimationfilmfestival.com

And finally, Acorns is in the official selection for the Klik! Amsterdam Animation Festival and is also running in the 'Kids' competition! The festival runs between 12-17th November 2013 and looks amazing! http://www.klikamsterdam.nl/

As of yet, I don't think I'll be able to attend any of the festivals myself due to my work and the costs, but it's all very exciting and I couldn't be happier! Thanks everyone for supporting my film! :)

Acorns Screens @ Paris and Barcelona Festivals this April!

A quick update about festivals this month! As previously posted, Acorns is participating in this year's Mecal International Short Film and Animation Festival of Barcelona which starts tomorrow! It runs from the 4th-28th April 2013 in Barcelona.

Acorns will be showing in the Children's Section 2 screening, it looks to be a great selection of films so do check it out if you can!

I am also pleased to announce Acorn's selection in The Inconnu Festival 2013 in Paris! The 10th International Short Film festival is in the 5 Avenue Mac Mahon cinema in the evenings between the 14th-17th April in Paris. Have a look at their wesbite here! L'inconnu Festival 2013

I'm still considering attending the festival in France so I'll post again soon if I decide to book a flight! Exciting! <3

Acorns Wins 'Royal Television Society' Wales Centre Award for Undergraduate Animation!

On February 22nd 2013, my graduation film Acorns was awarded First Place in the Undergraduate Animation category from the Royal Television Society (Wales Centre Student Television Awards 2012). The award was presented at the Ffresh Student Moving Image Festival of Wales Awards Show taking place at Glyndwr University.

Although I had attended the festival and volunteered there this year, I sadly was unable to attend the awards show, but thankfully my fantastic friends Bryony Evans and Zara Williams (also nominated for the award) were able to collect the award for me (and surprise me with it at lunch the next day!), thanks guys! I was completely unaware I had even been nominated for this so it's such an incredible surprise!

The RTS Jury had this to say about Acorns on their website:

Acorns was also very accomplished and felt a very complete animation project. It was classy, enchanting and sophisticated, providing a captivating representation of the seasons through colour and it also featured a stunning piano score. Overall, Jury Members were unanimously impressed by its sophistication and high quality.

The first prize winner in each category will also be submitted for judging at the UK final of the RTS Student Television Awards, to be held in London during April.

For a full list and breakdown of the nominees for the award, please visit the Royal Television Society website.

I was absolutely astounded to have received this award for my film and am so thankful! Months and months of constant hard work and dedication went into realising it as well as the invaluable help of my crew without whom the film would never have been finished! 

As such, I give a huge thanks to Co-Writer and Colourist Emily Roberts, Lead Colorist/Additional Art Director Eleanor Roberts, a beautiful musical score by Ben Rusch, production scanning by Alex Huxley and Alex Brewer, additional compositing by Cosmo Wallace and Michael Alfred, my army of Clean-Up Artists and Digital Colourists, Nadine El Kheshen, Cassie Austin, Gemma Ursell, Ying Sun, Kojo Acquaah Harrison, Emmanuel Viscarra, Victoria Clark, Zara Williams, Nina Ashill, Sarah Huxley, Paul Littlefair, Eva Wagner and Stephanie Walker, my fellow film makers Rob Morgan, Jess Leslau, Zara Williams, Bryony Evans, Claire Spiller and Vikki Clark, my Uni lecturers for never-ending feedback and tutorials and of course my Mum & Dad, grandparents and friends & family for their unwavering love and support. <3

Without further ado, here are some pretty pictures! 

And then our family cat, Mila wanted to get in on the fun!

Thanks to my sister Emily for my fab photo!

Thanks everyone for this amazing award, I still cannot believe it! :)

Acorns @ Mecal Festival!

Acorns as been selected for the Children's program screening at the 15th Mecal International Short Film and Animation Festival of Barcelona! The festival runs from 4th-28th April 2013, check it out if you are in the area!

For more information, check out Mecal's website here: Mecal International Short Film and Animation Festival of Barcelona 2013

I will post again with more screening information once the program comes through.

In the meantime, Acorns has joined the bandwagon of Facebook Pages! I know everyone's getting you to "Like" their pages left, right and centre, but this one is really awesome. ;)

But seriously, I'll be putting up the most recent updates and screenings and pictures on there, so head over to Acorns on Facebook and "Like" for updates! :)

And I've also got in with the Twitter kids and invented a # hashtag! It's #littleacornfilm for those who want to tweet about Acorns! :)

Thanks for your continued support! :D
-Gemma, Amber and the Spirit