Project Twenty One Film Competition Open

PROJECT TWENTY1 CONTINUES TO LAUNCH CAREERS IN ANIMATION GLOBALLY
Shorts Being Produced for 3 weeks in August

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Philadelphia, PA, July 23, 2013 – Project Twenty1, a nonprofit  organization dedicated to inspiring, connecting, exhibiting, and promoting artists, will spark the creation of at least  20+ short animations, films, and mixed-media productions for the 7th year, at their annual 21-Day Film Competition Launch Event. The event serves as the largest free film networking event in Philadelphia and will take place on Saturday, August 3, 2013 starting at 3:00 pm at Mixed Plate, 216 South Street.

For 3 weeks (August 3rd – 24th), Teams of local animators and filmmakers, in addition to Teams from across the country and the world, will create films under ten minutes in length based on this year’s Secret Element which Project Twenty1 will reveal at 5:00pm during the Launch Event. The networking event is targeted towards the creative community, as productions often lead to a high demand for writers, storyboard artists, voice actors, animators, and editors. In the words of Stephanie Yuhas, Project Twenty1 Executive Producer and professional animation producer, “It’s amazing what the internet has done to short film productions. We’ve had Teams of animators that never meet in person – one animation, ‘Gypsies’, started in New Jersey, but called on the voice talents of participants from Pennsylvania, and had artists contributing animation and character designs from California and Japan.”

All films completed within the guidelines of the Competition will screen at the International House Philadelphia as a part of the 8th Annual Philadelphia Film & Animation Festival, September 27th – 29th. The films will compete for awards, prizes, and DVD distribution, as well as a national festival tour. After sending out the completed 21-Day works to partner festivals all over the world, Artistic Director Matt Conant discovered that animations were selected for screenings 4-to-1 over live-action films. He noted, “The animated film ‘Schijnwerper’ by Team Normal View has screened at over 30 festivals since its completion in 2008. The flexibility of animation as a medium allowed the artists to create the short without language, which has added to its international appeal.”

“The added motivation of a 3-week deadline and guaranteed theatrical screening was enough of a kick in the pants to get me going,” said Adam Cusack, Philadelphia animator and leader of Team Spookbuggy. “All the prizes and promotion are just a bonus. It’s just great to see your work in front of a live audience that cares.”

To join a Team, sponsor an event, or find out more information, email projecttwenty1@gmail.com or visit www.ProjectTwenty1.com.