20th Annual Dusty Film And Animation Festival Begins 5/4

The 20th annual Dusty Film and Animation Festival and Awards will highlight over 100 films by students graduating from the BFA Film, Video and Animation Department at the School of Visual Arts (SVA). The program includes screenings of short films, videos and animations; and an awards ceremony and gala with notable presenters from the film industry. This year's Screenwriters Night is a collaboration with the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in which SVA graduating screenwriters will have selected scenes performed live by alumni from the Neighborhood Playhouse.

"We are very pleased to have reached the 20th year of the Dustys as we recognize the outstanding achievement of emerging filmmakers, and members of the industry get the chance to see the work of the next generation of some remarkable film and animation talent," said Reeves Lehmann, chair of the BFA Film, Video and Animation Department at SVA. "We are thrilled with being able to present the full festival at SVA's all-new state-of-the art Visual Arts Theater."

Each year, film achievement awards are presented in the following categories: documentary, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, directing and outstanding film. Animation achievement awards are presented for traditional, stop-motion, and experimental animation. Previous award presenters have included Harvey Keitel, Danny Aiello, Sean Combs, Bryan Singer, Treat Williams, David Koepp, Wes Craven, Griffin Dunne, Bill Plympton, Tom Sito and Ellen Burstyn.

2009 Festival Schedule
Monday, May 4 - Friday, May 8: Screenings*

Visual Arts Theater
333 West 23rd Street, 12 noon - 11pm
Tuesday, May 5: Screenwriters Night
Visual Arts Theater, 6:30pm
Thursday, May 7: Animation Screenings*
Visual Arts Theater, 7 - 11pm
Saturday, May 9: Awards Ceremony and Gala
Awards Ceremony: Visual Arts Theater, 6pm
Gala: Marquee - 8pm - 11pm
289 10th Avenue, NY, NY 10001
Sunday, May 10: Winner's Circle
Visual Arts Theater, 12pm-6pm

RSVP is required for Screenwriters Night, Awards Ceremony and Gala. For public inquiries regarding tickets, please contact 212.592.2124. Events marked with an asterisk * above are free and open to the public.

Screenwriters Night, May 5, 2009, is held in collaboration with The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and The Real Theatre Company. Eleven five-minute scenes by SVA's screenwriting thesis students are set to be performed live on stage, featuring alumni from The Neighborhood Playhouse, the internationally regarded acting conservatory. Screenwriters Night will be directed by award-winning filmmaker John Gallagher, a faculty member at both SVA and The Neighborhood Playhouse, and will be produced by film producers Annie Flocco and Heidi H. Hamelin

The 2009 Dusty Film and Animation Festival and Awards are sponsored by: Nice Shoes, National Board of Review, New York Women in Film and Television, CAVA, Colliers ABR, Eastman Kodak, Future Media Concepts, SCS Agency, Inc, and Animation Magazine. Screenwriters Night is in collaboration with The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and The Real Theater Company and is in association with CAVA and Final DrAft, Inc.

The Dusty Film and Animation Festival and Awards began in 1990 when the BFA Film, Video and Animation Department sought to bring its year-end screenings of student films to a wider audience. With sponsorship, a venue, and the support from the film industry, the event came to life. To pay tribute to School of Visual Arts founder Silas H. Rhodes, the event was named "Dusty" - after the nickname Mr. Rhodes had as a soldier in World War II.

School of Visual Arts is widely regarded as one of the finest art schools in the United States for its innovative curriculum, unparalleled faculty of more than 900 creative professionals and its participation in the larger arts community of New York City. Film and animation students at SVA have received accolades and honors from such renowned institutions and organizations such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Sundance Film Festival; International Animated Film Festival in Annecy, France; American Film Institute; Women in Film; National Board of Review and many others. Find more information at www.sva.edu/dusty.

School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction of purpose.