Melissa Leo Among Presenters for SVA's 24th Annual DUSTY Film & Animation Awards, 5/7

The BFA Film, Video and Animation Department at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), home of the 24th Annual Dusty Film & Animation Festival and headed by Reeves Lehmann, chair of the BFA Film, Video and Animation Department, and independent producer, Annie Flocco, SVA faculty member and the producer of the event, announces the presenters for the Awards Ceremony held on Tuesday May 7th.

Presenters will include actor Melissa Leo (Oscar winner, "The Fighter") presenting the Outstanding Film Award; production sound mixer Chris Newman (three-time Oscar winner: "The Exorcist," "Amadeus," "The English Patient") presenting the Sound Award; screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher (Oscar winner, "Precious") presenting the Screenwriting Award; editor Peter C. Frank ("Dirty Dancing," "The Verdict") presenting the Editing Award; NYWIFT president Alexis Alexanian presenting the New York Women in Film & Television Award; producer Rose Vincelli Gustine (producer for the Independent Filmmaker Project) presenting the IFP Award; animator Frank Gresham (Cartoon Network, MTV Productions) presenting the Traditional Animation Awards; producer and media entrepreneur Fred Seibert (founder of Channel Frederator) presenting the Stop Motion Animation Award; and documentarian Lisa Jackson (Emmy winner, "The Secret Life of Barbie") presenting the Outstanding Documentary Award. Media personality Valerie Smaldone emcees the awards. Additional presenters are to be announced.

24^th Annual Dusty Film & Animation Festival will be LIVE STREAMING @ http://new.livestream.com/sva/dusty

The Dusty Film & Animation Festival was established and named after SVA Founder Silas "Dusty" H. Rhodes with the mission of introducing films made by BFA Film, Video and Animation Department students to a wider audience. This year, the 24^th Annual Dusty Film & Animation Festival screenings will be held on Sunday, May 4^th- Monday, May 6^th with the red carpet event on Tuesday, May 7^th. All festival screenings and the awards ceremony are free to the general public and will take place at SVA's state-of-the-art theater, located at 333 West 23^rd Street, NYC. The four-day event will showcase more than 150 films and animations from students graduating this spring. This year's headlining sponsors are:AbelCine; Act Zero Films; Adorama Rental Company; AJA Video Systems; Animation Magazine; Avid Technology, Inc.; B&H Photo; Bryan Singer; CAVA - SVA Computer Store; Channel Frederator; Emmett/Furla Films;Feature Systems/Kits and Expendables; Foto Care; Gotham Sound & Communications, Inc.; Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP); Machinima, Inc.; National Board of Review; New York Women in Film & Television; Nice Shoes; Offhollywood; Rota6; Scheimpflug; and SCS Agency, Inc. One hundred percent of the sponsors' donations will benefitthesis students in the form of grants and in-kind gifts. More information: dusty.sva.udu

School of Visual Arts has been a leader in the education of artists, designers, and creative professionals for more than six decades. With a faculty of distinguished working professionals, dynamic curriculum, and an emphasis on critical thinking, SVA is a catalyst for innovation and social responsibility. Comprised of more than 6,000 students at its Manhattan campus and 35,000 alumni in 100 countries, SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world. BFA Film, Video and Animation Department alumni have received accolades from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Sundance Film Festival; New Directors/New Films; International Animated Film Festival in Annecy, France; American Film Institute; Women in Film; and the National Board of Review, among many renowned institutions and organizations. For information about the College's 31 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, visit sva.edu.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos

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