Inspired by documentary director/film maker Kim Hopkins, who has previously worked with the BBC World, the BA Animation Arts students from the University for the Creative Arts at Maidstone are working with residents in Maidstone to produce mixed media documentaries about local identity and characters.

Working closely with Maidstone Housing Trust, who is the main sponsor; students are in five groups guided by a professional animator. The students are working with all ages including young families, over 60s clubs, disabled groups and youth clubs. The resulting films promise to be interesting, compelling and thought provoking.

Production of the films is taking place throughout February and March; the students will be using a combination of media ranging from live action recording to animation, drawing and photography, to produce short film pieces that will be ready to be screened at the AniMaidstone Festival main screening, on the evening of the 7th of April, at the Hazlitt theatre.

Part of the festival will be aimed at professional animators and documentary film makers with a day long seminar at Maidstone Studios. Renowned animators and film makers from across Europe will deliver talks that challenge and inspire its audience. Included will be presentations and discussions on how these disciplines can address issues of cultural identity through animation, documentary and visual arts. An example of which is "Persepolis" & "Waltz with Bashir" both of which have been recently nominated in the Animation category for both a Bafta and an Oscar.

The Seminar programme - will feature presentations and debate on using documentary film-making and contemporary animation to address social issues, film making in challenging environments, contemporary and documentary animation trends and funding and distribution. The presentations will be interspersed with screenings and networking opportunities.

Speakers include :-

Kim Hopkins is a documentary film maker and director with wide experience in foreign shoots and challenging environments. Kim has worked for the BBC World on 'Women in the Front Line' and 'Nurses on the Front Line'

Professor Paul Wells is the Director of Animation at The Animation Academy and has published many books on animation and film. He has made a Channel Four documentary called Cartoons Kick Ass and three BBC programmes on British Animation, as well as an educational video on Special Effects for the British Film Institute.

Arnoud Rijken, is a Dutch producer at animation production house Il

Luster Alvaro Barbosa is a sound and image course coordinator at Universidade Catolica, Porto Portugal.

AniMaidstone festival screenings - Leading up to the event, Animation Arts students are producing 5 documentary films, in which they are interviewing local "hard to reach" communities. These will be mixed media films which document a sense of place and identity. Following the seminar you will have the opportunity to attend the AniMaidstone festival screenings at the Hazlett theatre where the student’s films along with films from our seminar speakers and local film makers will be shown. Following the screenings join us for celebratory drinks to close the festival.

There are excellent transport links by road with ample free parking at the studios. By rail there are direct links with London with a short taxi ride required to reach the studios.

Please see www.maidstonestudios.com for directions.

Animaidstone is a fine example of collaboration bringing together local business, the community, industry and education through the support of Maidstone Housing Trust, University for the Creative Arts, Kent County Council - Backing Kent Business, Maidstone Borough Council’s Arts Development Department and MediaTree.

For more information or to book a place on the AniMaidstone seminar please Contact: Denise Harmer, Enterprise Partnership Manager, University for the Creative Arts

dharmer@ucreative.ac.uk

The University for the Creative Arts has campuses in Canterbury, Epsom, Farnham, Maidstone and Rochester and is one of Europe’s largest specialist Universities of art, design, architecture, media and communication. With around 6,500 students studying on a wide range of well-established courses, potential graphic designers’ work alongside budding journalists and pioneering fashion designers in a highly creative environment.

Please visit www.ucreative.ac.uk to find out more.