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AGAFA 2014 Curtain Raiser

Posted By : Mukesh Dube    At 05-11-2014 09:54:32

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One year ago, Delhi was witness to its FIRST independent and voluntary animation arts’ festival that brought together a variety of stakeholders to its amphitheatre at Dilli Haat, Pritampura – yes, it was the AGAFA 2013 – an initiative of the Society for Animation in Delhi to put original and creative production of animation and related arts in a perspective that provides the widest possible exposure to artists’ creations at the local, regional, national and global arenas, take cartoons beyond kids, and seek mature audiences for animation.  SAID is at it once again with its second edition – AGAFA 2014, set to take off around the same time this year.  Branding it to fall on the second Saturday of December each year, this year’s festival is slated to be held on 13 December 2014, at the same venue – Dilli Haat, Pritampura, a whole day dedicated to fire up the art of animation and its supporting creative inputs.

At a small, but well attended CURTAIN RAISER, SAID showcased the coming event before an august gathering of the competition’s jury, specially invited production houses and studios, representatives of TV Channels, media and training institutions and also a plethora of stakeholders that comprised potential marketing gurus taking a look at animation, distributors, theatres and those that supply to and make use of animation and related arts, hardware, software and materials included.

Talking to participants, President Subhash Siddhu emphasized that when we say “in Delhi” in our name, we say it merely because our office is in Delhi and not the general perception that we want to bring Animation only to Delhi.  He announced two shifts from the earlier AGAFA, consequently.  First, that SAID is upgrading to an all-India stature that is renamed ANIMINDIA, and second that the AGAFA event is an all-India event and attracts entrants and visitors from all over the country, not just Delhi or north India.  And that will be the focus of this year’s animation arts’ festival – AGAFA 2014.  The programme presented by senior Member, Kamal Pahuja, reflected the animators’ passion put together into a schedule that is bound to keep not only these artists, but all other visitors spell bound flowing with knowledge, animators’ kits, stalls, music, dance, art and sketching exhibitions, animation films, games, and the grand finale of entries that made it to the awards.  On-the-spot Sketching competition, alongside an exhibition of sketching art works will be the opening highlight to be taken up by Flavour of Art, a voluntary partner organization (VPO) to SAID’s grand initiative.  There are other voluntary partners also, like last year, who promise a revival to bring back the culture of Delhi’s Art from its rich history.  Anim Dilli, Animators’ Point, Animationhelp.in and AVCG360 join hands with SAID to make this event a huge and memorable success that can catapult animation and related arts into the future of creativity in India.  And spreading the word on AGAFA 2014, on-line and otherwise, is the staunch support of Animation Galaxy as SAID’s media partners.

The high point in the curtain raiser was the unveiling of AnimIndia, SAID’s new initiative at evolving into a platform that can represent all stakeholders in the field of animation and related arts to organize themselves into a vibrant and viable industry, seek and tap new markets, and interface with Government and support agencies to help production happen, generate incomes and employment and make robust contributions to GDP and foreign exchange.  Smt. Suman Bajaj Kalra, former Additional DG, Doordarshan, and member of the AGAFA Jury, unveiled the logo of AnimIndia to the applause of the attending audience.  Nitin Donde and Tajinderjeet Singh, other members of the jury welcomed the AnimIndia initiative, stressing the need to carry it to further heights in attempt to conquer the cosmos.

Pallavi became the brand new find of SAID to present its programmes as the emcee at events, while Vrinda Sood proposed a hearty vote of thanks. Madan Pania, among the founders of both SAID and AnimIndia, made a point saying that it was really inspiring to see so many members and invitees to be present at a “pre-event event”, where even former members of SAID were present. 

With AGAFA 2014, SAID hopes to establish the event as a major trendsetter among artists and audiences alike, in the hope of taking animation beyond kids.