Now in its third year, BFX Festival returns to Bournemouth International Centre this summer with a spectacular and all-encompassing event to represent the very best talent in the visual effects, gaming and animation industries. Industry gurus, top studios and aspiring young codesters will getting together from Monday 28 September to Sunday 4 October 2015 to celebrate amazing work from Hollywood blockbusters and learn about the breakthroughs that will shape tomorrow’s visual experiences.
“BFX Festival is an outstanding celebration of the academic contribution Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth make in this exciting industry, and a fitting partner for the UK’s fastest growing digital economy,”
says BH Live Conference and Exhibitions Manager, Sarah Stainer.
“I’m delighted that it’s coming back, bigger and better than ever, to fill the venue with an awe-inspiring insight into the world of virtual reality.”
Over seven days, Bournemouth International Centre comes alive with visual effects, computer games and animation to benchmark an award-winning industry.
Visitors will have the unique opportunity to see behind the scenes of blockbuster movies like Mad Max: Fury Road and Interstellar to see how they were made, find out how to develop a career in film or games and hone their skills through specialist workshops.
Earlier this summer, a competition for VFX and animation students from around the country attracted some amazing talent and produced an outstanding group of winners, who now have the opportunity to take up internships at a top UK film and visual effects studio.
The festival itself at Bournemouth International Centre starts with BFX Pro, a day of presentations, demos and networking designed specifically for VFX, animation and games professionals. Sponsored and curated by The Foundry, it features panelists from international experts discussing how new applications of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, the Cloud and pipeline collaboration will shape how we interact with the world in the future.
BFX Core is a four-day programme filled with presentations from top international studios such Disney, Aardman, MPC, Iloura and many more. Designed with professionals, students and hobbyists in mind, the event culminates in a careers and recruitment day. Anyone serious about VFX, games and animation won’t want to miss this, as some of 2015’s best films and games will be showcased by the artists who made them.
The Family Weekend will be jam-packed with events aimed at anyone with a keen interest in film, animation and computer games. The two days include public screenings, presentations and workshops and, best of all, it’s free. Eric Shaw, who has worked on SpongeBob Square Pants will talk about writing for animation. Stuart Sumida, an anthropologist who’s worked with Disney, DreamWorks and Pixar and on How To Train Your Dragon movies, will also make an appearance.
“This year’s BFX Festival is going to be the best one yet, full of talks, workshops and hands-on activities that promote the best UK and international talent in the film and gaming industries,”
says BFX Festival Director Sofronis Efstathiou.
“The UK has an amazing reputation for the quality of its visual effects work, and it’s great to have a Festival like BFX in the UK to celebrate the work going on in this field. Last year we had Oscar-winning films being show-cased, and artists who worked on some of the best films and games of the last decade. We are planning for this year’s Festival to have the same flavour; it is definitely not one to miss!”
For tickets and more information about BFX, visit www.bfxfestival.com.
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Notes to the editor
Bournemouth International Centre is managed by BH Live in partnership with Bournemouth Borough Council.
About BH Live
BH Live is the South Coast’s leading operator of leisure and event venues – a social enterprise that designs and builds engaging experiences to inspire people and enrich lives. With over 2.5 million visits a year and over £31 million turnover, the organisation is changing lives – placing it at the heart of the UK’s growing social economy.
In 2013/14, BH Live hosted 423 shows, sold over half a million cultural, sporting and entertainment tickets, clocked up 1.8 million leisure centre visits and welcomed 88,000 conference and exhibition delegates which contributed over £45 million to the local economy.
For further press information:
Elizabeth Symmons
PR & Corporate Communications Executive, BH Live
Elizabeth.Symmons@bhlive.co.uk