When October 29 rolls around, the Illinois Institute of Art-Shaumburg will host the Annual ARTimation Festival. This festival is a relatively young one that started back in 1999, and it presents the chance for students and alumni to show off the fruits of their labors on the big screen. From small beginnings, the show has now become a juried digital arts festival.

Watch the best young talents from the field of animation compete for a chance to be included by the jury. Today, the show is expected to draw in over 3000 people from all over the country. It will showcase the work of currently enrolled students as well as recent graduates from our Bachelor of Fine Art degrees. Of course, this is all about those who majored in Media Arts and Animation, Game art and Design, Web Design and Interactive Media Design, Digital Filmmaking and Video Production, as well as Visual Effects and Motion Graphics.

The judges in the jury are from some of the most prestigious companies. Some of the names are phuzz entertainment, AREA 51, Digital Domain, Walt Disney Feature Animation, Cartoon Network, and Cryptic Studios. There are sponsors around and are commonly found in the ranks of various software and hardware designers.

Price differ for each category, and be sure to look and see if there are scholarship grants for some divisions. Anyone can benefit from a scholarship, and vying for one can be a great inspiration. Plus, there will also be giveaways of the Adobe Creative Suite, which will be a big help to one’s animating prowess.

Be ready for the 29th of October, and start preparing your entry for the ARTimation! It is never too early to start; the best ideas may come in a heartbeat, but it takes dedication to animate it to life. Who knows? You may even win one of the few scholarship prizes at the event.