India's International AVGC XR festival gets bigger with AVAF joining hands with SAIK and Toonz Media Group

AniMela, an initiative of the Aniverse & Visual Arts Foundation (AVAF), partners with Animation Masters Summit to bring the industry's top talent to Thiruvananthapuram

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India, Nov. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In an exciting development for India's thriving animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, and XR (Extended Reality) industries, the Society of AVGC-XR institutions in Kerala (SAIK) has collaborated with AniMela and Animation Masters Summit (AMS) to host the International AVGC XR Festival in Kerala. Scheduled for March 6–9, 2025, the AniMela-AMS Festival 2025 will merge the highlights of these two renowned events, offering a unique and unparalleled experience for professionals and enthusiasts in the sector.

The International AVGC XR Festival will take place in Thiruvananthapuram and feature a strategic partnership with the Annecy International Film Festival, France, one of the world's leading animation festivals. This collaboration will bring some of the biggest names in animation, VFX, and immersive media to Kerala, offering a unique opportunity for international talent to engage with India's vibrant animation community.

AniMela, which has been conducted annually by Aniverse and Visual Arts Foundation (AVAF), has become a significant event for the Indian animation and gaming community, since its launch 2 years back. Animation Masters Summit (AMS), which has been held every year since 1999 by Toonz Media Group, is one of the most prestigious platforms for animation professionals, attracting top talent from across the globe. This collaboration will create a comprehensive festival experience that will offer global insights, innovation, and collaboration opportunities for India's burgeoning creative sector.

P Jayakumar, CEO Toonz Media Group and President of SAIK, said, "This collaboration with AniMela, Animation Masters Summit, and Annecy represents a momentous step forward for the AVGC and XR sectors in India. By joining forces, we aim to create an event that not only highlights the latest developments in animation and immersive media but also provides a unique space for professionals and students to engage with world-class content and technologies. The involvement of Annecy further strengthens the festival's position as a global platform for creativity and collaboration."

Mickael Marin, Festival Director, Annecy Festival, shared his enthusiasm, "Annecy is proud to support the second edition of this ambitious festival, marking a new chapter with its move to Thiruvananthapuram. This partnership reflects our commitment to connecting the global animation community with the talents and the animation film industry in India. We warmly thank the AniMela team and all the partners who have made this project possible." 

The Society of AVGC Institutes in Kerala (SAIK) is actively involved in organizing the festival, ensuring the presence of key policymakers and industry leaders. The three-day festival is expected to draw around 8,000 attendees, offering a comprehensive program that includes knowledge centers, experiential zones, film screenings, and extensive professional networking opportunities. The event will provide valuable exposure to international content, while offering students and animators the chance to explore emerging technologies and trends.

"India's AVGC-XR never stops surprising us with its incredible wave of young talent. It is a great honour to team up with the Animation Master Summit and SAIK to offer them opportunities like the International MIFA Campus and the global stage they deserve. We are thrilled to be in Kerala, the land of art and inspiration, where we aim to make AniMela-AMS a true destination festival that celebrates the future of our industry," said Anne Doshi, Artistic Director, AniMela.

The AniMela AMS Festival 2025 promises to be a landmark event that will set the stage for the future of the AVGC and XR industries in India, as well as strengthen Kerala's position as a hub for creative innovation.

About Toonz Media Group

Toonz is a 360-degree media powerhouse, with over two decades of unparalleled experience and one of the world's most active animation production studios (over 10,000 minutes of 2D and CGI kids and family content per year). Toonz has to its credit several animations and live-action series, as well as feature films, including Wolverine and the X-Men with Marvel, Speed Racer: The Next Generation with Lionsgate, Mostly Ghostly with Universal, Gummy Bear and Friends, and more. Toonz has also ventured into emerging technologies like AR, VR, and Gaming.
https://toonz.co/

About AVAF

The Aniverse and Visual Arts Foundation (AVAF) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering creativity, innovation, and cultural dialogue within the global Animation, Visual Graphics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) industries. AVAF serves as a catalyst for India's creative renaissance by creating platforms for emerging talent, offering mentorship, and facilitating collaborations with industry stakeholders, such as producers, financiers, broadcasters, and gaming companies. Through transformative events like AniMela, AVAF aims to position India as a world leader in AVGC-XR, showcasing the country's artistic excellence and establishing it as a hub for cutting-edge content creation and global talent exchange.

About SAIK

Society of AVGC-XR Institutions in Kerala (SAIK) is a pioneering organisation committed to the advancement and development of the animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, and extended reality (AVGC-XR) sectors in Kerala, India. Established under the Travancore-Cochin Literary, Scientific, and Charitable Societies Act of 1955 as a Not-for-Profit Organisation, SAIK is a business collective of small, medium, and big sized studios engaged in AVGC-XR across Kerala.

The objective of the SAIK is to be a one-stop-shop for all information and needs related to AVGC-XR sector of Kerala State, and to make Kerala an AVGC-XR powerhouse in India and to promote Kerala as an important hub-destination on the global map.