NEW YORK, April 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The School of Visual Arts (SVA), celebrating its 25th Annual Dusty Film & Animation Festival and Awards, taking place May 10-13, 2014, culminates with an awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 13 at 6:30pm at the SVA Theatre (333 West 23rd Street) and features a full roster of names from the world of film and animation. Awards presenters include: Ellen Barkin (The New Normal, Ocean's Thirteen, Sea of Love) presenting the Human Spirit Award; Randall Emmett (Lone Survivor,  End of Watch, Two Guns) presenting the Outstanding Film Award; Thelma Schoonmaker (The Wolf of Wall Street, The Departed, Goodfellas) presenting the Outstanding Achievement in Editing Award; Yvette Kaplan (Ice Age, King of the Hill, Beavis and Butthead) presenting the Outstanding Animated Film Award; Michael Moore (Roger & Me, Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11), who was a presenter at the first Dusty Awards 25 years ago, presenting the Outstanding Documentary Award; Ralph Bakshi (Fritz the Cat, Wizards, Lord of the Rings (Animated)), presenting Outstanding Achievement in Character Animation and Production Design; Michael Cuesta (Homeland, Dexter, Elementary) presenting the Outstanding Achievement in Directing Award; Frank Prinzi (The Blacklist, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Night of the Living Dead) presenting the Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography Award; three-time Oscar winner Chris Newman (The Exorcist, Amadeus, The English Patient) presenting the Gotham Honorary Sound Grants; New York Women in Film & Television President Alexis Alexanian (Pieces of April, Tadpole, Chelsea Walls) presenting the New York Women in Film & Television Award; and media personality Valerie Smaldone, returning to emcee the ceremony. Two of the presenters—SVA alumni Randall Emmett and Yvette Kaplan—will also be honored with the inaugural Dusty Alumni Awards. Additional presenters are to be announced. 

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"We are thrilled to announce this year's Dusty presenters," said Reeves Lehmann, chair of the BFA Film and Video and BFA Animation departments at SVA. "With these, our 25th annual awards, we celebrate the many successes of our filmmakers and animators of tomorrow, along with an illustrious roster of SVA friends and allies from the world of film and animation." "Our annual festival, culminating with our awards ceremony, receives industry-wide recognition and is considered one of the top student film festivals in the country," stated Annie Flocco, festival producer, SVA faculty member and independent producer. "Year after year, the program brings attention to extraordinary work by SVA students and proves to be a launching pad for many professional careers." 

The annual Dusty Awards boasts an illustrious list of presenters each year. Past presenters include Melissa Leo, Ed Burns, James Gandolfini, Kevin Kline, Karen Allen, Viveca Lindfors, Arthur Penn, Mark Rydell, Patricia Clarkson, Phil Donahue, John Turturro, Doug Liman, Danny Aiello, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Combs, Lee Grant, Wes Craven, Griffin Dunne, Harvey Keitel, David Koepp, Mira Nair, Bill Plympton and Treat Williams.

The 25th Annual Dusty Film & Animation Festival screenings are scheduled for Saturday, May 10 through Monday, May 12, with a red carpet event on Tuesday, May 13. All festival screenings are free and open to the public and will take place at the state-of-the-art SVA Theatre, located at 333 West 23rd Street. The four-day event showcases more than 100 films and animations from thesis students graduating this spring. This year's Headlining Sponsors include: AbelCine; Act Zero Films; Adorama Rental Company; Animation Magazine; B&H Photo; Bryan Singer; Carlos Saldanha/BottleCap Productions; Channel Frederator Network; Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films; Feature Systems/Kits and Expendables; Foto Care; Gotham Sound & Communications, Inc.; Independent Filmmaker Project; New York Women in Film & Television; Nice Shoes; Rota6; SCS Agency, Inc.; Squarespace; SVA Campus Store; and Technicolor-PostWorks New York. One hundred percent of the sponsors' donations will benefit thesis students in the form of grants and in-kind awards. For more information, visit: dusty.sva.edu.

School of Visual Arts has been a leader in the education of artists, designers, and creative professionals for more than six decades.  With a faculty of distinguished working professionals, dynamic curriculum, and an emphasis on critical thinking, SVA is a catalyst for innovation and social responsibility. Comprised of more than 6,000 students at its Manhattan campus and 35,000 alumni in 100 countries, SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world. BFA Film and Video and BFA Animation alumni have received accolades from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Sundance Film Festival, New Directors/New Films, International Animated Film Festival in Annecy, France, American Film Institute, New York Women in Film & Television, Venice International Film Festival and the National Board of Review, among many renowned institutions and organizations. For information about the College's 32 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, visit: sva.edu.

LIVE STREAMING LINK FOR THE TUESDAY, MAY 13 AWARDS GALA 
FROM NEW YORK CITY, beginning at 6:30pm EST:
www.youtube.com/SVANewYorkCity

For more information on the 25th Annual Dusty Film & Animation Festival or to cover the red carpet event, please contact Patrick Paris at 212-260-7576 or email.

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SOURCE School of Visual Arts