School of Visual Arts Announces All-Star Line-up of Presenters for 24th Annual Dusty Film & Animation Awards

NEW YORK, April 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The 24th Annual Dusty Film & Animation Festival and Awards (http://dusty.sva.edu), taking place May 4-7, 2013, culminates with an awards ceremony on Tuesday, May 7 at 6:30PM at the SVA Theatre (333 West 23^rd Street) and features a full roster of names from the world of film and animation. Awards presenters include actor Melissa Leo (Oscar winner, The Fighter) presenting the Outstanding Film Award; production sound mixer Chris Newman (three-time Oscar winner: The Exorcist, Amadeus, The English Patient) presenting the Sound Award; screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher (Oscar winner, Precious) presenting the Screenwriting Award; editor Peter C. Frank (Dirty Dancing, The Verdict) presenting the Editing Award; NYWIFT president Alexis Alexanian presenting the New York Women in Film & Television Award; producer Rose Vincelli Gustine (producer for the Independent Filmmaker Project) presenting the IFP Award; animator Frank Gresham (Cartoon Network, MTV Productions) presenting the Traditional Animation Awards; producer and media entrepreneur Fred Seibert (founder of Channel Frederator) presenting the Stop Motion Animation Award; documentarian Lisa Jackson (Emmy winner, The Secret Life of Barbie) presenting the Outstanding Documentary Award; and media personality Valerie Smaldone emcees the awards. Additional presenters are to be announced. 

This year's headlining sponsors are: AbelCine; Act Zero Films; Adorama Rental Company; AJA Video Systems; Animation Magazine; Avid Technology, Inc.; B&H Photo; Bryan Singer; CAVA – SVA Computer Store; Channel Frederator; Emmett/Furla Films; Feature Systems/Kits and Expendables; Foto Care; Gotham Sound & Communications, Inc.; Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP); Machinima, Inc.; National Board of Review; New York Women in Film & Television; Nice Shoes; Offhollywood; Rota6; Scheimpflug; and SCS Agency, Inc. One hundred percent of the sponsors' donations will benefit thesis students in the form of grants and in-kind gifts.

"We are happy to announce this year's Dusty presenters," said Reeves Lehmann, chair of the BFA Film, Video & Animation Department at SVA. "With these awards we celebrate the many successes of the 'next generation of filmmakers and animators' along with an illustrious roster of SVA friends and allies from the world of film and animation."

The Dusty Film & Animation Festival was established with the mission of introducing films made by BFA Film, Video & Animation Department thesis students to a wider audience, and was named after SVA Founder Silas "Dusty" H. Rhodes. "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, filmmaker and SVA faculty member. "The festival's spotlight launches many professional careers." 

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, Video and Animation Department 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; Women in Film; and the National Board of Review, among many renowned institutions and organizations. For information about the College's 31 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, visit http://sva.edu.

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SOURCE School of Visual Arts