The School of Visual Arts Proudly Announces the 25th Anniversary Dusty Film & Animation Festival to be Held May 10-13, 2014

NEW YORK, March 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Dusty Film & Animation Festival, May 10-13, 2014, announced today by Reeves Lehmann, chair of the BFA Film and Video and BFA Animation departments at the School of Visual Arts, New York City, and Annie Flocco, festival producer, SVA faculty member and independent film producer. "We invite all film lovers to help celebrate this milestone as a testament to the hard work and dedication of hundreds of young filmmakers," said Lehmann. "We are proud to showcase the true commitment and remarkable talent of so many artists with this anniversary of the Dustys," added Flocco. To mark the 25th anniversary, the festival culminates with SVA's Annual Dusty Awards invite-only ceremony, held on Tuesday, May 13, at the SVA Theatre (333 West 23rd Street) in New York City. The Dusty Film & Animation Festival was established and named after SVA Founder Silas "Dusty" H. Rhodes with the mission of introducing films made by BFA Film and Video and BFA Animation students to a wider audience. 

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Just as the Dusty Awards introduce audiences to the next generation of film talent, some of Hollywood's biggest and brightest names in film and animation have gotten their start at SVA, among them: Bryan Singer (X-Men, X-Men 2, The Usual Suspects); Mark Ulano (Django Unchained, Iron Man 2, Titanic);  Bill Plympton (Horn Dog, Mutant Aliens, Your Face); Michael Cuesta (Dexter, Homeland, True Blood);  Derek Drymon (The Penguins of Madagascar, Puss in Boots, Kung Fu Panda); Lynn Shelton (Your Sister's Sister, Touchy Feely, Humpday); Yvette Kaplan (Ice Age, Beavis & Butt-Head, Zach & Quack); James Muro (Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Dances with Wolves, The Abyss); Tom Sito (The Lion King, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin); John Han (Star Trek Into Darkness, Pacific Rim); Ti West (V/H/S, The Innkeepers); Michael Giacchino (Up, Star Trek Into Darkness, Super 8); Daniel Minahan (Game of Thrones, Grey's Anatomy, True Blood); Nancy Kato (Brave, Toy Story 3, Up); Randall Emmett (Lone Survivor, End of Watch, Two Guns), Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe, Adventure Time); Alonso Homs (The Great Gatsby, Girls, Blue Valentine); Doug Bloom (Iron Man 3, Captain America: The First Avenger, Spider Man 3), and many, many more.   

Past Dusty presenters have included award winners Melissa Leo, Ed Burns, James Gandolfini, Kevin Kline, Patricia Clarkson, Phil Donahue, John Turturro, Doug Liman, Danny Aiello, Ellen Burstyn, Sean Combs, Wes Craven, Griffin Dunne, Harvey Keitel, David Koepp, Mira Nair, Bill Plympton and Treat Williams. The complete list of presenters for the 2014 ceremony will be announced at a later date. Media personality Valerie Smaldone will emcee the 2014 awards.

This year, the 25th Annual Dusty Film & Animation Festival screenings are scheduled for Saturday, May 10, through Monday, May 12, with the 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 150 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 (IFP); New York Women in Film & Television; Nice Shoes; Rota6; SCS Agency, Inc.; Squarespace; SVA Campus Store; and Technicolor PostWorks. 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; Women in Film; 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.

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 via Email

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SOURCE School of Visual Arts