It’s that time of year again, when Ottawa is transformed into the center of the animation universe thanks to the annual Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF). Get ready for five days of the world’s most cutting-edge, quirky, and important animation. The annual event brings art and industry together in a vibrant hub, attracting artists, producers, students, and animation fans from around the world. 

This year’s festival runs from September 20 – 24, at a variety of locations across the city of Ottawa, including the ByTowne Cinema, Arts Court, Club SAW, Strathcona Park, the National Arts Centre, Château Laurier, and the Ottawa Art Gallery. 

Members of our Brown Bag Films Toronto Production team will be on hand at a variety of festival events running throughout the week. 

Our Brown Bag Films Toronto Creative Director, Cory Bobiak will be participating in one of The Animation Conference (TAC) panels on Thursday, September 21 at 1:30pm, titled Putting the AI in Animation. Moderated by Kidscreen’s Ryan Tuchow, the session will dive into how studios are using AI or exploring the options it presents. The panelists will be discussing their initiatives and will be weighing in on the benefits and risks, and what to expect in the near and distant future. The Animation Conference (TAC) is OIAF’s animation business forum, designed for professionals in content creation, development, production, distribution and marketing. TAC brings together key players in North America and international markets and provides a forum for active networking, practical information exchange, and trade, in a comfortable and intimate environment. TAC runs from September 20 –23, alongside the OIAF, and provides an opportunity for festival goers to get access to some of the world’s best talent in animation. 

And shout out to VP of Development and Production, Karen Fowler, from our 9 Story Media Group family, who also took part in a TAC panel this Wednesday, September 20. Co-production: Creating a Common Culture was a vibrant session that featured several experienced co-producers, including Karen, who shared their best practices for good communication and creative collaboration during a co-pro. The panelists also dug into what to keep in mind to avoid co-pro roadblocks and reflected on the pros, cons, and the future of co-production in animation.

Finally, our Brown Bag Films recruitment team will be on site at the Animation Exposé at the National Arts Centre, this Saturday, September 23. Presented by OIAF, the Exposé is a one-day series of events curated to enhance festival-goers experience and understanding of the world of animation. While some programming is geared toward the animation industry, the Artist Talks, recruiting opportunities, and sketching activities are all interesting to anyone looking to learn what’s new in animation, meet inspiring creators, find a way to study animation, or even connect with their dream job at a leading studio. Stop by our booth to meet with our recruitment specialists and animation professionals to get tips and feedback on your portfolio, and to learn all about life at Brown Bag Films. And don’t forget to pick up some of our sweet Brown Bag swag. The Career Fair runs from 9am at the National Arts Centre. 

To learn more about Animation Expose, TAC and all the other wonderful happenings taking place at one of the world’s leading animation events, visit the Ottawa International Animation Festival website here. 

See you in Ottawa, we can’t wait to meet you!