SVA Dusty Film & Animation Fest 2009 Award Winners Ceremony

This year's top industry presenters joined previous ones that have included Harvey Keitel, Danny Aiello, Sean Combs, Bryan Singer, Treat Williams, David Koepp, Wes Craven, Griffin Dunne, Bill Plympton, and Ellen Burstyn.

The 2009 Dusty Film and Animation Festival and Awards sponsors included: Nice Shoes, National Board of Review, New York Women in Film and Television, CAVA - SVA Computer Store, Avid, Colliers ABR, Eastman Kodak, Future Media Concepts, SCS Agency, Inc, and Animation Magazine.
Screenwriters Night took place May 5, 2009, in collaboration with The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre and the Real Theatre Company. Eleven five-minute scenes by SVA's screenwriting thesis students were performed live on stage, featuring alumni from The Neighborhood Playhouse, the internationally regarded acting conservatory. Screenwriters Night was directed by award-winning filmmaker John Gallagher, a faculty member at both SVA and The Neighborhood Playhouse, and produced by film producer and SVA instructor Annie Flocco.

Screenwriters Night was sponsored in association with CAVA - SVA Computer Store and Final Draft, Inc.
The Dusty Film and Animation Festival and Awards began in 1990 when the BFA Film, Video and Animation Department sought to bring its year-end screenings of student films to a
wider audience. With sponsorship, a venue, and the support from the film industry, the event came to life. To pay tribute to School of Visual Arts founder Silas H. Rhodes, the event was named "Dusty" - after the nickname Mr. Rhodes had as a soldier in World War II.

School of Visual Arts is widely regarded as one of the finest art schools in the United States for its innovative curriculum, unparalleled faculty of more than 900 creative professionals and its participation in the larger arts community of New York City. Film and animation students at SVA have received accolades and honors from such renowned institutions and organizations such as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; Sundance Film Festival; International Animated Film Festival in Annecy, France; American Film Institute; Women in Film; National Board of Review and many others.

School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction of purpose.

Find more information at www.sva.edu/dusty.

PHOTO CREDIT: Michelle Labriola.