ACM SIGGRAPH announced today the Computer Animation Festival's Best of Show Award, Jury Honors, and Award of Excellence winners for SIGGRAPH 2007, the 34th International Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, being held 5-9 August 2007 in San Diego, California.
The Computer Animation Festival jury selected three award winners from a record-breaking 905 entries for exemplary use of computer-generated imagery, animation, and storytelling. For the first time in the history of SIGGRAPH, two of the award-winning films are student entries. In all, 134 pieces were selected for the Computer Animation Festival.

Groundbreaking films presented at the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival have amazed audiences for three decades. Since 1999, the SIGGRAPH Computer Animation Festival has also been an official qualifying festival for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences "Best Animated Short Film" award. Paul Debevec is the SIGGRAPH 2007 Computer Animation Festival Chair from the University of Southern California's Institute for Creative Technologies.

"This year's winners are perfect examples of how computer graphics is enabling small, independent groups to create films with vast landscapes, complex characters, and amazing visuals," commented Debevec. "Just as computer graphics blurs the line between real and virtual, each of these films in its unique way explores what is tangible and what is imaginary and whether that difference is important."

According to Debevec, 2007 marks just the second time that filmmakers were able to submit high definition video to the selection jury, which greatly increased the jury's ability to appreciate the intricacy of each film - especially the award winners.

Debevec continues, "The winning films are not cartoons where scissors dance with staplers, but films with credible human characters who find love, suffer loss, and face their mortality, leaving a profound emotional impact on the audience."

The winners are:

Ark (Best of Show)

Grzegorz Jonkajtys and Marcin Kobylecki

http://www.thearkfilm.com

Poland

An unknown virus has destroyed almost the entire human population. Oblivious to the true nature of the disease, the only remaining survivors escape to the sea. In great ships, they set off in search of uninhabited land untouched by the deadly virus. So begins the exodus, led by one man...

Dreammaker (Jury Honors)

Leszek Plichta

Institute of Animation, Visual Effects, and Digital Post Production

Filmakademie Baden-Wurttemberg

Germany

In the past, this talented dreammaker created the most beautiful dreams for people. Now, he lives in solitude focused on only one purpose - the creation of a special dream - his dream ...

En Tus Brazos (Award of Excellence)

Francois-Xavier Goby, Edouard Jouret, Matthieu Landour

Supinfocom Valenciennes

France

A remarkable tale of the greatest tango dancer of the 1920's who finds himself confined to a wheelchair after an unfortunate accident. Thanks to his loving wife, he recovers the use of his legs just in time for the most magical dance of his life.

For complete details on SIGGRAPH 2007, visit http://www.siggraph.org/s2007. Please contact the SIGGRAPH 2007 Media Office at media@siggraph.org for high resolution images related to the Computer Animation Festival winners.

SIGGRAPH 2007 will bring an estimated 25,000 computer graphics and interactive technology professionals from six continents to San Diego, California, USA for the industry's most respected technical and creative programs focusing on research, science, art, animation, gaming, interactivity, education, and the web from 5-9 August at the San Diego Convention Center. SIGGRAPH 2007 includes a three-day exhibition of products and services from the computer graphics and interactive marketplace from 7-9 August 2007. More than 250 international exhibiting companies are expected. Registration for the conference and exhibition is open to the public.

The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) SIGGRAPH sponsors SIGGRAPH 2007. ACM is an educational and scientific society uniting the world's computing educators, researchers and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources and address the field's challenges. ACM strengthens the profession's collective voice through strong leadership, promotion of the highest standards, and recognition of technical excellence. ACM supports the professional growth of its members by providing opportunities for life-long learning, career development, and professional networking.