Bordo Statue (closeup)

Bordo Statue

CINANIMA Festival gave us their stage for the ASIFA Prize ceremony and they provided all other help we needed.

They offered the last, award giving night, for our Prize, but as our President Nelson had to leave on Saturday morning, we decided to organise the ceremony on Friday, 11 November at 9:30 p.m. before the Competition program.

It was a nice ceremony in warm atmosphere, just like everything is warm and in almost family atmosphere at Cinanima.  Firstly, Nelson had a short speech thanking Cinanima for the hospitality and after that he gave a short history of ASIFA Prize.

He announced the laureat (Bordo) who was totally surprised and very touched. Nelson gave the Prize to Bordo.

Ed Desroches then presented a short CV of Bordo, (see below) and other present Board members and former ASIFA Prize laureats were asked to join them on the stage – Sayoko Kinoshita, Vesna, Nicole Salomon and Bruno Edera.  At the end, one of Bordo’s film was shown:

Exciting Love Story which won a high prize at Annecy 1989.

ASIFA Prize Presentation at Cinanima 2011

About Bordo:

“For those of you who don’t know Borivoj Dovnikovic, Bordo, let me give you some background.

Bordo is a pioneer of Croation animation and one of the most awarded filmmakers of the renowned Zagreb School of Animation. This year he celebrates his 60^th anniversary in the animation field having worked on his first film in 1951.  His films have won many international awards including 8 Life Achievement awards.

Since ASIFA’s beginning in 1961, Bordo has been an active member first in ASIFA-Yugoslavia and then in ASIFA-Croatia.  He was a board member between 1977 and 1982 and was the ASIFA Secretary General from 1994 to 2000.  In 1972, Bordo co-founded of the Zagreb Animation Festival.

Bordo is also a wonderful person, very good humored, easy going, and a great friend.

This ASIFA Award to Bordo is long overdue. He is truly someone who represents the spirit of ASIFA.

Congratulations, Bordo.”

CINANIMA festival in Espinho, Portugal, one of the oldest festivals specialized for animation. This year the 35th edition was held from 8 to 12 November, 2011.

CINANIMA festival is one of our partner festivals which hosted our General Assembly in 2009 and a number of ASIFA Board meetings.

Espinho Mayor and ASIFA President

Every time the Mayor of Espinho invites the guests for the reception in the City Hall.  This time there was a new Mayor, a young, handsome and very friendly person.  Our President gave him a present – ASIFA Anniversary Book.  He was very pleased to see the nice presentation of Cinanima Festival in the book, and according to Cinanima organisers, it will be very precious to them for getting the financial support from the City in the future.

ASIFA 50th Anniversary Logo

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

ASIFA Unveils its 50^th Anniversary Book: The Animation Art and The History of ASIFA

The ASIFA Publication is being released during the Annecy Animated Film Festival, 2011.

Annecy – June 6, 2011 – The Association Internationale du Film d’Animation  or International Animated Film Association (ASIFA) recently completed its tome going over its 50 year history as an international organization.

The 256 page hard-covered book is deep look into the ASIFA organization and what it has done of the years. The book contains a number of articles discussing ASIFA past, present, and future as well as ASIFA’s relationship with the many animation festivals. Many of the regional chapters of the organization also have documented within the book their beginnings as well as their activities.

Vesna Dovnikovic, ASIFA Secretary-General writes, “it will be a nice book which has been more than necessary for many years.” And Deanna Morse, ASIFA Contact Person for Education and Book Reviewer, writes, “I carefully proofread the whole book two times, and although it took many hours, I found it interesting, and a good overview of our past 50 years.”

The book is an amazing collection of articles that provide insight to an organization that has long been a part of the animation community.  The ASIFA 50^th Anniversary Book: The Animation Art and The History of ASIFA will be available throughout the Annecy Animated Film Festival in the ASIFA office located in the Bonlieu, the main festival venue.

To learn more about ASIFA visit http://www.ASIFA.net.

About ASIFA:

Association Internationale du Film d’Animation  (ASIFA) was founded in 1960. It is an international organization dedicated to the promoting the art and education of animation with over 30 regional chapters worldwide and members in more than 60 countries. ASIFA is an UNESCO entity.

Contact:

Nelson Shin

ASIFA

President@asifa.net

www.ASIFA.net

###

World Animated Film Festiva Varna 2011

The World Animated Film Festival in Varna was one of the greatest and most important in the world. Its six editions between 1979 and 1989 were a great success and reached a wide audience. Unfortunately, since the political and economic changes in Bulgaria in 1989 this important event interrupted for a long period of time.

Last year in Sofia, an association of animated filmmakers was created, whose goal is to restore this festival. This initiative is supported by Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, ASIFA Bulgaria, the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers, Municipality of the City of Varna, the Varna Festival Center and other partners and cultural institutions.

On December 16th, 2010, in Varna, a meeting took place between the Mayor of the City and the representatives of the Organising Committee of the festival. Also taking part in this meeting was Mrs.Vesna Dovnikovic, Secretary General of ASIFA. She said that the animated filmmakers in many countries during the last twenty years have very much missed the festival in Varna, which was one of the five ASIFA patronized festivals in the world. Mrs.Dovnikovic added that ASIFA strongly supports this project and is ready to help in its organisation.

The next day at the press conference there was underlined that this festival , whose 7th edition is planned for September
8-12, 2011, will be one of the most outstanding contributions for the candidacy of Varna as European Capital of Culture in 2018. The restoration of Varna’s festival could help this city, whose inhabitants are faithful fans of animation, to return to the big and wonderful family of world film festivals as well as contribute to the development and popularisation of the great
art of moving pictures .

The festival website can be found at:
www.varnafest.org
The deadline for submission of films is June 30,2011.

A SHORT EXPLANATION:

Last October in Sofia there took place an animated film festival which was propagated by its organisers as successor of the above-mentioned Varna Festival and which dishonestly appropriated its authority and its symbol “The Golden Kuker”. Many people from Bulgaria and abroad were deceived that there is really a restoration of this big festival from the past.

ASIFA Bulgaria would like to declare that this “festival” has absolutely nothihg in common with this famous event from the 80 ’s, which has already become a part of the cultural history of Bulgaria. This so-called “Golden Kuker Festival”, is not supported by Bulgarian Ministry of Culture,nor by ASIFA Bulgaria, nor by ASIFA International, nor by the Union of Bulgarian Filmmakers nor by other cultural institutions.

ASIFA Bulgaria is ready to support any kind of activities that serve the art of animation. At the same time ASIFA Bulgaria is against any kind of initiatives that compromise the good image of glorious events from the past or reputation of Bulgarian animation in any way.

Pencho Kunchev
President of ASIFA Bulgaria

The winner of the poll is the film entitled Dimensions (Possibilities) in Dialogue / Možnosti DIALOGU by the Czech surrealist author Jan Švankmajer, realized in 1982. The film by Jurij Norstein THE TALE OF TALES / SKAZKA SKAZOK ranked second, thus repeating its success from the year 1984, when it won the Los Angeles Animation Olympics. The third place fell to the film THE HAND / RUKA by Jiří Trnka, which strengthened its position as compared to the 1984 poll’s results (it came in 4th then). An exceptional achievement must be noticed on the part of the Canadian cinematographers, who placed 9 films on the list, while the British and Polish authors entered 6 films each. The success of the Polish animation can be also measured by the two films that made it to the top ten: the Oscar-winning TANGO by Zbigniew Rybczyński – 4th place (advancing from the 20th back in 1984) and TUNING THE INSTRUMENTS / STROJENIE INSTRUMENTÓW by Jerzy Kucia – 8th place. The success though, is first and foremost a “historical” one, for the film by Jerzy Kucia is the only Polish film on the list that was made during the last fifteen years. As a matter of fact, the whole list proves that the last ten or fifteen years constitute a period artistically poorer in world animation. All the bigger the success of the 6 films then, created during the last fifteen years, which made their way into and up the list “ASIFA – 50 (51) for 50.”

Please find below the full list of the 51 laureates of the biggest, since 1984, poll to choose the most outstanding achievements in world animation.

“ASIFA 50 (51) for 50” – contest results

1. Wymiary dialogu

   / Možnosti dialogu / Dimensions (Possibilities) in Dialogue,

   

   Jan Švankmajer, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, 1982, 962 points.

2. Bajka bajek /

   Skazka skazok / The Tale of Tales/Сказка

   сказок / Le Conte des Contes,

   

   Jurij Norstein, USRR, 1979, 902 points.

3. Ręka / Ruka / The Hand,

   

   Jiří Trnka, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, 1965, 802 points.

4. Tango,

   

   Zbigniew Rybczyński, POLAND, 1980, 793 points.

5. Ulica krokodyli

   / The Street of Crocodiles,

   

   Stephen, Timothy Quay, UK, 1986, 765 points.

6. Harpya,

   

   Raoul Servais, BELGIUM, 1978, 704 points.

7. Człowiek, który

   sadził drzwa / Home

   qui plantait les arbres, L' / The Man Who Planted Trees,

   

   Frédéric Back, CANADA, 1987, 592 points.

8. Strojenie instrumentów

   /Tuning the Instruments,

   

   Jerzy Kucia, POLAND, 2000, 566 points.

9. Ulica / La Rue / The Street,

   

   Caroline Leaf, CANADA, 1976, 563 points.

10. Ryan,

    

    Chris Landreth, CANADA, 2004, 556 points.

11. Śniadanie na

    trawie / Eine murul / Zavtrak na trave / Breakfast on the Grass / Déjeuner

    sur l’Herbe, Priit Pärn, ESTONIA (USRR), 1987, 547

    points.

12. Pas De Deux, Norman McLaren,

    CANADA, 1968, 538 points.

13. Ojciec i córka

    / Father and Daughter, Michael Dudok de Wit, UK / NETHERLANDS

    / BELGIUM, 2000, 536 points.

14. Satiemania,

    Zdenko Gašparović, YUGOSLAVIA, 1978, 521 points.

15. ex aequo:

Repete,

Michaela Pavlátová, CZECH REPUBLIC, 1995, 484 points.

Zwierzo-zwierzenia / Creature Comforts,

Nick Park, UK, 1989, 484 points.

16. Balance,

    Christopher, Wolfgang Lauenstein, GERMANY (RFN), 1989, 422 points.

17. GDY DZIEŃ

    SIĘ BUDZI / When The Day Breaks,

    Wendy Tilby, Amanda Forbis, CANADA, 2000, 417 points.

18. Jeżyk we mgle

    / Hedgehog in the Fog (Mist) /Jozik v tumane,

    Jurij Norstein, USSR, 1975, 408 points.

19. Góra głowa

    / Atama Yama / Mt.Head,

    Koji Yamamura, JAPAN, 2002, 398 points.

20. Głód / La Faim / Hunger, Peter Fòldes, CANADA, 1974, 373

    points.

21. wIELKA IRYTACJA

    / The Big Snit,

    Richard Condie, CANADA, 1985, 371 points.

22. Jego

    żona kura / Hen

    his Wife / Его жена курица / Yego Zhena Kuritza, Igor Kovalyov, USSR, 1989, 370 points.

23. Labirynt / Labirynth,

    Jan Lenica, POLAND, 1962, 361 points.

24. Surogat / Substitute

    / Ersatz, Dušan Vukotić, YUGOSLAVIA, 1961, 359 points.

25. Nos / Le Nez / The Nose, Alexander

    Allexeieff, Claire Parker,

    FRANCE, 1963, 349 points.

26. FELIX NA WYGNANIU

    / Felix in Exile, William Kentridge, SOUTH AFRICA, 1994,

    312 points.

27. Krowa / Korova

    / Корова / The Cow,

    Aleksander Petrov, USRR, 1989, 303 points.

28. WIOSŁUJĄC

    PRZEZ ATLANTYK / Traversee de l'Atlantique a la Rame, La / Rowing across

    the Atlantique, Jean-Francois Laguionie, FRANCE, 1978,

    298 points.

29. Dwie siostry

    / Entre deux soeurs / Two Sisters,

    Caroline Leaf CANADA, 1990, 292 points.

30. Refleksy / Reflection,

    Jerzy Kucia, POLAND, 1979, 287 points.

31. Asparagus,

    Suzan Pitt, USA, 1979, 278 points.

32. Luxor

    Jr.,

    John Lasseter, USA, 1989, 277 points.

33. Dziewczęcy

    wolny wieczór / Girls Night Out,

    Joanna Quinn, UK, 1987, 272 points.

34. FARMA NA WZGÓRZU

    / The Hill Farm, Mark Baker, UK, 1989, 270 points.

35. DROGA W OTCHŁAŃ

    / Course a l'abime, La / Road to the Abyss,

    Georges Schwizgebel, SWITZERLAND, 1992, 246 points.

36. Hotel E,

    Priit Pärn, ESTONIA, 1992, 241 points.

37. Wściekłe gacie

    / The Wrong Trousers, Nick Park, UK, 1993, 240

    points.

38. Syzyf / Sisyphus,

    Marcell Jankovics, HUNGARY, 1974, 239 points.

39. Mleko / Milch

    / Milk, Igor Kovalyov, USA / RUSSIA, 2005, 234 points.

40. SCENARIUSZ /

    Screenplay, Barry Purves, UK, 1992, 233 points.

41. PEJZAŻ

    UMYSŁU / Le Peysagiste / Mindscape,

    Jacques Drouin, CANADA, 1976, 231 points.

42. UCZUCIA Z GÓR

    I WODY / Shan shui Quing / Feelings from Mountain and Water,

    Te Wei, Ma Kexuan, Yan Sanchun, CHINA, 1988, 228 points.

43. Słowa, słowa,

    słowa / Reci, Reci, Reci… / Words, Words, Words,

    Michaela Pavlátová, CZECHOSLOVAKIA, 1991, 227 points.

44. Latający człowiek

    / The Flying Man, George Dunning, UK, 1962, 223 points.

45. Frank Film,

    Caroline, Frank Mouris, USA, 1973, 214 points.

46. SROKA ZŁODZIEJKA

    / La Gazza Ladra Sinfonia / The Thieving Magpie,

    Giulio Gianini, Emanuele Luzzati, ITALY, 1964, 210 points.

47. Dojoji / Dojoji

    Temple, Kihachiro Kawamoto, JAPAN, 1976, 208 points.

48. Apel / The Roll

    Call / L’appel, Ryszard Czekała, POLAND, 1970, 206

    points.

49. The Public Voice

    / Den Offentlige Røst / La Voix Publique,

    Lejf Marcussen, DENMARK, 1988, 204 points.

50. Franz Kafka,

    Piotr Dumała, POLAND, 1991, 199 points.

Kraków, 19^th November

2010

Artistic Director

International

Film Festival Etiuda&Anima

Bogusław

Zmudziński

inspired by the 50th anniversary of International Animated Film Association

(Association Internationale du Film d’Animation – ASIFA)

This year, a significant group of artists, producers, festival directors, animation critics and viewers can celebrate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the International Animated Film Association (Association Internationale du Film d’Animation – ASIFA), an organization founded by Norman Mc Laren and other exceptional creators in order to unite animation artists from all around the world.

The head of the Association chose 2010 to be the year in which the 50th anniversary is celebrated. As people responsible for the International Etiuda&Anima Film Festival, which is the oldest Polish festival devoted to film education and international animation, we have decided to hold a competition together with ASIFA Poland. The international contest called “ASIFA 50 on 50” focuses on creating a list of 50 best animated shorts created during the 50 years that the Association has been active. The idea was welcomed by the ASIFA and honorary Patronage was provided by the Association President, Mr Nelson Shin from Korea, and Mr Raoul Servais from Belgium, the Honorary President of the celebration.

The story is worth remembering. In the 1984, the ASIFA Hollywood decided to celebrate the Los Angeles Olympics together with the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and conducted the famous “Champions of Animation” poll. The idea first occurred to the late Fini Littlejohn, an ASIFA Hollywood member, designer and illustrator working for the Disney Studios. She created the contest, which was a part of the broader context of the Olympiad of Animation, in order to remind the public of the best animated films that 2 “could be seen on festivals for decades, but then stopped being screened completely”. One hundred journalists, teachers, festival directors and program experts were invited to participate (and, in the end, 35 of them responded). In this way, 50 short animated films were selected out of the joint achievements of the international cinema.

Yuri Norstein’s film “Tale of Tales” (1980) became the unquestionable winner. The second place was taken up by “The Street” by Caroline Leaf (1976), with “The Yellow Submarine” (1968) by George Dunning in the third and Jiři Trinka with “The Hand” (1965) in fourth. Zdenko Gasparovic’s “Satiemania” (1978) was in the tenth place and holding the 20th place, was the only Polish film included in the list – Zbigniew Rybczynski’s “Tango”. The oldest film on the list was the 1914 “Gertie the Dinosaur” by Winsor Mc Cay, in the 44th place. Decades have passed, but the contest is still an important icon. Taking this into consideration, we have decided to organize a second one, this time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the ASIFA. We do not wish to test the historical results against new ones, but rather to update the list, believing, that the 1960s, when European national schools of animation were created and when Dušan Vukotic’s “Surogat” became the first non-American animated film to win the Academy Award, were a turning point in the history of animation.

Learning from the experience of our American predecessors, we decided to limit the number of experts and invite only true masters and animation specialists, with an extensive knowledge of both the history of animation and its current state. Mr Raul Servais advised us on the list. In the end it involved 25 experts from 18 countries, listed below, in alphabetical order.

Midhat Ajanović (Bosnia and Herzegovina) Otto Alder (Switzerland) Margit Buba Antauer (Croatia) Alfio Bastiancich (Italy) Suzanne Buchan (Great Britain) Olivier Cotte (France) David G. Ehrlich (USA) Marcin Giżycki (Poland)3 Miriam Harris (New Zealand) Marcel Jean (Canada) Sayoko Kinoshita (Japan) Clare Kitson (Great Britain) Jiří Kubíček (Czech Republic) Marcos Magalhaes (Brazil) Ferenc Mikulas (Hungary) Philippe Moins (Belgium) Kosei Ono (Japan) Jayne Pilling (Great Britain) Igor Prassel (Slovenia) Thomas Renoldner (Austria) Nicole Salomon (France Stanislav Ulver (Czech Republic) Ulrich Wegenast (Germany) Paul Wells (Great Britain) Bogusław Zmudziński (Poland).

According to the rules of the poll, each expert could take part in two voting rounds. During the first round, he or she could suggest up to 100 films created between 1960 and 2010. We have decided that a film mentioned by at least three experts would be considered nominated and would enter the second stage. The overall number of submitted film titles was 852, while 237 met the established threshold.

During the second, decisive phase, each expert would vote again, but this time choose from among the nominees. According to the rules, they could create individual lists of 50 films, organized in a way that would reflect their opinion: the first film on the list would receive 50 points, the second – 49, and the last place would be awarded a single point. As agreed, the sum of all points awarded 4 by individual experts determined the final list – our result, the 50 best and most important animated films created during the period of ASIFA’s activity.

The final results will be presented in the form of a separate document during this press conference. Today, November 19th 2010, the day of the opening ceremony, they will be also published in the festival catalog. Any minute now, they will also appear on our websites, in specialist press and in other media devoted to culture. Also, best films will be screened during this year’s Etiuda&Anima IFF. The organizers have decided that together with the best 10 films from the new ASIFA “50 on 50” list, the films that were awarded first places on individual lists would be screened during the festival.

Even though we took precautions, we couldn’t avoid a situation in which two films gathered the same amount of points. Hence, two animations had to share the 15th place. The organizers decided that an extra film shall be added to take the 50th place. We believe it to be a very fortunate decision, not only because the final film was made in Poland. To be absolutely truthful, 2010 marks 51 years of ASIFA’s activity; remembering that a bit of flexibility can go a long way in situations like this, we have decided to rename the contest ASIFA “51 on 51”. As organizers of this contest, we wish to promote its results in the following months, that is, until the end of 2011. We will promote the winners on film festivals and events and do our best to publish an international DVD comprising all 51 films.

Cracow, November 19th 2010

IFF Etiuda&Anima
Artistic Director
Bogusław Zmudziński

Festival organisers and guests at the picnic. Banjaluka 2010

The Third International Animated Film Festival in BANJA LUKA (Bosnia and Herzegovina) is one of the new animation festivals which have a serious intentions to fulfill the established basic ASIFA conditions for international animation festivals. Already in its third edition BANJALUKA festival demonstrated these intentions with the following important achievements: sophistically composed film programmes, international jury, good catalogue, very well hotels and excellent restaurant for guests-participants, city sightseeing, excursion to the interesting part of Bosnia, the capable managing and very kind Festival stuff…  Film programmes took place in a multiplex cinema (in the City centre) with a few halls for competition and other screenings. Festival office, space for press-conferences and meeting-place with small caffe bar were in the spaces of the City Children Theatre (also in the City centre). Organizers said that already  next year the whole Festival will be held in this huge building, and guests will get everything under one roof. As the closest international airport is in Zagreb (in the neighbouring Croatia), the Festival had a permanent car connection between Zagreb Airport and the city of Banja Luka.

 This year Banjaluka festival was focused on the Canadian animation – McLaren’s classics and the works of Cordell Barker and Pierre Hebért, who both were personally present.

 ASIFA Secretary General Vesna Dovnikovic composed and presented the film program on the ocassion of the 50th Anniversary of ASIFA, which was held exactly on the International Animation Day.

Banjaluka 2010 - Festival Jury

 Banjaluka Animation Festival was held under the strong support of the Republic and the City, and other sponsors.

There was one minus only: weak attendance rate of audience, especially at accompanying programmes, what is, however, the problem of many animation festivals in the world. The task for organisers is finding the way to attract domestic people, specially youngsters, for art animation events.

The Festival programme:

• Films in competition
• Panorama – films out of competition
• Films for children
• Musical animated films
• Canadian animation: Norman McLaren, Cordell Barker and Pierre Hebért
• Nedeljko Dragic (Croatia)
• Czech puppet animation for children
• Channel 4 animation (presented by Clare Kitson)
• Early Serbian animation (1925-1960)
• 60 years of Zagreb animation (presented by Bordo)
• French animation classics
• 50 years of ASIFA
• Cartoon D’OR 2010
• Cartoon East 2010
• Festivals: Animafest 2010, Animazing 2009, NAFF 2010
• Feature animated films
• Workshops, Promotions, Installations

The International Jury:

• Dino Krpan, President (Croatia), Pierre Hebért (Canada), Clare Kitson (UK), Sandra Desmazieres (France), Vesko Kadic (B/H)

Awards:

• Grand Prix (3.000 €):
• ESTERHAZY by Izabela Plucinska (Poland)

Other Awards:

• BIG BANG BIG BOOM by Blu (Italy)
• FARD by Luis Brisceno and David Alanport (France)
• SPARNI UN AIRI by Vladimir Leschiov (Latvia)
• SHAHRE KHAMOCH by Amir Mehrana (Iran)
• VIDEOGIOCO A LOOP EXPERIMENT by Donato Sansone (Italy)

Promotive screenings of awarded films and special programmes of  the Banjaluka Animation Festival 2010 were held in severals towns in Bosnia and Herzegovina after that.

Borivoj Dovnikovic Bordo

Many participants (Asifa groups, festivals, associations…) from various countries have already sent the program of their IAD celebrations.

Will be represented 38 countries (from information we collected by today):

- in Africa: Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, South Africa,Tunisia , Zimbawe;

See the program IAD 2010 in Africa

- in America: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, The United States (Georgia, California, Michigan);

See the program IAD 2010 in America

- in Asia: China, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Lebanon;

See the Program IAD 2010 in Asia

- in Europe:  Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina,Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, United-Kingdom;

See the programme IAD 2010 in Europe

- in Oceania: Australia, New-Zealand.

See the program IAD 2010 in Oceania

During ASIFA Egypt’s last monthly program of Animation Forum in Bibliotheca Alexandrina, which dedicated to celebrate the 50th years of Egyptian TV, the guest of the program Mme Shewekar Khalifa, the female animator pioneer, asked the attendance to stand for a moment of reverence for the passed away Ali Muhib (1935-2010) who died the day before our show !

Ali Muhib is considered to be the Godfather of the Egyptian animators, and as Gianalberto Bendazzi wrote about him in his informative essay “African Cinema Animation” Page22 :

“Film animation in Egypt saw a renaissance thanks to Ali Muhib and his brother Husam, who gave birth to the Film Animation Department within the national television channel which was inaugurated in 1960. In 1962 Ali Muhib directed The White Line, a film animation plus twenty-five-minute live action, which was a cross between a short musical and a documentary film. It was a lively and excellent film, which made fine use of the split-screen technique (unusual at that time), in a style reminiscent of Piet Mondrian. After eight years of work at the Department, during which he trained many young colleagues, Ali Muhib successfully switched to advertising. In 1979 he directed the first Arab animation film series, Mishgias Sawah, composed of thirty episodes.”

Funeral was already held, but many tribute forums are held dedicated to his memory in Cairo, Alexandria, Suez and will be in Minia.

Mohamed Ghazala

In 2008, 41 countries and states celebrated International Animation Day : In Africa : Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Republic of Guinea, South Africa. In America : Argentina, Brazil, United States (California, Colorado, Michigan, Georgia, Maryland, Virginia). In Asia : China, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, Lebanon, Russia In Europe : Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Hungary, Sweden, Russia, Portugal, Estonia, Italy, Poland, Greece, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Romania, Russia. In Oceania : Vanuatu Islands and Australia

Several countries have significantly developed the celebration and extended it to several cities and several days, especially in Brazil, India and France, but also Portugal and Sweden.