One of the largest visual effects, animation and games Festivals in the UK is returning for 2024. The BFX Festival takes place in Bournemouth between 28 October to 2 November 2024, featuring presentations and workshops from some of the world’s best studios.
The annual BFX Festival brings together budding animators, university students and industry professionals for in-depth discussion about some of the year’s best films, television shows and games, lifting the lid on how they are made and the artistry behind them. Hosted by the National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) at Bournemouth University (BU), the Festival gives opportunities to learn from the best, and a chance to get hands-on with the latest techniques used in the industry.
The six-day festival gives visitors the chance to experience world-class studio presentations, and participate in artist masterclasses across two venues, the Hilton Bournemouth and BU’s Talbot Campus. The festival allows visitors to learn about the ‘behind-the-scenes' making of some of the best-known films, television programmes, games and adverts around the world.
The BFX Competition is also back this year, with teams of university students working together to produce short, animated features for chosen charities, Sustrans, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, The Story Works, and DEED. The student teams have worked hard over the summer, overseen by industry professionals as mentors in creating the tailored animations for the charities.
Michael Bond, Lighting & Composition Artist/Pipeline TD (Technical Director) at Nexus Studios is one of the mentors guiding the students. He said: "The BFX Competition is a great opportunity for students to hone their craft under a tight deadline and tailor their work to a real-world client."
Brenda Ximena Roldan Romero, Vice Chair at London ACM SIGGRAPH added, "I am mind-blown by the creativity of the short films. I am looking forward to the screening of all of them at the BFX Festival later this year".
Working alongside BU academics, other mentors include:
- Jules Darriulat, Concept Artist at Framestore
- Ana Maria Savastre, Senior Rigger at Blue Zoo Animation
- Callum Harwood, Look Development Artist at Hocus Pocus Studio
- Sian Warren, Freelance Senior Creature Modeler
Winners of the BFX Competition will be announced at an awards ceremony during the Festival. Members of the public can vote for their favourite animation up to 30th September ahead of the Festival.
During the BFX Festival, visitors can also participate in competitions, including a game jam, fast sculpting and a caricature competition. Younger creatives can also get a hands-on introduction to VFX at the BFX Family Day on Saturday 2 November filled with workshops and screenings.
Members of the public can also get involved in the first ever Film Festival, taking place as a part of BFX. The Film Festival gives participants the opportunity to showcase their own creations, with prizes on offer for best new talent, best national and international films and more. Full information about entering and the eligibility criteria can be found at BFX Festival - FilmFreeway.
Tickets for the BFX Festival will be announced shortly, follow @bfxfestival on Instagram or Facebook for more information.
