College of the Canyons will host its second annual International Animation Festival on Saturday, March 16 to showcase the work of student animators at the high school and college level. With no submission fee, the festival will provide a great opportunity for undergraduate animators from around the world to exhibit their work.

“We are truly excited to again host this event and are thrilled to see even more interest in it than we saw in 2023,” said Dr. Jia-Yi Cheng-Levine, dean of International Affairs & Global Engagement at the college. “We received over 600 submissions from more than 70 countries and are overjoyed to be once again giving this platform to young animators all over the world to make their voices heard, engage in cross-cultural dialogue, and earn recognition for their achievements.”

Hosted by Cheng-Levine and Jeffrey Baker, animation program coordinator of the Media and Entertainment Arts department at the college, IAF is also designed to form connections between international peers, encourage dialogue on challenging topics that are timely and global by nature, and generate interest among faculty, students, and staff in the future of animation.

“This festival is about once again showing the power of animation to illuminate the world and change minds, as well as how it can lead to a great career in an industry that has captured the wonder and imagination of millions for decades,” said Baker.

A special focus of the festival is contemporary social media issues, as artists submitted works tackling the implications of social media on mental health, politics and governance, daily life and more.

“I am delighted to see so many aspiring animators addressing serious issues affecting our world, and doing so through a medium of artistic expression requiring significant skill, creativity, and talent,” said Dr. Jennifer Smolos Steele, dean of the college’s School of Visual and Performing Arts and artistic director of the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center. “While this may be only the second time that the festival has been hosted on our campus, given the palpable interest, I am confident that we will welcome many more iterations of this event in the future.”

Held from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., the event will include awards, film presentations and interesting panels on topics like identity in animation.

The festival will be held on the third floor of Mentry Hall at the college’s Valencia campus.

For more information about the festival and to reserve a spot, please click here.