Everyone is gearing themselves with just a day left for the big event on the 28th. International Animation day promises to be filled with fun and excitement with workshops, discussions, debates and networking of like minded people.

Here is the list of nominations for the ASIFA India Awards for Excellence. They have been divided into two categories, that is , the Students and the Professional Category.

Here is the list of Judges:

Speaking about the films for the ASIFA Award for Excellence, this what the judges had to say:

Virendra Chohan (Crest Animation, India)- "Most of the entries in the students category were from MAAC and NID. They were quite varied and very interesting with different styles. The students work was brilliant and looked like there was a lot of effort was put in.

The entries from NID were based more on art, design and aesthetics as compared to those from MAAC which concentrated more on technicalities of 3D animation."

"While judging the films, we looked at the film in its entirety and did not focus on one aspect only. What we looked out for most was the way the message was communicated and brought out."

"What I expect on the 28th is a casual as well as a learning experience. There will be mingling of a lot of people and hope that everyone who participates in this event observes and learns a lot."

Gokul (Whistling Woods)- "The short film entries that we received this year were really good, actually I can say that they were great. Two years ago there weren't any festivals and a platform for animators to showcase their films. The quality of films this year have improved and are nearing international standards. In the students category we saw the participation of various institutes with varying concepts with a focused line of thinking."

"What we looked for in the movies was the development of the concept and it's execution. We looked at how the message of the film was communicated and looked at the whole package giving equal importance to all aspects."

I expect the event to be an enriching experience especially since it's a multi -city event. Four years ago there was no such event that would give the opportunity for films to be showcased and film makers to come together, sharing their concepts, ideas. Also the workshops are something that I', looking forward to.

Abhishek (CG Tantra)- "The students entries from NID were amazing. What set them apart from the others that they were different. What I could gather from the films from other institutes was that they concentrated more on the software than the art hence dwelling more on the technical aspect of it. The professional category which was further divided into sections of less than a minute and more than a minute were two wide a category. But, the work that came in was really good and I was highly impressed by Viabhav's work. The films that came in from Hyderabad and Trivandrum were especially good."

"The nominees were decided based on the votes of the judges. We were looking for the entire package which included animation, sound, the story and the like. The art of storytelling was what we all looked out for."

"I'm really excited about IAD. There will be networking of a huge number of people."

Narayan Shi - "In the professional category, I felt that there weren't enough entries. Every year the same group of people participate. In the students category there were some very interesting work both from local institutes as well as universities from other parts of India. In this category we saw a lot of focus on the production."

"being a director, I looked at the movies from a directorial point of view which includes good animation, narration, humour and all that goes into making a movie successful."

"I'm looking forward to participating in the various workshops that are going to be held and the discussions and mingling with artists are other things that I personally will participate in on the 28th."