VFX Exclusive: Animation Masters Summit 2021 aims for another insightful edition! -

Exclusive: Animation Masters Summit 2021 aims for another insightful edition!

Animation Masters Summit (AMS) 2021 is back again with yet another insightful and exciting edition. Organised by Kerala based Toonz Media Group, one of the biggest animation studios of the country, the virtual event with the theme of Embracing Diversity: Finding beauty in our differences, will be held from 4 to 8 May via Zoom.

Set up in 1999 as the first ever animation event in India titled ‘Week with the Masters’, it was recently renamed as Animation Masters Summit (AMS). The event celebrates the beautiful art of animation, with a conglomeration of talents and experts from around the global animation industry coming together to interact with aspiring young talents. The event also offers a platform for masters to offer inspirations and insights on what it takes to create, connect and drive engaging content in this invigorating new entertainment era. 

For the 2021 edition, AMS has finalised two panels as of now – first will be curated by Animation World Network (AWN), focusing on diversity in kids entertainment; and the second on the scope of animation in e-learning, moderated by FICCI AVGC chairman and Punnaryug Artvision founder Ashish Kulkarni. 

AMS is Toonz’s way of giving back to the artistic community. The mission of the Summit is to create an ecosystem of knowledge sharing, which in turn builds a great environment for animation to grow in India and the world over. The prestigious event has hosted masters like Rob Coleman, Bill Plympton, Devdutt Patnaik, Resul Pookutty, Geetanjali Rao, Dhimant Vyas and celebrated Indian animation legends like Ram Mohan, Bhimsain Khurana and V G Samant, and many more in the past.

This year, AMS’ masters list includes – Dream Theatre founder Jiggy George; Oscar nominated and Annie award winning screenwriter Meg Lefauve (Captain Marvel, Inside Out); award-winning advertising personality Rahul Dacunha; former DreamWorks Creative Management head, writer, director and creative producer, Saraswathi Balgam and award winning Hollywood music composer Vijay Beerpoot

Commenting on the promising edition, Toonz Media Group CEO P Jayakumar told Animation Xpress, “Conducting an event of this stature in the current scenario is quite a challenge. But this is an initiative for the creative community, and the spirit of creativity is undaunting. Although we cannot conduct the physical event, we are looking at Animation Masters Summit Digital Edition as an opportunity to make this event truly global and widen the participation. This time, as always, we have a stellar speaker line-up. We hope that our artists’ community will take full benefit of these master sessions.” 

Animation Masters Summit is a public event. Delegates can register for free by clicking here:

https://animationsummit.in/ams-2021-registration.php

P Jayakumar
VFX