Jakarta - Animation enthusiasts will have something to smile about from Jan. 14 to 20 with a series of screenings, seminars and workshops dedicated to the art being held daily at Taman Ismail in Central Jakarta as part of the Urbanimation festival.
Urbanimation, which was organized by several of Indonesia`s animation communities and the Jakarta Arts Council, is being held this year for the first time.
Hendra, who attended a seminar on productive animation making Tuesday, said he was pleased with the session as it gave him a new perspective on the animation world.
"Animation is a complex subject, from the conceptual to the production stages. The seminar went through this process. I think the organizing committee should hold similar seminars in the future," said Hendra, who lives in Cengkareng, West Jakarta.
Each day Urbanimation features a series of screenings, including advertising material, short and independent animated films and school projects. Animation screenings are held at Teater Kecil and Kineforum, which are located within the Taman Ismail complex.
Despite the fact all Urbanimation activities are free of charge, organizers were disappointed with low attendance levels Tuesday.
The event`s public relations manager, Nataya Aryandi, said some 1,000 visitors were expected to attend Urbanimation. However, on Tuesday only about 20 people attended the seminar, with the exhibition hall empty for most of the day.
Nataya said the organizing committee would be happy enough to attract 100 visitors per day.
"The event didn`t attract many visitors today, maybe because they work during the week. However, I`m sure there will be more visitors on the weekend," she said.
Nataya said Urbanimation was aimed at college students and people who worked in the animation sector. She said the committee wanted people to realize that animation is not just for children but also for adults.
"Animation has become part of daily life and the urban lifestyle. It is no longer just for children," she said.
She said she hoped the animation sector would develop into a solid industry, much like the media, film and music industries.
She said most people working in the animation sector did not know each other.
"Urbanimation will allow people working in the animation sector to get to know each other," she said.
As part of the festival, the committee also organized an animation competition, with more than 100 entries submitted. Artists submitted entries from various cities around the country, including Cirebon in West Java, Yogyakarta, Semarang in Central Java, Malang in East Java and Jambi in Sumatra.
"This is a good thing because it is the first time we have held the event. However, we expected more people to attend, as there are around 150 animation communities in the country," Nataya said.
The festival will end with a cosplay (costume party), in which visitors can wear an outfit based on an a cartoon character or their own ideas.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com (18 Januari 2008)
