Reeves Lehman, chair of the Film and Animation BFA programs at New York’s School of Visual Arts, and award-winning producer Annie Flocco — director of SVA’s 28th Dusty Film & Animation Festival — have revealed this year’s prestigious Dusty Awards presenters. The event will once again be hosted by media personality Valerie Smaldone, and is set for May 8 at 6:30 p.m. EST at the SVA Theatre, streaming online at dusty.sva.edu.
The 2017 presenters from the animation sphere include: Academy Award-nominated producer/director, David Silverman (The Simpsons, Monsters, Inc., Maggie Simpson In: The Longest Daycare); VP of children’s programming at PBS, Linda Simensky (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Nature Cat, Odd Squad); animation director/producer, Biljana Labovic (Guard Dog, Idiots and Angels, TED-Ed).
They will be joined onstage by producer and co-founder of Emmett/Furla Films, Randall Emmett (Silence, Lone Survivor, Everest); editor, Jim Helton (Blue Valentine, A Place Beyond the Pines, The Light Between Oceans); producer and New York Women in Film & Television president, Alexis Alexanian (Pieces of April, Personal Velocity, Chelsea Walls); IFP program manager and producer, Zach Mandinach; Academy Award-winning production sound mixer, Chris Newman (The Godfather, The Exorcist, Amadeus); writer/director, Gillian Robespierre (Landline, Obvious Child); Emmy award-nominated cinematographer, Fred Murphy (Hoosiers, The Dead, October Sky); Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker, Sam Pollard (Spike Lee Presents Mike Tyson, 4 Little Girls, When the Levees Broke); Academy Award-nominated screenwriter, Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York, Silence, The Age of Innocence); and director/cinematographer, Reed Morano (Meadowland, Frozen River, The Handmaid’s Tale).
The Dusty Awards will be presented to over 15 film and animation thesis students (out of 100-plus graduates this semester) in recognition of achievement in directing, screenwriting, editing, cinematography, documentary, animated film, character animation, and animation production design. As previously announced, the 2017 Outstanding Alumni Awards will go to Titmouse animation studio co-founders Shannon and Chris Prynoski, and Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino (Up).
“The Dustys and the award ceremony have become one of the top student film festivals in the country,” said Lehmann. Flocco added, “Year after year, the event brings attention to remarkable work by SVA students, and proves to be a launch pad for many who go on to Hollywood and beyond.”
The 2017 festival sponsors include AbelCine, ARC-Adorama Rental Co, Animation Magazine, B&H Photo, Bryan Singer-Bad Hat Harry, Carlos Saldanha-BottleCap Productions, Foto Care, Gotham Sound, IFP, KitSplit, New York Women in Film & Television, Nice Shoes, Nickelodeon, Radical Media, Randall Emmett-Emmet/Furla/Oasis Films, Rota6, SCS Agency, Inc., SVA Campus Store, Technicolor PostWorks New York and Toon Boom Animation. 100% of the sponsors’ donations directly benefit the film and animation thesis students through grants and in-kind awards.
