Supernova Digital Animation Festival

SUPERNOVA 2018 - Reality BYTES!

View our 32 minute documentary collage on vimeo, representing the full scope of our initiative in 2018:

https://vimeo.com/296963449

Supernova is the only major festival to focus solely on the latest advances in digital animation as art, presented free to the public on large-scale LED screens in the heart of Denver, Colorado, one of the fastest growing cities currently in the US. The festival returned for the third year to the Denver Theatre District with the tagline REALITY BYTES! as a sign of current times and a playful assessment of digital culture today. The festival boasted an expanded lineup of screens, including the engagement of a new split-screen in the most prominent location in downtown Denver supporting an Invitation only competition as well as the inaugural Colorado Student Animation Competition. An entire slate of auxiliary exhibitions and programs in some of the most prestigious venues around Denver elevated the festival this year and energized the city deep into the fall of 2018. It was an exceptional experience and one of the most unique settings for screening motion-based art in the world. Find out more about all the unique opportunities from the festival at supernovadenver.com

The core of Supernova is our competition showcase, presented simultaneously on our most prominent wide-screen LED at the corner of 14th and Champa as well as a temporary LED screen installed within the Denver Performing Arts Complex grand open-air Galleria, complete with seating and an outdoor bar.

Supernova's three invited Jurors for 2018 initially consisted of Max Hattler (Hong Kong), Katie Torn (New York City) and Robert Seidel (Berlin, Germany), though Max could not make it last minute due to last minute issues in receiving his ESTA to travel to the US. He was replaced by Denver based curator Rick Dailey, who is the Director of the Phillip J. Steele Gallery at the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design. The three jurors determined the significant cash prize awards, with Torn and Seidel also participating in our singular day-long education forum. Jurors are chosen for their prestige within digital media on an international level as well as their involvement with our programming and festival in previous years.

The festival included ten hours of continuous animation screenings consisting of curated, short-form digital content presented on our infrastructure of LED screens, covering a variety of genres. SUPERNOVA's annual solo artist spotlight for 2018 was focused on Jack Wedge, our 2017 second prize winner. The festival also presented Lawrence Lek's recent CGI masterpiece "Geomancer" this year as part of our long-form programming. Though unable to be with us, Max Hattler contributed a very special curated program of student work from Hong Kong.

Supernova financial partners include the Denver Theatre District, Arts and Venues Denver and Bonfils-Stanton Foundation. Additional Supernova sponsors for 2018 included Meow Wolf, Understudy, CU Denver CAM, Museum of Outdoor Arts, Colorado Office of Film Television & Media, Orange Barrel Media, Branded Cities, and Weeden Law. Community affiliations and collaborations in 2018 included MCA Denver, Redline, Denver Film Society, CU Boulder Sonic Arts, Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design, NXT STG Collaborative, Emmanuel Gallery at CU Denver, Cricket Cinema and Crush Walls. SUPERNOVA also supported the summer-long exhibition “Pixelated” at Denver Botanic Gardens.

Trailers and other resources referencing the 2018 festival can be found on vimeo at: https://vimeo.com/denverdigerati

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Supernova utilizes a robust network developed over six years of unique programming by host Denver Digerati that has brought advances in digital animation and motion art to a network of public LED screens situated in Denver’s downtown core as a new public art viewing experience. The program promotes the dynamic, rapidly advancing impact technology is having in art throughout the world today in an exciting and radically innovative context. Supernova is the future of public art.

Colorado is widely hailed for the state’s natural beauty and a great variety of outdoor sports. The city of Denver, however, is one of the highest growth metropolitan centers in the United States and the perfect arena for presenting this cutting edge experience. Denver is the only city to utilize LED screens for the greater good with a festival that celebrates a rapidly growing art form that is international in scope and caliber, making Supernova the city's most singular and innovative project to date.

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