Supernova Digital Animation Festival

SUPERNOVA 2018 - Reality BYTES!

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 returns 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. This year's festival boasts an expanded lineup of screens, including the engagement of a new split-screen in the most prominent location in downtown Denver, and exciting program activities slated to energize the city in the fall of 2018. It's an experience not to be missed!

- Over $5,000 in cash prizes, including $2,000 Best Animation Award
- Jurors: Max Hattler (Hong Kong), Katie Torn (NYC), Robert Seidel (Berlin)
- Early reduced entry fee deadline: May 15, 2018
- Final entry deadline: July 15, 2018
- View the Supernova CFE promotion at https://vimeo.com/256664837
- View scenes from SUPERNOVA 2017 on VIMEO at https://vimeo.com/249748688

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. The new split-screen located at 16th and Arapahoe will be utilized for an international invitational program we are initiating for 2018, as well as a Colorado-only student competition, both featuring cash-prize awards.

Supernova's three invited Jurors for 2018 are another "dream-team" for the festival. Max Hattler (Hong Kong), Katie Torn (New York City) and Robert Seidel (Berlin, Germany) will be joining us in Denver to determine three significant cash prize awards and also participate in a variety of auxiliary events including art exhibitions, our singular day-long education forum, and other performance related happenings. 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 includes up to ten hours of continuous film screenings consisting of curated, short-form digital content presented on our infrastructure of LED screens, all sorted into various genres including but not limited to narrative, abstract, student shorts, experimental, long-form and music video. SUPERNOVA's solo artist spotlight for 2018 is Jack Wedge, our 2017 second prize winner, we are thrilled to present a wide assortment of this young artists work to the public for the first time anywhere. The festival will also be presenting Lawrence Lek's recent CGI masterpiece "Geomancer" this year as part of our long-form programming. Additional surprises include Max Hattler's curated program of student work from Hong Kong, and some special indoor artist showcases taking place at the Sie Film Center hosted by the Denver Film Society.

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

View our short reel of live footage from last year's festival screenings on our vimeo page at https://vimeo.com/249748688

Supernova will once again host a special all-day educational forum featuring juror presentations, field-related discussions and small-screen art engagement throughout day at the Auraria Campus Library on their Discovery screen. This is a limited attendance, rsvp requested event.

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.

Keep informed about updates to the festival via our Facebook page. We anticipate many announcements in the coming months that correspond with the festival including auxiliary programming that takes our initiative into various realms, both public and private.