ASIFA is turning 50 this year and has kicked off a yearlong party to celebrate it.
The organization, established in France in 1960 as the Association Internationale du Films d’Animation, will host as part of its festivities as International Animation Day in October that will be celebrated in 30 nations and the publication of a hardbound anniversary book.
‘I am so proud to be a part of ASIFA during this major milestone,’ says Nelson Shin, the group’s current president. ‘It is a pleasure for me to be able to serve this organization that has contributed so much to the animation industry worldwide. I look forward to watching it continue to grow and give back even more to its members and the public in its next 50 years.’
ASIFA runs several self-sustaining programs such as the Animation Workshop Group and International Animation Day. The current workshop group project, which allows children in over 30 different workshops around the globe to collaborate on an animated film with the leadership of a professional ASIFA animator, will center on themes celebrating ASIFA’s 50th anniversary. International Animation Day will also focus on the anniversary during the week of Oct. 28 as well as commemorate the first public performance of Emile Reynaud’s Theater Optique in Paris in 1892.
ASIFA is the only international nonprofit organization for animation art in the world. The group has more than 6,000 members in 58 countries on all continents. Though most members are associated with 32 national chapters.
For more information about ASIFA and membership opportunities, please visit: www.asifa.net
