The following is a press release on the Animex Student Animation Awards special public choice award, in which everyone is invited to cast a vote:

The Animex Student Animation Awards once again attracted more than 400 entries from around the world and the winners were announced by Shelley Page, European Representative for Feature Animation DreamWorks on Friday 10th February 2006 with one important exception – the award chosen by the public.

Justin Greetham, Senior Lecturer in Visualisation and organiser of the Animex International Student Animation Award, said:

“We are extremely fortunate to call upon the expertise of a finalist judging panel that consisted of representatives from established studios such as Aardman Animation, Dreamworks, Sony ImageWorks and Studio AKA. The aim of Audience Award on the other hand is to give the general public an opportunity to vote for their favourite animation. I would encourage anyone with an interest in computer animation or computer games to take part in this unique scheme.”

If you would like to take part in the Audience Award then visit www.animex.net/audience and vote for your favourite animation. Voting closes July 1st. The recipient of the Animex Audience Award will be announced shortly afterwards.

ENDS/Animex Audience Award

For further information: Please contact Mark Malik, Press & Public Relations, University of Teesside on 01642 342015, fax 01642 342930, e-mail: pr@tees.ac.uk or Justin Greetham, Head of Animex Awards on Tel 01642 342692, e-mail: awards@animex.net

EXTRA INFO :

Xavier Aliot from France won the 3D Character Animation award and was named runner up in the 3D computer animation award at this year’s Animex festival for his film Exit. He said:

“I really want to thank you all for giving us these two awards. When I saw the results, I swear, I thought my heart wanted to get outside of my body, and I’m sure it’s the same for my friends! It’s so amazing and great for little French students like us to win a prize in Animex in England!

“That means you recognised the quality of our work and that means all our teachers, family and friends were right to push us on this way, the way of our dreams! This is our second participation in Animex and we were so glad to be participant and screened in such a big festival! It is a great honour and we really want to thank you all and the whole Animex staff for give us the chance to be seen by thousands of people.”

To see Exit together with some of the other films currently being considered in this year’s Audience Awards visit www.animex.net/audience before the 1st of July 2006. A listing of the winners and runners up in this year’s awards can be found at: http://animex.scm.tees.ac.uk/press/AnimexAwards06/Press/AnimexAwards06_winners.pdf