Masters of Ceremony Claire Mongrain and Cole Halenda took the stage for the 2^nd consecutive year, hosting a record number of screenings and providing some hilarious shenanigans during the animated raffle.

Well over 100 entries from 170 students at 26 high schools were entered and the quality of the work was excellent! Jacob Whyte of Fenelon Falls S.S. became the fest’s first two-time 1^st Place winner, thrilling the audience with his 2D Narrative Whiteout which followed last year’s winner Lost.

And for the first time we received international entries from Connecticut in the USA and Portugal. The Public Service Announcement category was introduced for the first time with quite a few entries while the 3D and 2D Classical categories saw the most increase in entries. A number of really good interactive games were sent as well which created quite a buzz while on display for playing in the lobby.

Guest speaker Jake Fullerton, animator at Starz Animation in Toronto and graduate of both Cawthra Park S.S. as well as Sheridan Institute of Technology’s renowned animation program, shared his passion for animation and several insights into what it took to complete his journey from a hobbyist as a high school student all the way to professional animator.

Short reels from Max the Mutt Animation School, Sheridan Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, St.Clair College and Graphiti Animation School of Mumbai, India were shown as examples of post-secondary animation work.