14 July 2016 / #OIAF OIAF announces selection for animated shorts competition_ (press release) _ OTTAWA (July 13, 2016) - The Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF), North America’s leading animation film festival, is pleased to announce its official selection for the 40thAnniversary. This year’s collection of competition and showcase films is not only diverse and far-reaching, but also includes two strong entries from local filmmakers!“While we are first and foremost an international event that celebrates animation from around the globe, it’s obviously thrilling when we can involve local talent in our programming each year,” says Chris Robinson, Artistic Director at OIAF. “Hopefully the continued success of Ottawa animators at the festival will inspire even more aspiring local artists to try their hand at animation.”Dave Cooper, who designed the OIAF Festival posters in 2001 and 2006, has teamed up with Norwegian director Rune Spaans to create ** _ The Absence of Eddy Table. _ ** Selected for the International Shorts Competition, the surreal, romantic, and at times nightmarish film features Cooper’s recurring character Eddy Table stumbling upon a mysterious girl and dangerous parasites while lost in a dark forest.“It’s always a thrill for me to participate at Ottawa, a festival that keeps me connected with so many of the relationships that my animation career is built on,” says Cooper. “I am super-eager to host Rune and his family here in Ottawa for the first time as we celebrate our inclusion. I can’t wait to screen _ Eddy _ for everybody! _ " _ Cooper is a designer and animator who has produced various award-winning graphic novels and released several books featuring his oil painting. More recently, he co-created and co-executive produced Nickelodeon’s animated series, _ Pig Goat Banana Cricket _ , and coming this fall _ The Bagel and Becky Show _ for Teletoon. Also appearing at the Festival this year is Chris Dainty and Noam Rabinovitch’s ** _ One Last Dream _ ** , produced by Ottawa animation company Dainty Productions, Inc. In a short where dreams collide with a staunch and brutal reality, the protagonist of _ One Last Dream _ is a factory farm pig who feels emotion and finds wonder in the natural world.An emerging director working out of Ottawa, _ One Last Dream _ is Rabinovitch’s second film, though as a screenwriter he has several short films to his credit. Dainty co-founded Dainty Productions, Inc. in 2006, and creates high end 2D animation for various notable companies, among them Nintendo, TVO and PBS. In the fledgling first year of the company, Dainty productions screened their first short at OIAF.“To have a short in again [10 years later] is fantastic,” Dainty says, “For my company, producing shorts is a tough business, but being featured in such a world renowned festival really helps put our team’s work in the spotlight.” In addition to these local entries, the 2016 festival will also include a record breaking number of Canadian features, competition shorts from across the country, and a diverse selection of films for Canadian Panorama and the Canadian Student Competition. All Canadian films in Panorama and Competition are eligible for the CFI Best Canadian Animation Award. Winners will be announced onSeptember 24, 2016at the OIAF Awards Ceremony.The Ottawa International Animation Festival runs fromSeptember 21 – 25and screens at various venues in Ottawa. Admission starts at $13 for the general public, or $9 for children, seniors, and members of the Canadian Film Institute. Tickets and Festival Passes are available online at animationfestival.ca .30 -ABOUT THE OIAFThe Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) is one of the world’s leading animation events providing screenings, exhibits, workshops and entertainment since 1976. OIAF is an annual five-day event bringing art and industry together in a vibrant hub and attracting more than 28,000 artists, producers, students and animation fans from around the world. This year’s OIAF runsSeptember 21 – 25, 2016. Visit the OIAF website at: www.animationfestival.ca .