Honouring Art And Artists Of Animation

New Delhi: International Animation Day is observed on October 28 every year across the world to honour the artists, who inspire people through their animations.

In celebration of International Animation Day, Toonz Academy wrote on social media X, “International Animation Day (IDA) celebrates with Toonz Animation on October 28th, Monday. Stay tuned for some exciting announcements and exclusive opportunities. You don’t want to miss out on this special occasion. Let’s bring this magic of animation to life.”

Sharing similar feelings, IDE Corp posted on X, “It is International Artist Day, a day to celebrate artists, who inspire us through creativity and expression. Inspire the next generation of artists with a Culture of Creativity.”

History

According to Association Internationale du Film d’Animation International Animated Film Association (ASIFA) website, ASIFA announced the International Animation Day (IAD) in 2002, honouring the birth of animation, recognised as the first public performance of projected moving images: Emile Reynaud’s Theatre Optique in Paris, on the 28th October 1892.

International Animation Day Celebrations

ASIFA and other institutions dedicated to animation are invited to join the promotion of suitable projects for IAD celebrations like screenings, workshops, conferences and exhibitions.

Animation Sector in India

The animation sector in India is experiencing phenomenal growth, fuelled by rising demand for films, visual effects (VFX), gaming animation and captivating content for mobile platforms. This translates into exciting opportunities for talented and passionate animators. The animation industry in India is booming, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting earlier said.

Indian Animation journey

The journey of Indian animation started with the government setting up the Cartoon Films Unit in 1955 in the Film Division Complex in Mumbai. In subsequent decades, Ram Mohan produced various award-winning films, including Banyan Deer, the first Animation telefilm. Ram Mohan (August 26, 1931–October 11, 2019) was an Indian animator, title designer and design educator, who was also known as the father of Indian Animation. He was a veteran in the Indian animation industry, who started his career at the Cartoon Films Unit, Films Division of India, Government of India in 1956

Similarly, Bhim Sen and VB Samant were other prominent filmmakers of that era. The Indian Animation Industry took a big leap in 1992 with the creation of the cartoon character ‘Meena’ and her parrot ‘Mithoo’. It was done under the auspices of UNESCO to sensitise the masses towards female infanticide. Later, Meena’s character inspired the creation of another character Sana, in the African context. Another landmark animation movie of that period ‘Ramayan’ was co-produced with Japan’s help. Ram Mohan’s contributions in both movies were immense, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry earlier said.