ASIFA Magazine — December 2021
Rising to the Challenge: How the OIAF Adapted for its 2020 Online Pandemic Edition

Early in 2020, the novel coronavirus reared its ugly head and life as we knew it sputtered to a halt. Amid overcrowded hospitals and rising infection rates — and with no vaccine yet in sight — we sheltered at home and maintained social distance as best as we could. However long it would last, this was the new normal. Yet, art prevails. Musicians streamed performances online. Museums created virtual experiences that opened their doors to countless new patrons. And animation festivals all around the world scrambled to bring their 2020 editions online as well, developing ad hoc solutions cobbled together from a bewildering range of nascent tools seemingly dependent upon the whims of local internet providers.

Traditionally held in September, the Ottawa International Animation Festival (OIAF) takes place later in the year than many other festivals, which gave it a distinct advantage when it came to planning for an unforeseen pandemic. Led by managing director Kelly Neall, artistic director Chris Robinson, director of industry programming Azarin Sohrabkhani and director of film operations Keltie Duncan, OIAF is the largest event of its kind in North America. The annual Oscar-qualifying festival is known for bringing together a diverse community of international filmmaking talents, industry professionals, students and fans for an annual event that is as intimate as it is eclectic. (Read full story…)