Returning to Newcastle for it’s fifth year, the Newcastle International Animation Festival (NIAF) will showcase over 80 of the best recently released, historical and retrospective animation pieces from around the world!

Across the three day animation feast, be inspired by an eclectic line-up of animation from award winners, outstanding industry veterans, inspiring independents, stupendous studios, and newcomers exploring their talent on screen for the very first time.

This year's Opening Night will present the Australian Showcase, a collection of Aussie animation, screened alongside talks from industry special guests who will share their journeys as storytellers. The speaker line up will include:

Award winning Writer, Director and Animator Alex Weight (‘Prank’, ‘Blinky Bill: The Movie’, ‘Happy Feet’)

Animation Supervisor and Storyboard Artist Simon Ashton (‘Peter Rabbit’, ‘The Lego Movie’, ‘The Jungle Book 2’)

The night will wrap up with a Q&A session with these industry insiders. A must-see for inspiring animators!