Hugh Hancock steps down from AMAS board

Though most posts here are about Machinima in general, Thinking Machinima is also the official AMAS blog and requires me to make official AMAS postings from time-to-time. Today's posting is one - confirming Hugh Hancock's decision to step down as an AMAS board member.

The AMAS board has released a statement in regards to this event:

"As Hugh Hancock announced on the Strange Company blog, he has stepped down from the AMAS board. Since helping to co-found the Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences in 2002, Hugh was an invaluable board member of the Academy. His contributions put the word "Machinima" into the cultural lexicon and helped shape the AMAS Machinima Festival to what it is today. We respect Hugh's decision to focus on his filmmaking and other areas of interest and wish him all the best in his future endeavours."

MachinExpo Announces a Call for Entries!

Continuing the "Machinima is growing" theme: Our good friends over at the Machiniplex are organizing this year's MachinExpo - which takes place November 7th-9th, during the Festival Arcadia in Montreal, Canada.

The event, which will include Machinima workshops, panels and screenings, is in its 2nd year at the Festival Arcadia - a large videogame cultural center point in Canada. The Expo is seeking submissions to the screen at the event, and will select 5 entries for the Expo's Jury award, with a 6th award being given to one outstanding work of Canadian origin.

The full announce is below. The deadline is Oct. 6th, 2008, so between the Machinima Fest 2008 and the MachinExpo, you better put a move on it.

International Machinima Expo Call For Entries
July 29, 2008

The International Machinima Expo (MachinExpo) is now accepting submissions for its 1st annual showcase which will feature the best work by emerging and established machinima directors. Part of Festival Arcadia in Montreal, Quebec, the event takes place from November 7-9, 2008 at Place Bonaventure in downtown Montreal before an audience expected to exceed 20,000.

Sponsored in part by Machiniplex.com, the expo is organized by Ingrid Moon of The Machinima Roadshow as well as three other veteran machinima producers: Ricky Grove, Damien Valentine, and Phil Rice.

MachinExpo will feature workshops, panel discussions, live film premieres, and several hours of screening of machinima films from all around the world. A jury of professionals from the entertainment and video game industries will select five (5) films for a Jury Prize, with a special 6th film awarded a Special Jury Prize honoring one exceptional Canadian machinima film. There are no category / genre restrictions on submissions, and there is no entry fee. Deadline for submissions is October 6, 2008.

For more information, including submission guidelines and instructions, please visit www.machinima-expo.com, or contact expo2008@machiniplex.net.

Good luck everyone!

2008 Machinima Fest now accepting submissions!

This year's Machinima Festival (taking place at Eyebeam in NYC, November 1st), has begun accepting submissions for this year's Mackies! If you havent submitted your Machinima work to this fest before, then by all means, hop to it and submit! You only have until September 12th!

Good luck to all the entrants!!!