• Cartoon and Animation Studies
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• s.49
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• pp.611-631
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• 2017

At first there was practice, then festivals and theory followed. Compared to the animation production, which is older then the medium film itself, festivals and theory in this area started with a delay. While animation programs where shown in film festivals like Cannes since the mid 1940s, the first animation festival in Annecy, France was founded in 1960, followed by several short-lived events in Romania, Italy and Tokyo and finally in 1972 by the second oldest festival up to date, Animafest Zagreb. Animation theory evolved in the late 1980s in the Anglo-American area with associations like the Society for Animation Studies, following its 'big sister' film studies. Expanding ever since as a research area, European animation studies in e.g. France, German speaking countries, Poland or Croatia have been catching up in recent years by organizing theoretical conferences and publications. A vivid synergy between practice, festivals and theory has always been a key factor for establishing a platform for the art form and culture of animation. However, in the past few years a trend could be observed towards a more intense interaction between animation festivals and theory. Animation festivals are hosting theoretical and scientific symposia or conferences, which are open for artist positions and insights into the industry. At the beginning of the lecture a short reflection of the concept of Animafest Scanner itself is followed by an introduction of the Symposium Expanded Animation at the media festival Ars Electronica Linz. The talk will subsequently focus on the multilayered academic symposia at the Festival of Animated Film ITFS and the International Conference on Animation, Effects, VR, Games and Transmedia in Stuttgart. These case studies will reveal the blurring boundaries between art, science, theory and industry as well as the specificities of the interplay between artists, practitioners, scholars, curators and festival visitors in different formats.