**Summary of Key Points:**
* Skybound Entertainment, a multi-platform entertainment company, will revitalize the legendary Spike & Mike’s animated film festivals.
* Submissions for short films from creators are open from today across North America.
* Animators, universities, and educational institutions from all over are encouraged to participate.
A Reanimated Festival: Spike & Mike Back from the Drawing Board
Sky’s not the limit: Skybound Entertainment Breaths New Life into Spike & Mike’s Festival
From the Garage to the Grand Stage: Unleashing Creativity in North America
As far as I’m concerned, the reanimation of Spike & Mike’s festival by Skybound Entertainment is like someone popping open a forgotten, cherished photo album from your youth. The refreshing move is no less than a Time-Turner zapping us back to the golden era of animation festivals. Instead of chasing after the Afflecks, the Damons and the Hemsworths of the world, we’re now eager to watch the imaginative contributions from colleges and animation enthusiasts.
My hot take on this? The animation landscape needed a defibrillator and Skybound, in a stroke of genius, stepped in with a dose of Spike & Mike. Animate, they must. We’ll be waiting with a tub of popcorn in lap, curiosity in our eyes, and a bizarre fascination for yet-to-be-framed wacky worldviews. The renaissance of Spike & Mike’s is not just a reboot – it’s the triumphant return of the magic lamp ready to unleash a thousand and one nights (or more!) of animated enchantment!
Exciting news for both die-hard cartoon lovers and innovative storytellers! Skybound Entertainment, the multi-dimensional entertainment company known for its creator-led initiatives, is ready to reboot the legendary Spike & Mike’s Animation Film Festivals.
Starting today, they’re accepting entries of short films from creators all over North America. In addition, global institutions, organizations or animators who possess a portfolio of creative shorts can submit their original productions. These could be included in the freshly conceptualized Skybound Presents: Spike & Mike’s animation collection. Submissions will be accepted freely for a period of 60 days, commencing November 4, 2023 and culminating on January 3, 2024.
While the festival’s partnership details remain in the works, anticipations are high for project grants, content purchases, and potential development opportunities.
Co-founder, Rick Jacobs of Linear Content, Skybound Entertainment believes that, “Integrating this iconic brand into the Skybound portfolio provides an unmissable chance to echo Spike & Mike’s rebellious roots to the audience while expanding upon our existing adult animation operations.”
Here are some key highlight plans for the festival revival:
- Animation Festival Reboot: The Spike & Mike animation event will be relaunched, opening doors to creators worldwide to contribute to its unique, unorthodox style.
- Digital Content Distribution: A selection of animated shorts will be made available on online platforms to enhance accessibility while maintaining the festival’s distinctive, rebellious roots.
- New Collaborations: The festival will seek partnerships with contemporary animation creators across various mediums to showcase current talent.
- Library Revamp: The festival will explore opportunities to either rejuvenate iconic past stories or develop new narratives influenced by its existing library.
Diving Deeper into the Festival’s Resurgence
The festival, which originated in the late 1970s, has been a stellar platform for pioneering, audacious, and highly entertaining animated shorts. Notably, it has served as a launchpad for some of the industry’s most revered creatives, including Pete Doctor (CCO, Pixar; Monsters, Inc., Up), Mike Judge (Beavis & Butt-Head), and Nick Park (Wallace and Gromit).
Festival co-founder Craig “Spike” Decker, is enthusiastic about the partnership and adds, “I appreciate Skybound’s understanding and reverence for what the Spike & Mike brand has achieved, and anticipate a lot from this new chapter.”
For more information about Skybound Presents: Spike & Mike’s, visit www.spikeandmikefest.com
Original article: https://www.skwigly.co.uk/spike-mikes-festival-of-animation-to-be-relaunched-by-skybound-entertainment/