Animation is always a big deal at the Florida Film Festival, and this year we're adding something special. In addition to the usual Animated Shorts program in the American Independent Competition, the International Animated Shorts program, and the "extreme" titles that make their way into the Midnight Shorts, computer animation will be the subject of a just-confirmed new forum.

The beautiful and humorous FIRST FLIGHT, the first original character short from DreamWorks Animation studio, will be the subject of the panel to take place on Friday, March 30. Directors Cameron Hood and Kyle Jefferson--who between them have worked on such films as SHREK, SHARK TALE, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, SPIRIT: STALLION OF THE CIMARRON, SINBAD, and STUART LITTLE 2--will be in attendance to discuss the creative and technical process behind their stunning short about an uptight businessman who finds himself teaching a tiny bird how to fly. This should be a must-see for anyone interested in CG animation or who wants to learn about the passion needed to create a short film within the studio system, so mark your calendars.

--Matthew