PIXAR, SONY PICTURES & LUCASFILM HOSTING 'STUDIO NIGHTS'

LOS ANGELES - As part of the expanded format of the Computer Animation Festival, SIGGRAPH 2008 is featuring three all-star "Production Studio Nights," hosted by Pixar Animation Studios, Sony Pictures Imageworks and Lucasfilm. Each studio will host evening events at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre.

Pixar Animation Studios will host an event on Tuesday, between 8pm and 11pm. A screening of The Man Who Planted Trees will be presented, followed by a conversation with Frédéric Back and John Lasseter. Lasseter has been redefining the animation industry for more than 20 years with his work. Back is a two-time Academy Award winner for Crac and The Man Who Planted Trees. He joins Lasseter for a rare conversation about the passions to which he has committed his life: animation, art, and the environment.

A screening of The Pixar Story, with an introduction and Q&A by director Leslie Iwerks and friends, will also take place. The presentation takes an in-depth look behind the scenes at the company that pioneered a new generation of animation. Never-before-seen footage from the Pixar library will be shown, along with historic archival animation, all accompanied by first-hand accounts from animators, studio executives, directors, producers and voice performers.

Sony Pictures Imageworks, in conjunction with Stan Winston Studios, is hosting the Wednesday event at 8pm, and will look at the work of the late Stan Winston, who is known for his makeup, latex and animatronic effects work. A special clip reel, created by Digital Domain, of which Winston used to be part owner, will be shown, and the evening will close with a screening of Terminator 2.

And on Thursday, at 8pm, Lucasfilm will present an advance screening of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the much-anticipated animated feature from director Dave Filoni and executive producer George Lucas. The event, hosted by ILM VFX supervisor John Knoll, begins with a discussion of the film's unique design and signature style.

The Computer Animation Festival (www.siggraph.org/s2008/attendees/caf) is open to the public, with day passes available for $50.