The PLATFORM International Animation Festival will launch in June2007 seeking to make its mark as the first major North American festivaldedicated to the genre.

Set to run from in Portland, Oregon, from Jun 25-30 2007, theevent will feature competition screenings, installations, workshops, networkingopportunities, and exhibitions. Cartoon Network is the sole sponsor.

The international competition offering more than $50,000 in prizesis open to films under 40 minutes (with no minimum running time) and there isno entry fee. Eligible films must have premiered after Jan 1, 2005 and the entrydeadline is mar 1, 2007.

"This is an important period for animation because the rapidgrowth of technology changes the possibilities of our craft every day,"festival founder and director Irene Kotlarz said.

"We want animators to be able to find new answers and newopportunities with the best in the industry. Whether the animated submissionsare created for theatres, cell phones or for the sides of buildings, if it isbrilliant and innovative, we want to show it."

"In all the talk about this new platform and that newplatform, no-one is really talking about what makes good content for theseareas, or how to grow a generation of creators for these platforms,"Michael Ouweleen, Cartoon Network's senior vice president of programming anddevelopment, said.

"PLATFORM will serve as a special place where emergingartists and talents can learn, grow, be inspired and showcase their work."

For more information on the PLATFORM International AnimationFestival, log onto www.platformfestival.com