GLAS Animation Festival Kicks Off With Loaded Competition Sections, Distinguished Speaker Lineup

Cyriak Harris, Cristóbal León, Joaquín Cociña, Tomek Popakul, Lucrèce Andreae, and Takeshi Murata feature as guest speakers for the 2022 GLAS Animation Festival, available to stream April 6-10.

Now hosting its seventh edition, this year’s festival boasts an impressive lineup of speakers, retrospectives and short films which will be available to stream on the event’s website. After canceling its in-person event two years ago and going digital last year, the festival remains entirely online in 2022.

GLAS has always managed to pull big-name talent for its retrospectives and Q&As, and this year is no exception. The speakers include British surrealist animator Cyriak Harris, Chilean duo Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña (La Casa Lobo, Los Huesos), Lucrèce Andreae (Grandpa Walrus), Tomek Popakul (Acid Rain), and Takeshi Murata (OM Rider, Monster Movie). GLAS Q&As rollout over the next several days, but each will be available until May 1, streamable worldwide.

This year’s official selection features 32 short films from around the world. The films were divided into five, 65-minute collections, each accompanied by an hour-long Q&A. GLAS is also hosting a pair of international showcases, a U.S. competition, and a family competition, each moderated and accompanied by Q&As of their own.

The sections can be streamed by the public for US$8 each, but interested viewers outside the U.S. should read the fine print before ordering – or get a good vpn – as several of the sections are geo-blocked to the U.S. For more inclusive accreditation, pro passes are available for $50 and student passes for $25, both of which include access to all screenings, panels, workshops, talks, and networking events.

In addition to short film sections, Justin Tomchuk’s feature Interface will also appear in this year’s program, available to stream individually or with the pro and student passes. Known online as “umami,” Tomchuk pieced together 90 minutes of his popular Youtube shorts to create Interface.

GLAS is also hosting the premiere of Hellavision Television Network Episode: Synergy on April 9 at 7pm PST with a digital “in person” screening through vr chat, which will also livestream on Twitch. Other important events at this year’s festival include career development presentations on finding work in the industry and pitching projects.

The full 2022 GLAS Animation Festival program is available at the festival website.

Pictured above, left to right: Tomek Popakul’s “Acid Rain,” Cristóbal León and Joaquín Cociña’s “Los Huesos,” and Lucrèce Andreae’s “Grandpa Walrus.”