Philippine International Cartoon Comics and Animation to be held on 15th-18th Oct 09

The Philippine International Cartoon Comics and Animation Inc, (PICCA) is all set to take place on 15th – 18th October 09 in Pasig, Philippines. PICCA is a new non-profit and non stock corporation and proponents of the event are the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas and the Creative Media Professionals Guild of Asia Pacific.

The event is meant to enliven the comics and animation scenes in the Philippines and to serve as the converging forum of creators and producers of these forms. It aims to complement the activities and mission of the AYACC in China to spur further growth in Asia Pacific.

PICCA will have exhibits, contests, talks, workshops, animation showings, and tributes to comic creators.

Speaking to Animation Xpress Asia Pacific about the main objective of PICCA, Hugo D. Yonzon Festival Director PICCA said, “There are two objectives of PICCA. Firstly, it aims to be the international forum in the Philippines for artists, enthusiasts, producers, and entrepreneurs in comic, cartooning, and animation. Secondly, it will serve to orient young Filipinos about the strong tradition of the Philippines in comics and cartoons. Perhaps, to even regain the reputation and competitive edge of the Filipinos in this art form and industry.”

The presenter of the PICCA Fest is Mango Comics. Some of the co-operators are SM Malls, the Intellectual Property Office, the Development Academy of the Philippines, and the National Press Club. Supporters/Sponsors of the event are Epson Philippines, MicroCadd, Jack TV, Seventoons, and Cream.

PICCA main allies are the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas(SKP), a sturdy association of cartoonists from practically all the newspapers in Metro Manila. SKP has been around for more than 30 years. Another one is Creative Media Professionals Guild of Asia and the Pacific, a group of multi-media professionals in the fields of television, movies, newspaper, public relations, advertising, and so forth. It runs an annual workshop for media practitioners.

Dr. John Lent would attend the event and he will talk about the trends of comics worldwide. Mr Liuyi Wang of AYACC/APACA has been invited to talk about the mission and vision of his endeavor on making Asia Pacific a powerhouse in animation.

Day 1: 15th October
The Contest Exhibits opens on October 15 at the SM Mega Mall, one of the big malls in Metro Manila. The Contest Exhibits will feature the choice entries in two contests: The Larry Alcala Cartoon Comics Awards and the Hugo Yonzon Jr. Caricature Awards. These contests are open to secondary or high school and to college students only. There will also be a comics drawing workshop for kids in the same venue.

The talks on Comics and Cartoons in the afternoon will be held at Powerbooks, a book and music store. Topics are The Ins and Outs in Comics Publishing, Editorial Cartooning in Singapore and Australia.

At 5 pm, The opening of Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas (SKP) and Friends cartoon exhibit at a neighboring mall, The Podium. On the same occasion, the SKP Color Folio book will be launched. This will immediately be followed by the Parangal Sa Mga Tagapaglikha ng Komiks (Tribute to Comics Creators), a formal achievement recognition rite to be given by peers to peers in the comics and cartoon profession.

Day 2: 16th October
In the morning, the Filipino feature length films Urduja, and Dayo at the Poveda College. Work in progress like Fly Aswang will be shown. Now being arranged are showings of animation from Canada, India, and China.

In the afternoon there will be Policy talks on Comics and Animation to be held at the Development Academy of the Philippines. Topics and speakers are: The Promotion and Protection of Intellectual Properties with IPO Director General Che Cristobal, The Trend of Comics Around the World by Dr. John Lent, The Role of China in Animation in Asia and the Pacific by Liuyi Wang.

"The First One Hundred Years of Comics and Cartoons in the Philippines" written by John Lent and published by GPY Artprints will be launched at Powerbooks, SM Megamall. The book will recall the strong tradition of the Philippines in political cartoons and in sequential arts.

Day 3: 17th October
The exhibits will continue.
Special guests and members of the SKP and several comics creators will motor to Tagaytay to have a special lunch and engage in caricature session. In the evening, they will be joined by other friends in a Fellowship Night in Makati.

Day 4: 18th October
PICCA will co-present the Komikon or Comics Convention at SM MegaTrade Hall. It will run a huge booth together with all its sponsors and supporters.