Bengaluru, NFAPost: Karnataka IT&BT Minister Priyank M Kharge and Department of Karnataka IT&BT Department Secretary Ekroop Caur addressed the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming & Comics (AVGC) industry on Tuesday to officially kick off the sector’s leading conference & forum Bengaluru GAFX 2024, scheduled from 29-31 January 2024 at The Hotel Lalit Ashok.
GAFX, one of the globally renowned marquee events in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming & Comics (AVGC) industry was launched by the current government under the leadership Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka IT&BT Minister Priyank M Kharge in 2016.
Karnataka IT&BT Minister Priyank M Kharge expressed the state’s commitment to leadership in the AVGC sector.
“Karnataka, known for its pioneering AVGC policy and initiatives, aspires to become the global skilling epicenter for the AVGC community. Bengaluru GAFX serves as a crucial platform to share the state’s vision, promoting growth, development, and career pathways through incubators and accelerators,” said Karnataka IT&BT Minister Priyank M Kharge.
Karnataka was the first state to launch AVGC Policy in 2012, a visionary move then, giving boost to the sector, addressing the domestic and global need in AVGC. Today Karnataka holds a strong 20% share in Indian Media and Entertainment Industry, employing more than 15000 professionals with 300+ specialized AVGC-XR studios.
The state is home to many institutes dedicated to animation, visual effects, and gaming. These educational establishments make up a significant portion of India’s 139 institutes in these specialised fields, creating a fertile training ground for future industry leaders.
The state also has setup Digital Art Centers in 27 Fine Arts colleges catering to 600 students and 1 AVGC-XR Finishing School. These efforts of the government to create a robust ecosystem are commendable and are sure to pave way for future growth and investment in the state.
GAFX, conceptualised and organized by the Government of Karnataka in association with ABAI, has served as the leading platform in India over the last decade to position India & the Indian talent as the driving force of the global AVGC industry.
This edition of GAFX will see established & award-winning studios and leaders addressing the industry across panel discussions, showcases, policy deliberations, pitches to top studios, and live competitions.
GAFX2024 will be inaugurated by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in the august presence of Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
GAFX is one of the only events in the AVGC industry that sees the convergence of India and international synergy. This rendition of GAFX is poised to be the first of its kind. Studios and veterans from both the international and Indian studios will showcase some of the biggest and critically acclaimed titles through the event.
VFX:
This edition will see some leading Indian & international names in the world of visual effects. Some mind-blowing visual effects showcases from Hollywood that wowed audiences the world over will be presented at GAFX including the Oscar-winning Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, Antman & Wasp Quantamania, and The Fast & the Furious X.
As well as the Making of Blockbuster LEO’s Photoreal Hyena VFX by multiple-Oscar winning studio MPC’s Jateen Thakkar & Nimish N Shah, the Making of Jurassic World by Industrial Light and Magic, London and Srinivas Mohan- the VFX Supervisor for RRR. The rise of VFX content in the Indian regional landscape will be further underscored by showcases from Ghost, Jawan, Animal, PS2, Charlie 777 and Vikrant Rona.
Animation:
Cutting-edge animation presentations and showcase include the animation of Oscar-nominated movie Nimona by DNEG, Delivering Spectacular Animated Features from India by Oscar-nominated studio Mikros Animation, and Independent Global Animation Films by Assemblage, as well as How to secure your IP for Content Creators by Zebu Animation. Greengold Animation will present its unique work on the Making of Chhota Bheem Live Action movie.
Gaming:
Kalari Capital’s Vani Kola and Invest India CEO Nivruti Rai are slated to address the incredibly exciting gaming landscape of India in the session ‘Investor Speak – Strategies for Staying Relevant and Resilient in the Indian Gaming Startup Ecosystem.’
Leaders of the Gaming ecosystem Kris Gopalkrishnan- Chairman Axilor Ventures, Co-founder Infosys, President Infosys Science Foundation and Rajan Navani- Vice Chairman & Managing Director at JetLine Group of Companies; Founder & CEO JetSynthesys will address the gathering on The Indian Video Gaming and Esports Industry.
MPL, Nazara Technologies, Nodwin Games and Technicolor Games will present insightful panels and showcases on topics ranging from the ecosystem, technologies, talent and game art & animation.
Additionally, the Bengaluru GAFX B2B Forum is a unique platform, meticulously crafted to connect IP owners, developers, content creators, and production houses keen on producing innovative content. This event serves as an exclusive interface, drawing in selected international and national studios, producers, broadcasters, distributors, and financiers.
Leading industry names including Rajeshwari Roy- Associate Chief Producer & Head of Content – Animation, Digital & Broadcast Media at Ramoji Group, Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz- Creator of Nickelodeon’s hit international franchise Shimmer and Shine, and Mikros Animation’s Russell Tracy Jr. will be a part of the stellar industry lineup at this marketplace forum. Registration for the B2B Forum: Bengaluru GAFX India 2024
A spectrum of competitions has been planned to challenge the student and young professionals demographic, who form India’s workforce for tomorrow. Ranging from Traditional Clay Sculpting to Digital Sculpting, Traditional Painting to Digital Painting & 3D Character Animation, these contests have been designed especially by industry leaders to create a continual ecosystem and culture of progress, skilling, and mentorship in AVGC, India.
The Sketch Alley- one of the vividly popular attractions at GAFX will return this year. Four of Bengaluru’s premium experts will present themselves as art muses, enriching the experience with their storytelling and craft from their everyday life as flow artists, wellness expertise, martial arts practice, and modelling & acting skills. Registration for competitions: Bengaluru GAFX India 2024
With a record 4500 attendees per day last year, GAFX 2024 anticipates surpassing this achievement. The event will have 115 sessions with 130 speakers of which 22 are eminent international speakers coming 10 different countries.
The highlight of the event will be B2B meetings organized to facilitate growth of business in the state and especially the startups who will be provided an opportunity to pitch their ideas/product before the VC community. The event is organised with steering committee across all individual domains of VFX, Animation and Gaming. GAFX will also see the participation of AVGC trade associations from other states.
For additional details, visit: http://gafx.in/
