One of Latin America’s top animation festivals, BitBang, kicks off on Monday featuring animation short films, conferences, and workshops. The event will be held throughout the week in nine venues across Buenos Aires, including the Gaumont Cinema, the San Martin Cultural Center, and Palacio Libertad (formerly Centro Cultural Kirchner), among others.

Created by animation director Bárbara Cerro, BitBang turns 10 this year. The festival was recently announced as an Academy Awards Qualifying Festival, meaning that the winners of the Bitbang official competition for “Best International Short Film” and “Best Latin American Short Film” will be automatically eligible to enter the Oscars’ Short Film competition.

“Being a qualifying festival for the Oscars is a huge recognition not only for the commitment of our team and the artistic vision we have cultivated at BitBang over the past decade but also for Latin American animation,” Cerro stated at the time.

“This achievement highlights the growth, creativity, and impact that our region has on the industry worldwide,” she added.

Prior BitBang festivals have welcomed renowned international artists like Koji Morimoto (Akira), Bill Plympton, and Don Hertzfeldt, among others. 

This year’s international guests include animation professionals like Benjy Brooke, an Emmy-winning director of HBO’s Scavengers Reign, who is about to premiere a series called Common Side Effects on Adult Swim. Brooke will give a conference on October 30 at the Sala Argentina of the Palacio Libertad. His works will play on October 29 at the Gaumont Cinema and on October 31 at the Auditorium of the Da Vinci School.

London-based illustrator Alex Gamsu Jenkins will give a free conference on his absurd and grotesque artistic style at the Da Vinci School on November 1.

Argentine audiovisual director Julia Conde — who works with artists such as Bizarrap, Emilia Mernes, Trueno, and Aitana — will also give a master class at the school on November 1, focusing on animation directing and the use of mixed techniques.

Last year’s winner at BigBang with his short film A Kind of Testament, French animation director, comic book author, and illustrator Stephen Vuillemin will give a conference at the Palacio Libertad on October 30th. A Kind of Testament will play at the Gaumont Cinema on October 29.

Stop motion artist and RatBat studio founder Max Winston (Uncle Grandpa, Spongebob Squarepants, Robot Chicken), who worked as a supervisor and producer for Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Disney, will give a conference at the Borges Cultural Center on November 2. His latest work, Looney Tunes’ first-ever stop-motion short film Daffy in Wackyland, will be screened at the Gaumont Cinema on October 29. Winston is brought to BitBang by Can Can Club animation studio, which will present a retrospective of their 15-year-old career.  

A special screening of works by all of BitBang’s international guests will be held on October 29 at the Gaumont Theater, followed by a Q&A session with the directors. The program also includes two surprise works in progress and a selection of local short films.

BitBang’s Closing Party will take place on November 1 at Deseo (Av. Chorrarín 1040), featuring live performances by Ibiza Pareo, E110101 (Dj Set), Varese (Live Set), Dan Oiuw (Live Set) together with Ana Hagen (DJ Set) and Charla (Dj Set). Tickets can be purchased online in venti.com.ar

The BitBang Festival’s program is available on its website.