Executives from Amazon, BBC, Disney, RTÉ and Nickelodeon, as well as Oscar-winning animator/director Patrick Osborne and acclaimed storyboard artist Christian de Vita, will be among the key industry professionals attending the fourth-annual Animation Dingle conference in Ireland this week from March 18 to 19.

Set on the most westerly peninsula of Europe, the conference brings industry participants and students together to celebrate best-in-class animated content from Ireland and around the world over two full days of panels, screenings, workshops and the 2016 Student Animation Awards.

Operated in partnership by Dublin’s JAM Media and Dingle International Film Festival, Animation Dingle will present keynote speeches by Amazon Studios’ head of kids programming Tara Sorensen and Disney Channels UK & Ireland’s GM David Levine.

Activities will include five-minute speed pitching sessions, a sketch day trail partnering mentors from JAM Media (Chris Dicker, Borja Espana Guillot and Rafa Diaz Canales) with up-and-coming artists, a masterclass from Patrick Osborne (Paperman, Feast) and a special presentation by French animation artist Tevy Dubray (Rasmey).

Other notable participants are Paul Cummins (Telegael), Deirdre Barry (Salty Dog), Paul Young (Cartoon Saloon), Lucy Pryke (CBBC), Cecile Blondel (Gobelins) and Alexi Wheeler (Nickelodeon).

On the awards side, the Murukami Award will be presented this year to Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, who were instrumental in helping Ireland to become a leading producer of world-class animation through their work in the ’80s and ’90s on features such as An American Tale and The Land Before Time.

For this year’s student awards, prizes, including high-end animation software, will be given out across 14 categories.

In total, the festival will screen more than 120 shorts and features.

Key funding for Animation Dingle is provided by JAM Media, the Irish Film Board, Enterprise Ireland, The Arts Council, BAI, Ealaín na Gaeltachta Teoranta, Failte Ireland, IDA Ireland, Screen Training Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta and The French Embassy in Ireland.

Additional backers include ToonBoom, TVPaint, Animation Ireland, Ethiopian Airways, Final Draft and Animation Skillnet.

More information can be found at www.animationdingle.com.