TEHRAN – Iranian animated short movie “H2ope” will be screened at the 13th ACM SIGGRAPH Conference and Exhibition on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques in Asia.

SIGGRAPH – Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques – is an annual conference on computer graphics (CG) organized by ACM SIGGRAPH, starting in 1974.

The main conference is held in North America and the SIGGRAPH Asia, a second conference held annually, has been held since 2008 in countries throughout Asia.

South Korea is hosting this year’s SIGGRAPH Asia, which opened on Friday and will run online until December 14.

The 3D movie “H2ope” on the water crisis has been produced at Hoorakhsh Studio, an animation and game studio in Tehran.

The movie tells the story of a student who, one day, asks around the class for water. However, none is left. Questions hence arise among his classmates about what would happen if the water runs out? 

This story is purely experimental and illustrated according to children’s point of view about thirst and the water shortage.

Ashkan Rahgozar, director of the acclaimed animated feature “The Last Fiction”, co-directed “H2ope” with Negin Khajei.

Animations from Australia, China, Taiwan, Russia, Japan  and several other countries have been selected to be screened along with “H2ope” in SIGGRAPH Asia’s VR Theater, which features virtual reality narrative films, so you can move beyond the flat screen as the organizers celebrate the evolution of a new medium and showcase the best in VR short-form narratives.

“H2ope” was screened at the Bucheon International Animation Festival, which took place in the South Korean city during October. 

In addition, the Chaniartoon – Chania Cartoon and Animation Festival, which was held on the Greek island of Crete in Chania in September, screened the animation.

The SIGGRAPH Asia is taking place in a fully virtual format this year on the theme of “Driving Diversity”, the organizers have said.

The annual event, which rotates around the Asian region on normal circumstances, attracts the most respected technical and creative people from all over the world who are excited by research, science, art, animation, gaming, interactivity, education and emerging technologies.

“The decision for SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 to go virtual has not been an easy one, but we came to a common consensus that it was necessary in this current climate,” SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 Conference Chair Jinny HyeJin Choo has said.

“The theme for this year’s SIGGRAPH Asia ‘Driving Diversity’ will take on a new meaning as we give our diverse group of worldwide technical and artistic contributors the opportunity to connect with and inspire new communities,” she added.

Photo: A poster for Iranian animation “H2ope”.

MMS/YAW