Director "Marty Blackson" pays tribute to Eastern Kentuckian folk composer Owen Snake Chapman with his rendition of the famous song Doc Chapman's Breakdown. Blackson's Sixth Scale String Band never falls short of the real thing. The older the fiddle the sweeter the tune: especially if it's played by an action figure band.

More than a modern plastic version of a Shakespearean masterpiece, HAMLET, by New Yorker Filmmaker "Sarah Millman" is a phenomenal trimmed re-telling of a classic story about the Prince of Denmark. It's no small feat to mesh stop-motion with one of the English language's most revered plays, but Miss Millman succeeds.

A glass plaque, illustrated by Graphic Artist Anthony Kirlong will be awarded to first-place winners in each of the 6 categories (including the People's Choice Award). The plaque above is our prototype that got finished today. All winning films in the Festival will be presented this award plaque with their director's name inscribed on it.

Race of Evil, a film by director Nick Hsu is a jarringly realistic look at war filmed entirely in stop-motion. Its purpose is not to entertain us with explosions and gunplay. Its aim is to shock us, horrify us and move us. It tells us the story of "Easy Company" as an unknown force joins the battle between the Germans and Allies. Straight from Taipei, Taiwan, Race of Evil is a remarkable film.

The idea that deceased Action Figures could somehow rise from the grave again is only slightly less frightening than their seemingly newfound hunger for the living. That's the basic setup for English director Lee Hardastle's "Dead Corps", a 3 part saga where there's always something nastier waiting to happen around the next corner. Mr. Hardcastle has enough sense not to let the pace drop for a second, filling the screen with ravenous plastic eaters, lots of gore and some great special effects. His films are a fantastic addition to the festival, straight from Leeds, UK.

We have teamed up with Anthony Scott, the creator and site administrator for StopMotionAnimation.com to better promote our Festival and to help uncover some secrets behind this unique and unusual art form. StopMotionAnimation.com was launched in April 1999. Since then, it has become a popular meeting place for aspiring animators. If you are new to stop-motion, be sure to read Mr. Scott's Stop-Motion Handbook. There are several chapters which he address many of the basic questions promising filmmakers might have.