ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - British Columbia representatives are in the spotlight as tens of thousands of participants converge on Anaheim for SIGGRAPH 2013, the place to be if you work with computer graphics and interactive technologies.

B.C. is preparing to host the 40th anniversary edition of the influential event next year in Vancouver.

SIGGRAPH, short for Special Interest Group on Graphics and Interactive Techniques, is an annual conference and trade exhibition where leaders from film, games and broadcasting share ideas with computer scientists and academics.

British Columbia boasts a thriving cluster of innovative digital media companies fuelled by programmers, artists and researchers from the province's world-class post-secondary institutions. Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia both have sizable contingents delivering technical papers this week at SIGGRAPH, which is recognized as the most prestigious forum for the publication of computer graphics research.

To promote the province's competitive advantages and SIGGRAPH's return to Vancouver in 2014, British Columbia's Ministry of International Trade is partnering with the federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada; the Canadian Consulate in Los Angeles; Creative BC; the Vancouver Economic Commission; and DigiBC to present a comprehensive marketing and outreach program this week in Anaheim. It includes:

• Pixar Canada's Amair Nasrabadi is headlining a breakfast seminar for roughly 100 world leaders in digital media. Nasrabadi is the vice-president and general manager of Vancouver-based Pixar Canada, which produces animated shorts and television specials featuring characters from Pixar's films.

The seminar is titled "Doing Business in Canada" and features a panel of experts and opening remarks from David Fransen, Canadian Consul General, Los Angeles.

• B.C.'s booth showcases original works by local digital media artists and studios. It features a theatre-style seminar space that will host 26 presentations about the province's digital media sector, including "Life of Pi Storm Sequence" by MPC Film's Guillaume Rocheron, "The Visual Effects of the Pacific Rim" by Hal Hickel of Industrial Light & Magic, and "Made in Kelowna: British Columbia's Digital Hotspot" by business development officer Corie Griffiths.

The booth includes a private meeting room and British Columbia's trade and investment representatives for the United States will be on hand to help B.C. attendees make connections.

• This past Sunday, British Columbia sponsored a networking event after the SIGGRAPH Business Symposium, which draws 250 studio executives and investors. B.C.'s international trade and investment representatives provided greetings and invited guests to SIGGRAPH 2014.

Vancouver became the first location to host SIGGRAPH outside the United States in 2011. That event welcomed 15,872 artists, research scientists, game developers, filmmakers and researchers from 74 countries. SIGGRAPH 2011 broke the city's previous conference attendance records and, according to the Vancouver Convention Centre, generated an estimated $38.5 million in direct spending for the local economy.

Quotes:

Teresa Wat, Minister of International Trade and Minister Responsible for the Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism -

"B.C. is an international hub for cutting-edge digital media and animation. Through our international trade and investment network, we make connections at the world's best trade shows that result in investment and job creation right here in British Columbia."

Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training -

"Digital media and computer animation are growing industries in our province that provide thousands of jobs for British Columbians. As we continue to grow this critical industry, the SIGGRAPH event will allow us to showcase the skills that British Columbians have in this field. We look forward to welcoming programmers, researchers, and artists to Vancouver in 2014."

Joan Elangovan, acting chief executive officer, Vancouver Economic Commission -

"The digital media industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in Vancouver. More than 800 companies generate over $3 billion in revenue annually. The VEC is pleased to be part of the B.C. team on the ground in Anaheim and we look forward to once again being the host city for this world-class event in Vancouver next year."

Richard Brownsey, president and chief executive officer, CreativeBC -

"CreativeBC works with the province's creative industries to capitalize on the sector's strengths and identify new opportunities for the future. SIGGRAPH is the perfect forum to showcase the province and the work we are doing there this year will help make next year's event an even bigger success."

Learn More:

Watch a video about the digital media sector in B.C. courtesy of BritishColumbia.ca - the Province's international trade and investment website: http://youtu.be/rHRifs--Hxs

Find out more about SIGGRAPH 2014 here: http://s2014.siggraph.org/

B.C. post-secondary institutions such as the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts, Vancouver Animation School and Vancouver Film School are represented at SIGGRAPH 2013. Click here to see the list of technical papers being presented by students and faculty from SFU: http://www.cs.sfu.ca/~haoz/papers.html

And from UBC: http://kesen.realtimerendering.com/sig2013.html

Learn more about DigiBC, the industry association for digital media and wireless companies in British Columbia: digibc.org

Contact:

Media Relations
Ministry of International Trade and Responsible for the Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism
250 356-0613