Jane Shadbolt, lecturer in Visual Communication Design at the University of Newcastle, will have her animated short film showcased at the Newcastle International Animation Festival on Sunday, October 28. Directed and animated by Shadbolt, The Cartographer has been viewed at animated festivals around the world including Los Angeles and Geneva but will make its local debut this weekend.

"I'm so proud to be part of the festival and I'm so glad my film is finally coming back home," said Shadbolt. "It was a long journey but to see it go around the world and come back to Newcastle is just fantastic."

The Animation Festival is part of the Look Hear Art and Design Festival being held across various locations in Newcastle from October 27 until November 2, 2012. Shadbolt's film is the only local film to be screened at the festival which is a major accomplishment.

The stop-motion animation took two years to complete and addresses several themes including the issues of identity and geography. Shadbolt used a Nikon D50 digital camera and second-hand lenses to film parts of Newcastle's streets that formed the backdrop of the film's world.

"I wanted to create a watery Venice streetscape in Australia," said Shadbolt. "I'm hoping that people will glimpse parts of Sydney and Newcastle that they know."

The International Animation Festival Newcastle 2012 will be screening over 60 international and award winning short animations on October 28 at the Conservatorium Concert Hall.

Tickets are available at the door and are $10 per session or $20 for all sessions. This event is 18+ only.

The full Animation Festival program details are available on the Look Hear Festival website.