A team of students from the New Zealand school, led by award winning director James Cunningham, created this dark comedy, for kids and parents alike, which features both a hilarious and brutal alphabet of death and mayhem exacted upon animals by ignorant humans

AUSTIN, Texas, March 10, 2016 — (PRNewswire) — One of the top digital design institutions in the world, Media Design School, located in Auckland, New Zealand, is proud to announce that its short film, Accidents, Blunders and Calamities, continues to impress film festival panels globally and has officially been selected as a part of the South by Southwest® (SXSW®) Film Festival Short Film program for 2016.

The film is scheduled to show on Saturday, March 12 at 4:00 p.m. at the Rollins Theatre at the Long Center as part of the SXSW Festival. Following the showing, award-winning director and Media Design School faculty member James Cunningham will participate in a question and answer session.

Inspired by the Edward Gorey classic, Accidents, Blunders and Calamities is the tale of a father possum reading a cautionary bedtime story to his children about the most dangerous animal… humans!

This dark comedy, for kids and parents alike, is a hilarious and brutal alphabet of death and mayhem exacted upon animals by ignorant humans.  A total of 30 CGI animals were meticulously crafted and killed by a team of 44 third year Bachelor of Art and Design students.

Media Design School Bachelor of Art and Design senior lecturer and award-winning director James Cunningham is thrilled by Accidents, Blunders and Calamities' inclusion at SXSW.

Says Cunningham: "It is fantastic news to hear we've been accepted to SXSW. This seems to be THE festival to be at right now, as SXSW brings together the best of games, music, interactive and film."

Cunningham, a celebrated New Zealand filmmaker and producer, has directed 13 award-winning short films featuring 3D animation and visual effects. This will be the third film he has had accepted to SXSW's Film Festival Programme over the years, however this will be the first time that he will be in attendance for the Texas premiere.

"I am really interested to see how the film plays to that audience. It will certainly shine a big bright light on the film - fingers crossed they like it!" Cunningham says.

Accidents, Blunders and Calamities has most recently picked up both the People's Choice Award and the DEGNZ Best Editor Award at New Zealand's only Academy Awards accredited film festival, Show Me Shorts.

It has also been selected for the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2016 (France) and will screen at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2016 (US).

Click here to watch the trailer for Accidents, Blunders and Calamities.

For more information on Media Design School, visit www.mediadesignschool.com. For more information on award winning film maker and Media Design School faculty member, James Cunningham, visit, mediadesignschool.com/james-cunningham.

To speak with James Cunningham or students from Media Design School, please contact Rachael Lighty at Email Contact or Analiese Jackson at Email Contact.

About Media Design School (MDS)
Media Design School is New Zealand's most-awarded private tertiary institution. Distinguished by its close alignment to the industry, both domestically and internationally, the Auckland-based school offers specialist degrees for emerging creative industries including the Bachelor of Art and Design (3D Animation and Visual Effects); the Bachelor of Creative Technologies (Game Art); the Bachelor of Software Engineering (Game Programming); and the Bachelor of Media Design. A range of foundation diplomas and graduate qualifications are also available. For more information, visit http://www.mediadesignschool.com.

Media Design School is a member of the  Laureate International Universities network – a global network of more than 80 campus-based and online universities with one million students in 28 countries, including dedicated design schools in San Diego, California; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Milan, Italy. For more information, visit http://www.mediadesignschool.com.

Through this network, Media Design School also offers a program at the NewSchool of Architecture & Design in San Diego, California. The Media Design School of Digital Arts at NewSchool prepares students to succeed in global design fields through an emphasis on industry connections, international experience and interdisciplinary studies. The curriculum has been developed through collaborations between NewSchool of Architecture & Design and Media Design School. The Media Design School of Digital Arts at NewSchool builds on the global credentials of the Auckland-based institution by offering a Bachelor of Science in Media Design, a Bachelor of Arts in Game Development, and a Certificate in Creative Advertising. For more information, visit newschoolarch.edu/academics/mds.

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SOURCE Media Design School

Contact:

Media Design School South by Southwest Film Festival Rachael Lighty Email Contact 410.218.6055; Analiese Jackson Email Contact Web: http://www.mediadesignschool.com