Game Industry Unites for Expo in Vancouver

Vancouver, Canada, November 29, 2006 --(PR.com)-- Vancouver Film School (“VFS”), the largest private post-secondary entertainments arts institution in Canada, is pleased to announce the launch of the inaugural Game Design Expo on January 13th and 14th, 2007, in Vancouver, B.C. This two day event targets both those thriving in the industry and those looking to be a part of it. The video game industry in Canada has exploded in the last decade, bringing more than 130 gaming companies to the Vancouver area alone. The VFS Game Design program is a key provider of new talent to this rapidly growing industry.

Highlights of the VFS Game Design Expo include:

Listen to and meet speakers from the biggest gaming companies in North America.

Announcement of a $25,000 scholarship to the VFS Game Design program, sponsored by Electronic Arts.

Tour the VFS Game Design campus and attend sample classes.

Get a job in the industry; come to the open recruitment session and meet HR specialists from the top game companies.

Play the new Nintendo Wii and enter to win a Wii console.

Exclusive speaker sessions for VFS students and alumni.

Saturday January 13th, Industry Day at Vancouver International Film Centre, features guest speaker lectures and panel discussions with the leading minds in Game Design and Development in North America as well as industry executives from Vancouver. The Expo is a comprehensive day focused on a variety of topics including: the future of gaming, designing for play, and storytelling and cinematics. Industry Day is open to the gaming industry and the public. Tickets are $40 (available through www.ticketmaster.ca), giving you complete access to all the day’s events. Complete details of the speakers, their discussion topics, and schedules are available at www.gamedesignexpo.com. 

Saturday Speakers include:

Glenn Entis (Keynote)
Electronic Arts
Senior Vice President, CVO and CTO

Eric Zimmerman
Gamelab
Co-Founder & CEO

Mike Swanson
Gas Powered Games
Studio Art Production Manager

Jim Sink
Backbone Vancouver
Business Development Manager

Kevin Barrett
BioWare Corp.
Director of Design

Rory Armes
Electronic Arts
Senior VP and Group General Manager

Jay Balakrishnan
Beyond Virtual, Inc.
CEO & Founder

Steve Bocska
Hothead Games Inc.
Joint Chief Executive Officer, Co-Founder

Douglas Alan Tronsgard
Next Level Games Inc.
Chief Executive Officer

Kelly Zmak
Radical Entertainment
President

Sunday Open House, January 14th, is a free event at the VFS 420 Homer Campus. Sample a number of classes from the Game Design program, meet the faculty and alumni, play games that previous VFS students have designed, and check out the campus. The Open House will also be where VFS and EA announce the details of the $25,000 scholarship contest to the Game Design program. Nintendo will be on hand for attendees to play the newest Nintendo interactive console, the Wii, and win a chance to take one home.

The Game Industry in is one of the fastest growing industries in the country. With more than 44% of the gaming companies based in the city, Vancouver is poised to be the gaming hub for and VFS is the school that teaches the skills needed to gain entry into the industry.

Vancouver Film School, founded in 1987, offers a proven education for everything you see, hear, and experience in the entertainment industry. As a results-focused school, VFS teaches the arts through doing, with programs in Foundation Visual Art & Design, 3D Animation & Visual Effects, Acting for Film & Television, Classical Animation, Digital Character Animation, Digital Design, Entertainment Business Management, Film Production, Game Design, Makeup Design for Film & Television, Sound Design for Visual Media, and Writing for Film, TV & Interactive Media. Students develop direct relationships with the people, industries, and ideas shaping these disciplines, and discover the passion and experience needed to become working artists. Graduates work for top companies or elect entrepreneurial routes starting their own studios.

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A complete media kit is available online at www.gamedesignexpo.com/media. Their professional faculty is available for print, radio, and television interviews. For more information on this and other special events being planned for the 20th Anniversary of VFS, please contact:

Sarah Richards
Public Relations Specialist
Vancouver Film School
+1 (604) 631.3562
sarah@gamedesignexpo.com