WBRZ - Baton Rouge

The Red Stick International Animation Festival will switch seasons for its sixth year. The new dates for the festival, the largest event of its kind in the United States, will be Nov. 10-13 in downtown Baton Rouge.

The festival has been in April the previous five years, but organizers said the timeframe didn't work well with particpating animation studios, filmmakers or distributors.

“After talking with animation professionals and previous festival guests, we realized our traditional dates are right in the spot where it becomes difficult for studios to participate," said Stacey Simmons, the festival's director. "Their summer movies are not ready for advanced screenings, and their springtime features are already released.

“Moving the festival dates is the first step in a strategic plan to continue growing Red Stick and developing it as one of the world’s premiere animation festivals," Simmons added.

The festival previously had been scheduled to take place in spring 2010. Festival organizers said the submission period for the Best of the Fest competition has been extended to June 1, 2010 for students and July 15 for other participants.

Anyone who has already sent work for the 2010 Best of the Fest competition is still entered, officials said.

For more information about the festival, you can visit www.redstickfestival.org or contact the festival office at 225-578-8904.