The Surrey Institute of Art & Design University College will award an honorary degree to Michael Dudok de Wit during the Institute's convocation ceremony at Guildford Cathedral on July 19, 2002. De Wit, an Oscar-winning animator and graduate of the Institute, will be presented the degree in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the animation industry. Michael Dudok de Wit studied animation at the West Surrey College of Art and Design (now The Surrey Institute), where he made his first film, THE INTERVIEW. He settled in London in 1980 and worked freelance with different studios, in particular with Richard Purdum Productions, where he directed and animated many award-winning commercials for television and cinema. Dudok de Wit's 1994 short THE MONK AND THE FISH was nominated for an Oscar and his most recent film, FATHER AND DAUGHTER, won the 2000 Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, as well as the Grand Prix for short fiction and the Audience Prize in Annecy 2001. It also recently won awards at BAA, Stuttgart and Zagreb. Commenting on the decision to award an honorary degree to Dudok de Wit, Elaine Thomas, the director of The Surrey Institute, said: "We are delighted to be able to welcome Michael back to the Institute and to recognize, with this award, his incomparable talent. Michael's career has been marked throughout by exceptional achievement and proves to today's animation students just what can be accomplished with hard work and a love for the animator's art."
Revisit Michael Dudok de Wit's FATHER AND DAUGHTER in AWN's Oscar Showcase!http://www.awn.com/oscars01/
