East Coast toon talent will gather in Halifax April 23-25 for the second annual Halifax Animation Festival.

Festival coordinator Lennart Krogoll is expecting around 150 animation enthusiasts to attend this year’s event. Last year’s festival hosted just over 120 participants.

Kicking off three days of panels and workshops is Creating Animation Properties: Concepts and Character Development, where Teletoon director of original programming Madeleine Levesque and Prince Edward Island’s Cellar Door president Gretha Rose will discuss the processes and procedures for presenting concepts and characters.

Rose will reappear on another panel with Ottawa-based Funbag Animation Studio’s Frank Taylor to discuss tax credits, skilled labor and the climate and benefits of coproduction opportunities.

ctv’s Johanna Montgomery and Halifax-based Collideascope president Steve Comeau will participate in a pitching workshop which will look at preparing for a pitch, assembling a portfolio, etiquette and follow-up.

For more information, check out the Halifax Animation Festival Website (www.eteast.com/haf).