The festival will be held Nov. 10-15 at various locations in Columbus. "The Lessons of Chief Pondy: Scotty and Oreo," based on the work of dog trainer Scott MacConachie, will screen Nov. 14 at 10 a.m. at the CCAD Canzani Center (corner of Gay Street and Cleveland Avenue).

"The Lessons of Chief Pondy" is part of the festival's annual "Saturday Morning Cartoons from Around the World" screening, to which children are admitted free.

"The Lessons of Chief Pondy" is based on a concept by MacConachie, the proprietor of K9 Ponderosa, a 20-acre ranch in Lewis Center where he trains dogs of all breeds and dispositions.

"I take on a lot of dogs that people give up on -- aggressive dogs, dogs that are afraid of the world," MacConachie said.

In "The Lessons of Chief Pondy," MacConachie uses a culturally diverse cast of animated characters to explain to children how to interact safely with dogs. He teamed with central Ohio production company Ozone Studios to create "The Lessons of Chief Pondy."

"He has such a passion for making sure children have the correct behaviors around dogs," said Susan Stanton, executive director with Ozone Studios. "Every year, 5-million people are bitten by dogs, and the majority of them are children."

The animated short grew out of MacConachie's experiences in training family dogs.

"I would train the dog and the clients would say, 'Scott, you trained us, you trained the dog, but what about the children?'" MacConachie said. "I thought, 'What better way is to come down to their level, a 2D cartoon?'"

Another film to be screened during the festival is "Zombies: When the Dead Walk," which will be shown at 8 p.m., appropriately, on Friday the 13th.

"It's a great film about the history of zombies, the history of zombies in cinema" and cultures that embrace zombie legends, said Susan Halpern, the festival's executive director.

Festival-goers are encouraged to get into the spirit of the movie by dressing like zombies.

"If you dress like a zombie, you get in free," Halpern said. "We're having a costume contest. They'll win prizes."

The festival will include an awards ceremony on Nov. 14 that will recognize the work of filmmakers in attendance.

"We have filmmakers coming in from Great Britain, Canada and across the United States," Halpern said.

The work of filmmakers around the world will be showcased along with local talent.

"We've been really fortunate this year to have a lot of really high quality local work," Halpern said.

Other highlights of the festival include the world premiere of the new film "Scientists Under Attack," a German documentary about genetically altered food and corporate-sponsored research. The movie will screen Nov. 10 at Germania, a club located at 543 S. Front St. in the Brewery District. Festival-goers who attend the screening can order authentic German food and beer to enjoy while they watch.

"You can see a space that you normally have to be a member to get into," Halpern said. "It's going to be dinner and a movie. What's better than that?"

Admission to most screenings if $5; others are free. For more information and a complete list of screenings, visit www.chrisawards.org.

cbournea

@thisweeknews.com