AN animation and computer gaming festival is being held in the North-East for the sixth consecutive year.

The Animex festival attracts world-renowned animators, computer games creators, artists, graphic design students and anyone interested in the art, technology and creativity behind films such as Toy Story, The Incredibles, Shrek, Finding Nemo, A Bug's Life and Monsters Inc.

Animex 2006 will be held at the University of Teesside's Middlesbrough campus in February and will feature a host of film-makers, including experts from the US, Europe and the Far East.

Among the animators and producers expected to attend are Claire Jennings, of Aardman Animations, producer of Wallace & Gromit, and representatives from Disney's Pixar studio, George Lucas' Industrial Light & Magic and Stephen Spielberg's Dreamworks Studio.

Animex festival director Chris Williams said: "Animex has grown rapidly over the past five years to become the world's premier animation and gaming event.

"Our aim is for Animex to play a significant part in creating a sustainable, successful and vibrant digital media economy in the North-East and, ultimately, for the UK to be the world leader in computer animation, gaming and digital creative arts."