"Sintel" is an independently produced short film, initiated br by the Blender Foundation as a means to further improve and br validate the freeopen source 3D creation suite Blender. br With initial funding provided by 1000s of donations via the br internet community, it has again proven to be a viable development br model for both open 3D technology as for independent animation film. br This 15 minute film has been realized in the studio of the br Amsterdam Blender Institute, by an international team of artists br and developers. In addition to that, several crucial technical and br creative targets have been realized online, by developers and artists and teams all over the world. br br www.sintel.