Balticon, Maryland Regional Science Fiction Convention Web Page

While Balticon is not an anime conventiontion, we certainly recognize the importance of anime in sciencce fiction/fantasy community culture. The Balticon Anime Program Mini-Track offers 4 to 6 program hours of discussion panels and presentations. See Anime Panels Schedule on the Panels and Workshops page for panels and presentations details.

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ANIME ROOM

The Balticon 47 Anime Room, located in Salon E, is open from 6:00 PM Friday through the end of the last feature on Monday, with a one hour break each morning for hotel housekeeping service. The Anime Room shows feature length anime films as well as consecutive episodes of Anime Series films. Between 8 AM and 10 AM (when children's program opens) we schedule material that is appropriate for all age groups. In general, Anime screenings between 9:00 pm at night and 11:00 pm will not be appropriate for young people under age 13. Screenings between 11:00 pm and 6:00 in the morning should be considered not approprate for children at all, and not appropriate for teens who are not accompanied by a parent or guardian. Screenings before Noon are geared to general audiences. Every effort is made to schedule content between 10 AM and 9 PM which has age appropriateness equivalent to PG or PG-13. See this Anime Ratings document for more information.

BALTICON 47 ANIME ROOM SCHEDULE

Friday, May 24, 2013

4:00 PM

Cowboy Bebop: The Movie — Cowboy Bebop is the story of Spike Spiegel and Jet Black, two hard-luck bounty hunters who can't seem to catch their prey alive, which is the only way to collect the bounty. They travel through the near solar system in their converted fishing ship, the Bebop, with Faye Valentine, the brilliant hacker Ed, and their dog Ein. In this movie, when a tanker explosion unleashes a deadly virus on a Martian colony, Spike Spiegel and his bounty-hunting gang are the only ones who can hunt down the terrorist responsible and bring him in...or are they? A mysterious government operative called Elektra is also on the case, and she may know more than she lets on.

(R) (1 hr, 55 mins)

6:00 PM

Astro-Boy — The Movie — chronicles the adventures of a weaponized robot created by grieving scientist Dr. Tenma in the exact likeness of his deceased son, Toby. The distraught scientist, whose son died during a dangerous demonstration for Metro City's war-mongering General Stone, allows Astro Boy to believe that he's really Toby ... until the boy accidentally falls out of a window and realizes he can fly. Escaping from a now-remorseful Dr. Tenma before he can shut him down, Astro Boy lands in the "garbage heap" below Metro City that is the over-polluted Earth. He runs into a band of orphans led by Cora and Sludge, who live with Ham Egg (Nathan Lane), a seemingly kind pseudo-adoptive father who runs a Coliseum-like show where robots battle to the death. When Astro Boy is outed as a robot, he must fight for his life again -- and summon the courage to save everyone from General Stone's nefarious plans to start a bloody war.

(G) (1 hr, 34 mins)

7:35 PM

Eden of the East (ep 1-4) — On November 22, 2010 ten missiles strike Japan. However, this unprecedented terrorist act, later to be called as "Careless Monday," does not result in any apparent victims, and is soon forgotten by almost everyone. Then, 3 months later... Saki Morimi is a young woman currently in the United States of America on her graduation trip. But just when she is in front of the White House, Washington DC, she gets into trouble, and only the unexpected intervention of one of her fellow countrymen saves her. However, this man, who introduces himself as Akira Takizawa, is a complete mystery. He appears to have lost his memory. and he is stark naked, except for the gun he holds in one hand, and the mobile phone he's holding with the other hand. A phone that is charged with 8,200,000,000 yen in digital cash.

(MA-17) (1 hr, 40 mins)

9:15 PM

Fairy Tail Ep.1-4 — Set in an imaginary world, the Earth Land, there exists a Mage Guild called "Fairy Tail". Fairy Tail is stationed in the town Magnolia, residing in the Kingdom of Fiore, and is currently governed by Makarov, Guild's master.

Lucy Heartfilia, a 17-year-old girl, wishes to become a full-fledged mage and join one of the most prestigious Mage Guilds in the world, Fairy Tail.

One day, out of pure coincidence, she meets Natsu Dragneel, a boy who is transportation-sick, but very cheerful in nature. However, the thing she does not know is that Natsu is the closest connection to Fairy Tail, as he is a Mage in Fairy Tail.

(MA-13) (1 hr, 40 mins)

11:00 PM

Trinity Blood Ep. 1-4 — After the Armageddon, the war between vampires and humans continues. To protect the humans from the vampires, Vatican has been building allies with other institutions. One of them is a priest called Peter Abel Nightroad, who travels as a representative for the Vaticans.

(MA-15) (1 hr, 40 mins)

Overnight, Friday/Saturday, May 24-25, 2013

12:45 AM

Ergo Proxy Ep. 1-4 — The world is bigger than you think... After the explosion of the methane hydrate layer, the remaining members of mankind are forced to live in isolated domed cities scattered across the arid and inhospitable planet. They live in a controlled society and are assisted in daily life by autonomous robots called AutoReivs. In one of these cities, Romdo, Inspector Re-l Mayer, granddaughter of the regent, leads an investigation concerning AutoReivs that have gone mad after being infected by the Cogito virus. In the process, she comes in contact with a monster called Proxy. Elsewhere in the city, immigrant Vincent Law is on the run after being framed for involvement in several Cogito cases. Together, along with the adorable child-AutoReiv Pino, they set out on a journey to the dome city Moscow in order to unravel the mystery of the Proxies.

NR(MA-16) (1 hr, 40 mins)

2:25 AM

Claymore Ep. 1-4 — A brutal scourge stalks the land. Yoma, monsters driven by a hunger satisfied by only one quarry — Humanity. The dark breed knows but a singular foe: Claymore. Human-Yoma hybrids of extraordinary strength and cunning, the Claymores roam from skirmish to skirmish delivering salvation by the edge of a blade. Thus begins the twisting tale of Clare, one such sister of the sword driven by pain in both victory and defeat.

(MA-15) (1 hr, 40 mins)

4:10 AM

S-Cry-ed Ep. 1-4 — A strange environmental phenomenon 22 years ago in the Kanazawa prefecture caused the land to split and protrude upwards reaching unprecedented heights, creating the secluded area known as The Lost Ground. Kazuma is a young mercenary who lives in the Lost Ground, looking for any work he can find to sustain his livelihood within the harsh environment. He is one of the few people that are gifted with the Alter ability, which allows him to plaster his right arm and torso with a metallic alloy. When this mercenary encounters HOLY, an order whose purpose is to suppress and capture what they call Native Alter Users, and one of the elite members of HOLY, Ryuho, an epic rivalry begins.

(MA-13) (1 hr, 40 mins)

Saturday, May 25, 2013

6:00 AM

Chrono Crusade Ep. 1-4 — The year is 1928 A.D. The place is New York, U.S.A. The economic prosperity brought forth after the Great War also heightened the presence of something far darker and much more sinister: the demonic Sinners. The Magdalene Order is an organization that tries to counter this force. Two of its exorcists are Rosette Christopher and her assistant, Chrono. Both appear out of place in an organization like this, and they are in a quest to find Rosette's missing brother, Joshua. Their relationships, secrets and fates can only be revealed in time...

(TV-14) (1 hr, 40 mins)

7:45 AM

Astro Boy Ep. 1-5 — Astro is a robotic boy that posses super human powers and an artificial intelligence system that is unparalleled to any robot. His creator, Dr. Tenma, created him to replace his late son, Tovio. Dr. Tenma soon destroys his laboratory, after the creation of Astro, and shuts down Astro. Soon after, Dr. O'Shay, the head of the Ministry of Science revives Astro, and tries to give him a normal life as a 6th grade student that helps the police agency keep renegade robots and bigot humans from causing harm. Astro faces extreme racism for being a robot, and he must discover the truth about his creator Dr. Tenma.

(PG) (1 hr, 45 mins)

9:30 AM

Secret World of Arrietty — Arrietty, a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper. Like all little people, Arrietty (AIR-ee-ett-ee) remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to "borrow" scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn, a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty's family from the home and straight into danger.

(PG) (1 hr, 34 mins)

11:05 AM

Voltron 1-4 — Voltron is the eponymous super robot of an anime series that features a team of Earth humans, known as the Voltron Force. The team's individual vehicles join together to form the giant super robot, with which they defend the galaxy from evil.

(PG) (1 hr, 40 mins)

12:45 PM

Summer Wars — When timid eleventh-grader and math genius Kenji Koiso is asked by older student and secret crush Natsuki to come with her to her family's Nagano home for a summer job, he agrees without hesitation.

Natsuki's family, the Jinnouchi clan, dates back to the Muromachi era (1336 to 1573), and they've all come together to celebrate the 90th birthday of the spunky matriarch of the family, Sakae. That's when Kenji discovers his "summer job" is to pretend to be Natsuki's fiance and dance with her at the birthday celebration.

As Kenji attempts to keep up with Natsuki's act around her family, he receives a strange math problem on his cell phone which, being a math genius, he can't resist solving. As it turns out, the solution to the mysterious equation causes Oz, the program that controls nearly every aspect of life to be hacked into, it's up to Kenji and his new "family" to stop the hacker before it's too late.

(PG) (1 hr, 55 mins)

2:50 PM

Haibane Renmei Ep. 1-4 — A dream of falling from the sky... and then birth. Rakka is born from a large cocoon into the Old Home, greeted by a group of females with small wings on their backs and shining halos above their heads. Soon Rakka's own wings grow, a halo is placed on her head and she is told that she must work in the nearby town of Grie. She soon realizes that the town and the entire world they live in are confined behind the Wall, a tall, impenetrable wall that none except the mysterious Toga are allowed to exit.

(PG) (1 hr, 40 mins)

4:30 PM

Princess Mononoke — Princess Mononoke is a period drama set specifically in the late Muromachi period of Japan but with numerous fantastical elements. The story concentrates on involvement of the outsider Ashitaka in the struggle between the supernatural guardians of a forest and the humans of the Iron Town who consume its resources. There can be no clear victory, and the hope is that the relationship between humans and nature can be cyclical.

(G) (1 hr, 34 mins)

6:45 PM

Soul Eater Ep. 1-4 — Maka is a Meister and Soul is her Weapon. As students at the Grim Reaper's Death Weapon Meister Academy, their study habits couldn't be more different. But in battle against the supernatural forces of evil, they're a freakin' lethal team.

(TV-14) (1 hr, 40 mins)

8:30 PM

Martian Successor Nadesico The Movie — Two years have passed since the end of the "Martian Successor Nadesico." Akito and Yurika have dissapeared. The Jovians and the Earthlings have joined forces and Ruri is now captain of Nadesico B. As the popularity of Boson Jumping grows, a vast transportation network has been developed. Dubbed the Hisago Plan, this network of Chulip portals holds the answers to the mysteries behind Bose particles and their power. If those secrets should fall into the wrong hands, it could mean big trouble. And big trouble there is. A Martian splinter group has launched an offensive, leaving the United Forces befuddled and desperate. So much so, in fact, that the former crew of the Nadesico is called back to active duty for a special unsanctioned mission-to save us all. Does this menagerie of misfits have what it takes? Who will win the race for the Boson technology? And what the heck happened to Akito and Yurika?

(TV-14) (1 hr, 30 mins)

10:00 PM

Fairy Tail Ep. 5-8 — Set in an imaginary world, the Earth Land, there exists a Mage Guild called "Fairy Tail." Fairy Tail is stationed in the town Magnolia, residing in the Kingdom of Fiore, and is currently governed by Makarov, Guild's master.

Lucy Heartfilia, a 17-year-old girl, wishes to become a full-fledged mage and join one of the most prestigious Mage Guilds in the world, Fairy Tail.

One day, out of pure coincidence, she meets Natsu Dragneel, a boy who is transportation-sick, but very cheerful in nature. However, the thing she does not know is that Natsu is the closest connection to Fairy Tail, as he is a Mage in Fairy Tail.

(MA-13) (1 hour 40 minutes)

11:45 PM

Trinity Blood Ep. 5-8 — After the Armageddon, the war between vampires and humans continues. To protect the humans from the vampires, Vatican has been building allies with other institutions. One of them is a priest called Peter Abel Nightroad, who travels as a representative for the Vaticans.

(MA-15) (1 hr, 40 mins)

Overnight Saturday/Sunday, May 25-26, 2013

1:30 AM

Claymore Ep. 5-8 — A brutal scourge stalks the land. Yoma, monsters driven by a hunger satisfied by only one quarry — Humanity. The dark breed knows but a singular foe: Claymore. Human-Yoma hybrids of extraordinary strength and cunning, the Claymores roam from skirmish to skirmish delivering salvation by the edge of a blade. Thus begins the twisting tale of Clare, one such sister of the sword driven by pain in both victory and defeat.

(MA-15) (1 hr, 40 mins)

3:15 AM

S-Cry-ed Ep. 5-8 — A strange environmental phenomenon 22 years ago in the Kanazawa prefecture caused the land to split and protrude upwards reaching unprecedented heights, creating the secluded area known as The Lost Ground. Kazuma is a young mercenary who lives in the Lost Ground, looking for any work he can find to sustain his livelihood within the harsh environment. He is one of the few people that are gifted with the Alter ability, which allows him to plaster his right arm and torso with a metallic alloy. When this mercenary encounters HOLY, an order whose purpose is to suppress and capture what they call Native Alter Users, and one of the elite members of HOLY, Ryuho, an epic rivalry begins.

(MA-13) (1 hr, 40 mins)

5:05 AM

One Piece Ep. 1-4 — Before he was executed, the legendary Pirate King Gold Roger revealed that he had hidden the treasure One Piece somewhere in the Grand Line. Now, many pirates are off looking for this legendary treasure to claim the title Pirate King. One pirate, Monkey D. Luffy, is a boy who had eaten the Devil's Fruit and gained rubber powers. Now he and his crew are off to find One Piece, while battling enemies and making new friends along the way.

(PG) (1 hr, 40 mins)

Sunday, May 26, 2013

6:45 AM

Chrono Crusade Ep. 5-8 — The year is 1928 A.D. The place is New York, U.S.A. The economic prosperity brought forth after the Great War also heightened the presence of something far darker and much more sinister: the demonic Sinners. The Magdalene Order is an organization that tries to counter this force. Two of its exorcists are Rosette Christopher and her assistant, Chrono. Both appear out of place in an organization like this, and they are in a quest to find Rosette's missing brother, Joshua. Their relationships, secrets and fates can only be revealed in time...

(TV-14) (1 hr, 40 mins)

8:30 AM

Astro Boy Ep. 6-10 — Astro is a robotic boy that posses super human powers and an artificial intelligence system that is unparalleled to any robot. His creator, Dr. Tenma, created him to replace his late son, Tovio. Dr. Tenma soon destroys his laboratory, after the creation of Astro, and shuts down Astro. Soon after, Dr. O'Shay, the head of the Ministry of Science revives Astro, and tries to give him a normal life as a 6th grade student that helps the police agency keep renegade robots and bigot humans from causing harm. Astro faces extreme racism for being a robot, and he must discover the truth about his creator Dr. Tenma.

(PG) (1 hr, 45 mins)

10:15 AM

Whisper of the Heart — Shizuku lives a simple life, dominated by her love for stories and writing. One day she notices that all the library books she has have been previously checked out by the same person: "Seiji Amasawa." Curious as to who he is, Shizuku meets a boy her age whom she finds infuriating, but discovers to her shock that he is her "Prince of Books." As she grows closer to him, she realises that he merely read all those books to bring himself closer to her. The boy Seiji aspires to be a violin maker in Italy, and it is his dreams that make Shizuku realise that she has no clear path for her life. Knowing that her strength lies in writing, she tests her talents by writing a story about Baron, a cat statuette belonging to Seiji's grandfather.

(G) (1 hr, 59 mins)

12:15 PM

(PG) (1 hr, 34 mins)

1:50 PM

Haibane Renmei Ep. 5-8 — A dream of falling from the sky... and then birth. Rakka is born from a large cocoon into the Old Home, greeted by a group of females with small wings on their backs and shining halos above their heads. Soon Rakka's own wings grow, a halo is placed on her head and she is told that she must work in the nearby town of Grie. She soon realizes that the town and the entire world they live in are confined behind the Wall, a tall, impenetrable wall that none except the mysterious Toga are allowed to exit.

(PG) (1 hr, 40 mins)

3:30 PM

Trigun Ep. 1-4 — Vash the Stampede is a gunman on the run with a 60 billion double dollar bounty on his head which has made it difficult for him to go anywhere without being chased and shot at. Every town he ever visits ends up being destroyed because of his pursuers, but miraculously no one ever gets killed. Meryl and Milly are two insurance agents that have been sent to find Vash the Stampede and keep him under surveillance so no more damage is caused. Meryl, who leads the pair, refuses to believe that the man they have met can possibly be the legendary gunman. This spikey haired, gangly, young man is extremely friendly, a pacifist, hates blood and suicide, absolutely loves donuts, and is a dork and a crybaby (far from a notorious outlaw). But there is more to Vash and his past than meets the eye.

(TV-14) (1 hr, 40 mins)

5:15 PM

Tales From Earthsea — Something bizarre has come over the land. The kingdom is deteriorating. People are beginning to act strange... What's even more strange is that people are beginning to see dragons, which shouldn't enter the world of humans. Due to all these bizarre events, Ged, a wandering wizard, is investigating the cause. During his journey, he meets Prince Arren, a young distraught teenage boy. While Arren may look like a shy young teen, he has a severe dark side, which grants him strength, hatred, ruthlessness and has no mercy, especially when it comes to protecting Teru. For the witch Kumo this is a perfect opportunity. She can use the boy's "fears" against the very one who would help him, Ged.

(PG-13) (1 hr, 55 mins)

7:10 PM

Soul Eater Ep. 5-8 — Maka is a Meister and Soul is her Weapon. As students at the Grim Reaper's Death Weapon Meister Academy, their study habits couldn't be more different. But in battle against the supernatural forces of evil, they're a freakin' lethal team.

(TV-14) (1 hr, 40 mins)

8:50 PM

Bleach: Hellverse — Bleach: Jigoku-hen is set in Hell and features a fully Hollowfied Ichigo. The movie centers around Ichigo and his friends heading into Hell with the assistance of man named Kokuto to stop the merging of the two realms. However, Kokuto gives Ichigo a warning — he mustn't Hollowfy in Hell, or he will lose control of his body and never be able to return...

(MA-13) (1 hr, 43 mins)

10:15 PM

Fairy Tail Ep. 9-12 — Set in an imaginary world, the Earth Land, there exists a Mage Guild called "Fairy Tail." Fairy Tail is stationed in the town Magnolia, residing in the Kingdom of Fiore, and is currently governed by Makarov, Guild's master.

(MA-13) (1 hr, 40 mins)

Overnight, Sunday/Monday, May 26-27, 2013

12:00 Midnight

Trinity Blood Ep. 9-12 — After the Armageddon, the war between vampires and humans continues. To protect the humans from the vampires, Vatican has been building allies with other institutions. One of them is a priest called Peter Abel Nightroad, who travels as a representative for the Vaticans.

(MA-15) (1 hr, 40 mins)

1:40 AM

Claymore Ep. 9-12 — A brutal scourge stalks the land. Yoma, monsters driven by a hunger satisfied by only one quarry — Humanity. The dark breed knows but a singular foe: Claymore. Human-Yoma hybrids of extraordinary strength and cunning, the Claymores roam from skirmish to skirmish delivering salvation by the edge of a blade. Thus begins the twisting tale of Clare, one such sister of the sword driven by pain in both victory and defeat.

(MA-15) (1 hr, 40 mins)

3:10 AM

S-Cry-ed Ep. 9-12 — A strange environmental phenomenon 22 years ago in the Kanazawa prefecture caused the land to split and protrude upwards reaching unprecedented heights, creating the secluded area known as The Lost Ground. Kazuma is a young mercenary who lives in the Lost Ground, looking for any work he can find to sustain his livelihood within the harsh environment. He is one of the few people that are gifted with the Alter ability, which allows him to plaster his right arm and torso with a metallic alloy. When this mercenary encounters HOLY, an order whose purpose is to suppress and capture what they call Native Alter Users, and one of the elite members of HOLY, Ryuho, an epic rivalry begins.

(MA-13) (1 hr, 40 mins)

5:50 AM

Ergo Proxy Ep, 5-8 — The world is bigger than you think... After the explosion of the methane hydrate layer, the remaining members of mankind are forced to live in isolated domed cities scattered across the arid and inhospitable planet. They live in a controlled society and are assisted in daily life by autonomous robots called AutoReivs. In one of these cities, Romdo, Inspector Re-l Mayer, granddaughter of the regent, leads an investigation concerning AutoReivs that have gone mad after being infected by the Cogito virus. In the process, she comes in contact with a monster called Proxy. Elsewhere in the city, immigrant Vincent Law is on the run after being framed for involvement in several Cogito cases. Together, along with the adorable child-AutoReiv Pino, they set out on a journey to the dome city Moscow in order to unravel the mystery of the Proxies.

NR(MA-16) (1 hr, 40 mins)

Monday, May 27, 2013

6:35 AM

Chrono Crusade Ep. 9-12 — The year is 1928 A.D. The place is New York, U.S.A. The economic prosperity brought forth after the Great War also heightened the presence of something far darker and much more sinister: the demonic Sinners. The Magdalene Order is an organization that tries to counter this force. Two of its exorcists are Rosette Christopher and her assistant, Chrono. Both appear out of place in an organization like this, and they are in a quest to find Rosette's missing brother, Joshua. Their relationships, secrets and fates can only be revealed in time...

(TV-14) (1 hr, 40 mins)

8:15 AM

Saber Marionette J, Ep. 1-4 — VIn the distant future, since the Earth has become overpopulated, efforts to find and colonize on other planets have begun. However, one of the ships, the "Mesopotamia" malfunctions and all but 6 of its inhabitants are all killed. the remaining 6 manage to escape to a nearby planet named "Terra ll", which is similar to Earth in many respects. However, all of them are male. Therefore, as to not let their efforts go to waste, they begin to set up 6 countries and to reproduce through cloning and genetic engineering. however, there are still no women, and to make up for it, thy create lifelike advanced female androids called "Marionettes" which do everyday chores and work. However, they are all emotionless machines. But one day, a ordinary boy named Otaru finds and awakens 3 special battle type Marionettes that have emotions due to a "Maiden Circuit" within them. It's up to him then to teach them and allow their emotions to grow, and when a nearby country threatens with world domination, it's up to to Otaru and his "human" Marionettes to protect their country.

(PG) (1 hr, 40 mins)

9:50 AM

Castle in the Sky — This high-flying adventure begins when Pazu, an engineer's apprentice, finds a young girl, Sheeta, floating down from the sky wearing a glowing pendant. Together they discover both are searching for a legendary floating castle, Laputa, and vow to unravel the mystery of the luminous crystal around Sheeta's neck. Their quest won't be easy, however. There are greedy air pirates, secret government agents and astounding obstacles to keep them from the truth, and from each other.

(PG) (2 hrs, 5 mins)

12:00 Noon

Soul Eater Ep. 9-12 — Maka is a Meister and Soul is her Weapon. As students at the Grim Reaper's Death Weapon Meister Academy, their study habits couldn't be more different. But in battle against the supernatural forces of evil, they're a freakin' lethal team.

(TV-14) (2 hrs, 5 mins)

1:50 PM

Haibane Renmei Ep. 9-13 — A dream of falling from the sky... and then birth. Rakka is born from a large cocoon into the Old Home, greeted by a group of females with small wings on their backs and shining halos above their heads. Soon Rakka's own wings grow, a halo is placed on her head and she is told that she must work in the nearby town of Grie. She soon realizes that the town and the entire world they live in are confined behind the Wall, a tall, impenetrable wall that none except the mysterious Toga are allowed to exit.

(PG) (2 hrs, 5 mins)

3:55 PM

Balticon 47 Anime Room Schedule Ends

See you next year!

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ARTISTS ALLEY

The Balticon Artist Alley, located in the hallway outside the ballrooms housing the “main tent” and Art Show brings you live media and web comics artists along with offerings of their work for sale. Artists, please contact Artists Alley manager Tristan Alexanader as soon as you can after January 1, 2013, to reserve a table. PLEASE NOTE: Artists Alley only has 16 spaces and last year's spaces were sold out before the end of March. We cannot hold a table for you because you have been a "regular" in previous years. Tristan will attempt to maintain a good mix of artists in Artists Alley. He will confirm your reservation or return your check to you by the end of April.

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ART PROGRAM TRACK

The Art Program Track brings you over 20 hours of presentations, demonstrations, workshops and discussion panels with our artist guest of honor, art show and artists alley exhibitors and other artists participating at Balticon. Attend a workshop to learn a new techinique. Watch artists, using the “ELMO” to project onto a screen, create work right in front of you. Listen to presentations about art history or about artist's personal experiences in the industry. Attend discussion panels about topics ranging from how to sell your art, to how to keep your head straight and still get the work done, to who's who in science fiction and fantasy art.

Artists who have a workshop, demonstration or lecture they would like to present, or an idea for a discussion panel they would like to moderate or be a panelist for, should contact the Art Program Coordinator to get the ball rolling on your participation.

ART PROGRAM ASSISTANT COORDINATOR POSITION AVAILABLE.

Position responsibilities include attendance at Balticon meetings in person or via conference call, meeting deadlines for scheduling program items and corresponding with the program coordinators, program participants and Con Chair in the months prior to Balticon and monitoring and troubleshooting the program at-con. Interested persons please contact Balticon Chair as soon as possible.

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ART SHOW

The Balticon 47 Art Show is proud to feature the work of Artist Guest of Honor Rick Sternbach. We are also pleased to offer the work of many other artists in a wide variety of media, such as original works in pen and ink, charcoal, pastels, watercolor and oils, sculpture, and handmade crafts and jewelry, as well as limited edition prints.

Visit one of the biggest and best regional art shows on the East Coast featuring SF and fantasy original art and prints. Most of the works and prints are available for sale, although you will see some works marked “Not for sale - For Exhibit Only”. Artists must pre-register to be included in the art show. For more information or special requests, send a request to artshow@balticon.org

or write:
          Balticon 47 Art Show
          PO Box 686
          Baltimore, MD 21203-0686.

See the Art Show page for more information.

Art Show Rules and Registration Form are available as downloadable PDF documents. Registration Form can be completed using Adobe Acrobat Reader or you can print it and complete it by hand.

On Monday at Balticon 47, check out Monday Morning in the Art Show, a project to bring you skills workshops, artist demonstrations and a special art exhibit.

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AUTOGRAPHING

Balticon provides any scheduled program participant who wishes it with one hour of shared table space for signing autographs. Autograph sessions at Balticon are always no-fee signings. We encourage participants to purchase authors and artists works at Balticon (the Dealers Room is adjacent to the Autograph Table in the Maryland Ballroom foyer) and have them autoghraphed right away! All Balticon 47 Autograph Sessions will be held at the Autograph Table in the foyer outside the Maryland Ballroom.

In 2013, these authors, artists, podcasters and others will sit for autograph signings at Balticon 47:


2013 Compton Crook author Kira D.H. Aire Martin Berman-Gorvine Alessia Brio KT Bryski Jack Campbell Paul Cooley Vonnie Winsolow Crist Tim Dodge Tom Doyle Michael F. Flynn	Charles E. Gannon Phil Giunta Alicia Goranson Bob Greenberger Joe Haldeman W. Randy Hoffman Yoji Kondo Brian Koscienski Theodore Krulik Mur Lafferty L. Jagi Lamplighter Grig Larson	Dina Leacock Justin Macumber Bill Mayhew T. C. McCarthy Christine Norris Nnedi Okorafor TJ Perkins Christopher Pisano Don Sakers Melissa Scott H. Paul Shuch Maria V. Snyder	Janine K. Spendlove Jon Sprunk Allen Steele Cecilia Tan Leona Wisoker John C. Wright Robyn Wyrick Jeff Young Cindy Young-Turner

Friday, May 24, 2013

5:00 PM

Joe Haldeman, 2013 CCA author and T. C. McCarthy

6:00 PM

Charles E. Gannon and Cindy Young-Turner

7:00 PM

Don Sakers and Melissa Scott

8:00 PM

CLOSED FOR OPENING CEREMONIES

Saturday, May 25, 2013

10:00 AM

Janine Spendlove and Cecilia Tan

11:00 AM

Paul Cooley and Justin Macumber

12:00 Noon

L. Jagi Lamplighter and John C. Wright

1:00 PM

H. Paul Shuch and Leona Wisoker

2:00 PM

Nnedi Okorafor and 2013 Compton Crook author

3:30 PM

Joe Haldeman and Allen Steele

5:00 PM

Maria V. Snyder and Vonnie Winsolow Crist

6:00 PM

Brian Koscienski, Christopher Pisano, and Jeff Young

7:00 PM

Christine Norris and Jon Sprunk

8:00 PM

D.H. Aire and Martin Berman-Gorvine

9:00 PM

Tom Doyle and Theodore Krulik

Sunday, May 26, 2013

10:00 AM

Mur Lafferty and Dina Leacock

11:00 AM

KT Bryski and Tim Dodge

12:00 Noon

W. Randy Hoffman and Kira

1:00 PM

Grig Larson and TJ Perkins

2:00 PM

Yoji Kondo and Robyn Wyrick

3:00 PM

JMichael F. Flynn and CCA 2013 author

4:00 PM

Alessia Brio and Alicia Goranson

7:00 PM

Phil Giunta and Bob Greenberger

8:00 PM

Jack Campbell and Bill Mayhew

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BSFS Books for Kids

For the 16th year in a row, a charity auction will be held during the halftime break of the Masquerade on Saturday night and continued in the Garden Room on Sunday evening. There will be SF&F collectibles, memorabilia and other exotic items put on the block. If you have something to donate to the auction bring it to the con. In past years BSFS sponsored a charity auction at Balticon to raise money for Reading is Fundamental program/programs at a school or schools in Maryland. In 2006 the auction was renamed the “Bobby Gear Memorial Charity Auction at Baltcon” in honor of BSFS member Bobby Gear to commemorate her years of service as a school teacher and BSFS volunteer.

When the charity we were working with became inactive in Maryland, we knew it was important to us to keep the work alive. Therefore we were pleased to introduce, in early 2010, the BSFS Books for Kids program, and are proud to continue this literacy program in 2013.

BSFS Books for Kids will gift funds raised to the PTA of the selected school for the purchase of books ordered by students for personal recreational reading. The books will become the personal property of the students. In additon, BSFS Books for Kids collects book donations for local school libraries, as requested by their resident librarians.

The Bobby Gear Memorial Charity Auction at Balticon 47 will be raising money so that BSFS Books for Kids can provide book purchase funding for the students of Buck Lodge Middle School.

Items for the auction are donated by both individuals and companies and generally have a SF or fantasy theme. Author- and artist-signed copies of books, art work, games, and SF collectables are very popular donated items. Please remember that this auction provides books to children to encourage them (and their families) to read. Bid generousy!

Friday, approximately 10:00 PM

The Bobby Gear Memorial Charity Auction at Balticon

(Valley Ballroom)

Sunday, approximately 2:30 PM

The Bobby Gear Memorial Charity Auction at Balticon, Part II

(Garden Room)

The auction at Balticon is held during the masquerade half-time while the judges deliberate and the audience waits to hear the winners. Part II of the auction is held on Sunday following the art auction. Items available for auction are displayed in the Art Show. To donate items for the auction throughout the year, or for other details about the auction in any given year, please contact “BooksForKids AT bsfs DOT org”.

If you would like to bring your donations for the Bobby Gear Memorial Charity Auction with you to Balticon, they can be dropped off at the Convention Operations desk at the end of the hallway on the lower level just past the Art Show.

BSFS Books for Kids is currently collecting new and used book donations for the libraries of seveal schools in Baltimore City. They are in need of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance and Poetry books, as well as less challenging books like Goosebumps, Sweet Valley High, etc. for reading competency levels from grade 3 on (ages 8 and up).

You may drop-off book donations for the schools at the Info desk, the Volunteers Desk and at Convention Operations.

Thank you for supporting youth literacy in Maryland!

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CHILDREN'S PROGRAM TRACK

Balticon, on Saturday, Sunday and on Monday morning, presents 18 hours of entertaining, educational, fun programming for children from toddlers to pre-teens. Program items include magic, music, dance, crafts projects, art, storytelling and costuming. If you would like to be a presenter or facilitator for a Balticon Childrens' Program hour, please contact coordinator Eta Hack about your idea.

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CONCERTS

The Music/Filk Program at Balticon offers many hours of musical and comedy entertainment. This year our feature filk group, Sassafrass, will be honoring Balticon with the premier onstage performance of their work, SUNDOWN. They will perform the complete song cycle, staged as a play with costumes and characters. All of the songs on the album will be woven together into a narrative, tracing the rise and fall of the Norse cosmos. The play will be narrated and the stories presented by cast members representing the two major authors of our surviving Icelandic myth primary sources: Snorri Sturlson, author of the Prose Edda, and the Seeress who narrates the Völuspá or Seeress's Prophecy, one of the core sections of the anonymous Poetic Edda. This promises to be an amazing performance. Don't miss it!

Look at the schedule below after the first of the year for scheduled concerts.

THE BALTICON 47 CONCERT SCHEDULE will be posted in April, 2013.
Friday, May 24, 2013

  9:00  PM Concert: Sarah Pinsker (Salon C-D)

  9:30  PM Concert: TBD (Salon C-D)

10:00  PM Friday Night Open Filk (Overnight) (Salon C-D)

Friday Night Open Filk continues until 4:00 AM Saturday morning

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Saturday, May 25, 2013

  7:00  PM Concert: Maugorn (Garden Room)

  8:00  PM Concert: Danny Birt (Garden Room)

  9:00  PM Concert: TBA (Garden Room)

  9:30  PM Concert: Ditched by Kate (Garden Room)

10:30  PM Saturday Night Open Filk — 5 hours of it! (Garden Room)

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Sunday, May 26, 2013

  2:00  PM SE-10. Sundown: Whispers of Ragnarok
Ada Palmer and Sassafrass Concert (Valley Ballroom)

  7:00  PM Concert: TBD (Salon C/D)

  8:00  PM Concert: Partners in K'Rhyme (Salon C-D)

  9:00  PM Concert: Merav Hoffman (Salon C-D)

10:00  PM Sunday Night Open Filk until 3:00 AM (Salon C-D)

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Monday May 27, 2013

  2:30  PM Concert: Gorgeous Gary and Friends (Garden Room)

  3:30  PM M-10. Dead Dog Jam/Filk (Garden Room)

Back to Index CON SUITE Back to Top

Balticon offers its members a traditional convention hospitality suite with soda and snack foods in a congenial atmosphere designed to promote casual conversation. In addition, look for special events like late night concerts and book launches in the Con Suite!

Back to Index COSTUMING PROGRAM TRACK Back to Top

Balticon offers 12 hours of costuming panels, workshops and presentations. We try to schedule quite a bit of that before the Masquerade so that novices can pick up some last minute coaching if they want it. However, the Masquerade post-mortem is a no-to-be-missed event!

Back to Index DANCE Back to Top

Balticon has worked hard to establish a tradition of offering dance and other music and movement events. Susan deGuardiola will again be offering her famous Steam Punk Ball as well as Martian Croquet and Patches will be offering Medeival Dance and Hooping again. A special treat is a Poi Spinning Demo and Workshop on Friday (limited attendance - pre-register at the Info Desk.) Watch these pages for events such as a Steam Punk Ball, hula-hooping to music, Regency or other period dances, and other music and movement events. Check the Panels and Workshops page for the Dance Events Schedule.

Back to Index DEALERS ROOM Back to Top

The Balticon DEALER'S ROOM:

Features 6500 square-foot of tables with everything a Fan might want, from hard-to-find books to ancient weapons, costumes, collectibles, models and more. This year, the room will be open late Sunday and until 2 pm Monday. See the Dealers Room page for a list of vendors.

Dealers in SF and Fantasy related merchandise can inquire about availability by writing:
     Balticon 47 Dealers Room
     c/o P.O. Box 70013
     Baltimore, MD. 21237

     or by e-mail to Dealers AT bsfs DOT org

Balticon 47 Dealers room is sold out.

Back to Index FAN PROGRAM TRACK Back to Top

Balticon's Fan Program Track includes events such as the SF Trivia Contest, panel discussions on getting the most from your convention experience, examining lifestyle choices, looking at ways to be involved in fandom, demonstrations of some of the hobbies fans get involved in and discussions about various aspects of topics such as space war, private enterprise in space, and more.

Back to Index FILM AND TV PROGRAM TRACK Back to Top

The Film and TV Program track offers opportunities to compare and contrast current and past film and television offerings, celebrate favorites with other fans, compare literary and film versions of works, and discuss the trends in SF entertainment.

Back to Index SUNDAY NIGHT SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Back to Top

For the 10th consecutive year, BSFS sponsors The Balticon Sunday Night Short Film Festival (BSNSFF), held traditionally on (surprise!) Sunday night, will be presented animated and live action science fiction, fantasy, and horror films from independent filmmakers all over the world. Award ribbons and/or certificates are given for audience choice animated, live action and specialty film (science fact, music videos) favorites as well as director's choice. For entry guidelines, or more information about the Balticon Film Festival, download the Application and Permission to Screen forms or contact filmfestival AT balticon DOT org.

In addition, the BSNSFF seeks to support the work of independent filmmakers by premiering an independently produced feature-length film on Friday night and are open to considering a family-friendly premier for Saturday afternoon. We'll teaming up with the Video Program to bring you other independent feature-length and short films at the Balticon Friday, Saturday and Sunday Belmont Room Midnight Movies. We hope you will stay up late to see what we have to show you!

We accept proposals for film premiers and other feature films as well as film festival submissions year-round.

Sunday, 7:45 PM

Doors open for seating for Balticon 47 Sunday Night Short Film Festival

(Valley Ballroom)

Sunday, 8:00 PM

Balticon 47 Sunday Night Short Film Festival

(Valley Ballroom)

Doors open at 7:45 PM. Come and make your opinion count! Please note that films shown after 9:00 pm may not be appropriate for children under 13 without an accompanying adult.

The focus of the Balticon Sunday Night Short Film Festival (BSNSFF) is on independently produced science fact, science fiction, fantasy and horror live action and animation projects under 52 minutes run time, which have been completed no earlier than in the two years prior to the festival year. The BSNSFF is a competitive festival with winners in two (sometimes three) categories determined by audience rating. Please make sure you pick up a ballot on your way into the Valley Ballroom on Sunday night. After May 1, 2013, see the Film Festival Schedule for this year's screening schedule.

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FILMMAKING PROGRAM TRACK

The Balticon Filmmaking program track was introduced at Balticon 44 and continues at Balticon 47 with the same dual primary missions:

To provide a forum wherein talent, producers, directors, special effects technicians and others involved in making independent science fiction, science fact, fantasy, and horror films can meet each other and discuss their trade;

To provide opportunities for Balticon members to meet folks involved in independent filmmaking, learn about the filmmaking process from those who are out there doing it and see their work in screenings throughout the weekend.

See the Filmmaking Track Schedule on the Panels and Workshops page for more information.

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GAMING PROGRAM TRACK

Last year, since so many fans are into gaming, we decided to expand our Gaming Program Track to 14 hours. That went so well that this year we are going to a 16-hour Gaming Program Track, with introductory presentations, explorations of old and new board games and card games, and various discussion formums. Please contact the Gaming Program Coordinator if you are interested in presenting a workshop or demonstration or sitting on Gaming Program panels.

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GAME ROOM

Balticon 47 marks the 3-year anniversary of the renaming of our game room as the Hal Haag Memorial Game Room in honor of fan and gamer Hal Haag, who passed away in 2009. Bring your own game or play one of ours — we'll be open from 4:00 pm until 2 am Friday, from 9:00 am through 2 am on Saturday and Sunday nights and from 9:00 am until close of con on Monday. If you have a miniatures or other game you would like to schedule during the 2:00 am to 8:00 overnight, write to Donna to negotiate arrangements.

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HALL COSTUME CONTEST

While you are enjoying Balticon dressed to the nines, stop by the Volunteer Desk at the bottom of the escalator and have Brian take your photo for the Hall Costume Contest. Then tell everyone you see to go vote for you! The winner gets a complimentary membership to Balticon 47 and a surprise gift.

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KAFFEEKLATSCHES

Kaffeeklatshes offer an opportunity to chat with Guests in a more intimate setting. Sign-up sheets are located at the Information Desk near the top of the escalators. See the Special Events or Panels and Workshops page for the Kaffeeklatsche Schedule.

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LARP (Live Action Role Playing)

Join us at Balticon 47 for the LARP's fifth year on Saturday and Sunday in the Con Suite. Registration will be Across from Participant Check-In on Friday May 24th from 5:00 - 9:00 pm and continuing 9:00 am - 10:45 am, Saturday May 25th. Opening Ceremonies are on Saturday, 11:00 am-12:30 pm in the Pimlico Room. The Game starts 1:00 pm Saturday in the Con Suite. Closing Ceremonies will be held in the Pimlico Room on Monday from 10:00 am - 11:00 am.


All Weekend	Live Action Role Playing (LARP)	(Various Locations)

Earth is long gone… destroyed after centuries of abuse and neglect. In order to survive, the human race looked to the stars for refuge and found a new home, but they had to adapt and change. And those changes were considerable. A true "Human" can no longer be found. In their place a new race has arisen, one built to stand the tests and hardships their new life will put them through.

It is 2011 AE, and you have been selected by your home planet to represent your Guild at a historical conference, the first of its kind, on the Space Station Aeneus. Your orders are very clear…to further your Guild's relations with your counterparts and settle any disputes that have developed over time. And of course to open up avenues of brotherhood and unity. That is the goal. You must overcome your animosity towards the other species and Guilds. It is a difficult task but as you are not only well known, but highly respected in your field, this should prove to be relatively simple…you think.

Mission Status to Date

Simple indeed. It has been almost a month since the military presence on Station Aeneus declared martial law in hopes of quelling the chaos that erupted with the attempt on the Commandant's life. That ban has now been lifted and things seem to be getting back to normal for the most part. But whispers of a vaccine that could have profound effects on the whole of "humanity" are traveling like wildfire throughout the ranks. What the potentials are you don't know. But between that and a rogue AI, a traitorous executive officer on the lam, dissention within the ranks of the military itself, the rise of the Black Market, whose whereabouts are still a mystery, and whispers of a long lost lab where the secrets of the miracle vaccine may be hidden…your stay will be anything but quiet.

Mission Status to Date-The Continuing Story

What started as a peaceful conference to build strong and lasting bonds between worlds has now become a race to stop the total collapse of society as you know it. 6 months have passed and all the upheaval created by the announcement of a life-altering virus in production aboard the station seemed to have dissipated. Fear and chaos have given way to grief and mourning for the loss of Nefere, the Minar spiritualist who helped protect the weak and was a true leader in every respect. The entire station is now dedicating the rebuilding effort to his memory. But those are not the only happenings going on. There are still rumors of the former XO being in hiding, along with the station's former commandant. And no one seems to be able to locate the fabled Black Market, along with its mysterious benefactor, The Shadow Queen. Adding to these worries is the fact that odd things seem to be occurring randomly around the station. A flickering of lights. Doors opening and closing on their own. Small items going missing then reappearing elsewhere. Environmental controls going haywire. What could be causing this? No one seems to know. But as these occurrences become more and more frequent, everyone starts to wonder…is this internal, or is there something else that is behind it all.

Join us at the Balticon 47 LARP… Saturday and Sunday in the Con Suite. Registration starts Friday, May 24th from 5 to 9 pm at the table across the hall from Participant Check-In and continues there 9:00 am to 10:45 am on Saturday, May 25th. Opening Ceremonies is on Saturday 11:00 am-12:30 pm in the Pimlico Room. The Game starts 1:00 pm Saturday in the Con Suite. Closing Ceremonies are Monday 10:00 am to 11:00 am in the Pimlico room.

Registration is $10 per person (covers the cost of materials). All skill level of players welcomed! "Come for the fun...Stay for the mayhem!"

The LARP schedule will be on the Special Events page. Scroll down the Balticon Home Page to see the Balticon 47 LARP winner.

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LITERARY PROGRAM

Balticon Literary Program Track participants with qualifications as authors, editors, publishers, reviewers and long-time fans will explore varied themes in SF, Fantasy, Horror and mixed-genre literature through panel and round table debates and discussions, workshops, presentations, author readings and personal autograph session interactions. Multiple literary program tracks (Readers, Writers, Small Press Publishing, and [new for 2013] Editors) make this the core of Balticon programming.

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LITERARY PROGRAM: EDITORS TRACK

This sub-track track is geared to seat professional editors in the panelist seats and on the presenter's podium. Some of these program items will target an audience of writers and some will target an audience of professional and aspiring editors. Danielle Ackley-McPhail is coordinating this new track.

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LITERARY PROGRAM: READERS TRACK

In the Readers sub-track, with readers and fans as its target audience, everything from philosophical debates, story telling, book reviews, science speculation and historical perspectives will flow. Reviewers and Fan group members will review and discuss work and its place in the genre to help you find new literature suited to your taste. Audiences will have opportunities to cheer panelists on as they produce story ideas on the spot and panelists will evaluate audience efforts to do the same. Whether your personal fascination is with hard SF, fantasy or horror, there will be plenty of panels for you to attend.

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LITERARY PROGRAM: READINGS

Author and editor program participants are invited to give readings of their work. Check the Readings Schedule to find out when your favorites will be presenting their work. We will again be using the 3-readers per program hour format this year. Readers can all sit at the table together, or may elect to take turns at the table, and will decide themselves the order in which they will read.

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LITERARY PROGRAM: SMALL PRESS PUBLISHING TRACK

We are trying very hard to provide programming for small press publishers at Balticon. Through our Small Press Publisher Presents items, we hope to be able to offer small press publishers the opportunity to present their "line-up" to fans at Baltcon, just as the "big houses"do at WorldCons. Fans will have chances to win prizes, get first glimpses of cover art and hear about the publishers' upcoming books before they're released.

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LITERARY PROGRAM: WRITERS TRACK

In the WRITERS TRACK, professional instructors will offer lectures and workshops on developing and enhancing writing skills. Panels of professional and aspiring writers will discuss how they got where they are, where they want to go, and share tips and tricks and experiences.

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MASQUERADE

On Saturday night Balticon hosts one of the oldest masquerades on the East Coast. Marvel at the participants crafting of fabric and other materials into imaginative and extraordinary costumes. The Masquerade is not just for experienced costumers either -- Hall Costumes and first-timers are encouraged to get up on stage and share their work. The masquerade competition will be judged on the experience skills division system to give beginners a chance to go home winners. Info: e-mail masq@balticon.org or check “Masquerade” on the registration form. Check the Baltimore Science Fiction Society website for the Masquerade rules.

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MUSIC/FILK PROGRAM TRACK

In addition to a fantastic schedule of concerts, the Music Program Track offers workshops, jam sessions, panel discussions and 3 nights of Open Filk.

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NEW MEDIA PROGRAM TRACK

There's a whole wonderful world of non-traditional media available and, as we did last year, we're bringing you more than just podcasting. Come and meet local artists and writers from the world of web comics and many other fascinating people leading the new media explosion. Learn more about what's available in independent new media and how to turn it to your advantage. Dont let your work be lost in the shadows: find your audience! Balticon was the first con to run new media programming and have its own dedicated podcast, which makes ours the longest running new media track.

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PARTIES

PARTIES:

NOTE: The first TEN open party signups we receive will get their cleaning fee paid by the con! This is a first come, first serve deal, so don't wait! ALL parties, including PRIVATE parties, MUST be registered with the Balticon Party Czar.

Let's keep the fun going into the night! If you are interested in throwing a room party at Balticon 47, to support your convention, your Worldcon bid, or just because you want to invite people in to have some fun, we'd love to have you. Please email party@balticon.org for details.

Open parties will be registered and grouped in one area easily accessible to everyone. Registering your open party will ensure that you are covered by Balticon's corkage agreement (allowing you to serve food and non-alcoholic drinks), and that your neighbors don't mind the noise generated. Parties will be open until 3:00 am. Alcohol is not permitted at open room parties.

There is a $50.00 for the weekend party cleaning fee that the hotel will add to your bill for hosting open room parties. This one time fee is $50.00 for one, two or three nights of hosting an open party.

If you plan on holding a private party,let us know at party{at}balticon{dot}org; we will put you with the other parties so you can stay up all night talking and laughing without worrying about potential noise complaints. If your room is in the party area, but you are not throwing an open party, you will not be charged the additional cleaning fee. The hotel will take a deposit for open party rooms which will be returned when they confirm the room is not damaged. Open party rooms must be confirmed with hotel before April 24, 2013, or the hotel may reject the request for such a room. Please check the box on the registration form if you would like to receive the open-party information packet or send mail to party@balticon.org. Following these rules means we can continue holding open room parties at Balticon.

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PERFORMING ARTS PROGRAM TRACK

The Performing Arts Program was a successful new mini-track experiment at Baltifcon 46. We hope to again be offering 4 to 6 hours of workshops and performance opportunities, but the former coordinator has stepped down and we need someone to take over!

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SCIENCE PROGRAM TRACK

Balticon 47 offers over 30 hours of original science programming. Meet the scientists and attend fascinating presentations and panel discussions.

Friday, May 24, 2013

6:00 PM	"In Search of Earths" Inge Heyer, Loyola University of Baltimore, Physics Dept.	(Salon A)

7:00 PM	The Advent of Cells -- Adaptation of semiconductor principles to new life. (Anthropological Biology, Xenobiology, Future Medicine, & Cyborg Intelligence) Synopsis: The classic model of life's beginnings on Earth exclude understanding the past 60 years of semiconductors. Physics drives our lives, yet is not included. The metaphor is that without semiconductors, your iPhone would be the size of a house and need a generator. Semiconductor modeling shows the primeval start to our central nervous system. J. Sherlock Brown III, author of The Boson Maru and Codger on Kansas ;, www.joebrownscience.net	(Salon A)

8:00 PM	closed for Opening ceremonies

9:00 PM	Human Sucking and Swallowing Mechanisms. Ianessa Humbert, Asst. Professor, and Phoebe Macrae, Ph.D. Johns Hopkins Medical School ihumber1@jhmi.edu	(Salon A)

10:00 PM	Meet the scientist social	(Parlor 1041)

Saturday, May 25, 2013

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM	Shabbat service + Parsha Discussion (leader: Barry Nove)	(Chase)

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM	Dinosaurs, the Update Dr. Thomas Holtz	(Garden)

11:00 AM	Faster than a Speeding Bagel Marvin Pinkert, Director of the Jewish Museum of Maryland, former director of the museum at the National Archives (as in Nicholas Cage's National Treasure) and VP for exhibits and programs at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry	(Salon A)

12:00 PM	Interesting cases at my VA hospital Dr. Robert Katz	(Salon A)

1:00 PM	50 years of Planetary Exploration Overview: how we have explored other worlds with rovers, robots, and orbiting probes; why staring at one rock (like the one we're standing on) isn't enough for understanding our solar systems; and planned future explorations. Pamela Gay	(Salon A)

2:00 PM	"Science Of The Mutant Flu And You" An update of my 2010 presentation w/ new virus strains, vaccines and CDC actions, etc John Cmar, MD, Assist. Director Div.of Infectious Diseases, Sinai Hospital	(Salon A)

3:00 PM	Invisibility: Theory & Practice -- How do black holes, jet fighters, gorillas, & magicians avoid being seen? What is the physics & psychology of invisibility? What methods are used? How can we see thru them? And what does the future of invisibility look like? John Ashmead	(Salon A)

4:00 PM	How do modern anesthetics work? Dr. Robert I Katz	(Salon A)

5:00 PM	Your Lying Eyes You think you see in high resolution, but you don't: your eyes & brain fill in a lot of gaps. Find out how visual illusions teach us how we see. (How our visual system really works and how visual illusions let researchers learn more about how we see, what we see.) Stephen Granade, PhD	(Salon A)

6:00 PM	"Energy Dissipation: It's all downhill but sometimes by interesting routes" Part 2 Andy Love	(Salon A)

7:00 PM	Heavy Entry Decent and Landing at Mars Col. Eli Terry The problem of soft landing payloads on the order of 10MT or more to the Martian surface has challenged human imagination for many years, and some even argue it is impossible. In the limit of pure aerobraking, a low mass fraction for the aeroshell (30%) can allow a significant increase in landed mass at Mars compared to that at the Moon. In the limit of pure retro-propulsion, the fuel fraction demanded easily exceeds the mass of the landed payload. A regenerative aerobraking system sits in between these limits, and, as construed here, comprises any subsystems to (i) extract useful power from the enthalpy of the re-entry dynamics itself, (ii) condition and store that energy for some fraction of the descent, and (iii) apply that energy to provide further retro-propulsion, lift, or control authority for maneuvers. The method of such power recovery is not the subject of this investigation. We do include the trades in harvesting any combination of electrical or thermal power, or working fluid from the ambient re-entry flow.	(Salon A)

Sunday, May 26, 2013

9:00 AM	Excavating Ekron (Israel) Dr. Barry Gittlen, Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, Towson U.	(Salon A)

10:00 AM	Life on the Edge: Extreme Biology to the Rescue FRANK ROBB and Joel Graham Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, U of MD school of medicine Life inhabits and thrives in virtually all niches on planet earth where there is liquid water. Organisms that survive at the physical limits of life by necessity produce molecular machines, or enzymes, that operate optimally at such extremes. These extremophile enzymes are spectacular not only for their physical and chemical limits but also for their ability to drive technology. In particular, the application of thermophilic enzymes in the polymerase chain reaction in 1985 led to the explosion of biotechnology, genome sequencing and modern forensics that we take for granted today. In turn, the age of instantaneous genomics advances the cause of identifying, using and harnessing new extremophiles and their enzymes to solve today'?s problems. The pressing problem of our time is of course that of closing the anthropogenic carbon cycle. Addressing this, we will discuss the discovery of a hyperthermophilic cellulase and its potential to aid the cause of cellulosic biofuels, and the ability of a class of thermophiles to consume/utilize carbon monoxide for the production of fuel.	(Salon A)

11:00 AM	"The light at the end of the tunnel is a neurologist coming your way": Optogenetics -- Putting Tag Molecules in the Brains of Humans Peter Guthrie, Ph.D. Scientific Review Officer, NTRC, Center for Scientific Review, NIH	(Salon A)

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM	"Songs of Space and Sky" Dr. Seti (Prof. H. Paul Shuch, CFII, Chief Flight Instructor AvSport of Lock Haven)	(Salon A)

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM	How Physics and Math intersect to create supersymmetry, supergravity, and superstring theory Sylvester James "JIM" GATES Jr, University System of Maryland Regents Professor, the U of MD John S. Toll Professor & Director of the Center for String & Particle Theory, named one of twelve recipients of the National Medal of Science on Dec.21,2012	(Valley Ballroom)

2:00 PM	Too Much information? Make your own Health Decisions! Beatrice Kondo, JHU	(Salon A)

3:00 PM	Sylvester James Gates Jr. ,Toll Professor Of Physics at U of MD College Park with interviewers Stephen Granade and John Ashmead	(Salon A)

4:00 PM	Androids - build your own more-lifelike robots at home. Dr. Thomas Talbot, Armed Forces Simulation Institute for Medicine (AFSIM )	(Salon A)

5:00 PM	"LIfe Cycle of the Stars" Jason Kalirai, JWST	(Salon A)

6:00 PM	More Physics and Math: AUDIENCE Q&A time with Dr. Sylvester James "JIM" GATES Jr., University System of Maryland Regents Professor, the U of MD John S. Toll Professor & Director of the Center for String & Particle Theory	(Salon A)

7:00 PM	Dinner break (we're going to Wegmans-- Y'all come and bring your wallets).

7:00 PM	art track:Star Trek by Artist GOH Rick Sternback Rick reveals the process that shaped the designs of starships, hand props, set graphics, astronomical phenomina in the 24th century for Star Trek...15 years on the job at Paramount Pictures starting w/ Star Trek:The Motion Picture, saw the creation of a vast array of vehicles & equipment, etc.	(Salon A)

8:00 PM	"What is Green Chemistry?" Doug Fratz	(Salon A)

9:00 PM	"The Importance of Polar Orbiting Satellites: S-NPP and JPSS" Laura Burns	(Salon A)

10:00 PM	Software patents, what they are, and how they are stifling rather than fostering innovation in the computer industry. Marv Zelkowitz	(Salon A)

Monday, May 27, 2013

9:00 AM	"The Scoop on Poop" Alexa Weingarden (Sassafrass Music GOH ), an MD/PhD student at U.of Minnesota, Microbiology, Immunology+ Cancer Biology program, studing fecal transplantation as a treatment for infection with Clostridium difficile ("C diff") in the laboratories of Alexander Khoruts and Michael Sadowsky, one of the preeminent fecal transplantation programs in the country. In the course of pursuing her PhD, she's learned (and smelled) much more about poop, guts, and farts than she thought possible, and she hopes you will too	(Salon A)

10:00 AM	Space Swifties from APL Space Department a bunch of small (~3 minute) presentations on various unusual topics . Dr. Robin Vaughan, JHU Applied Physics Laboratory.	(Salon A)

11:00 AM	My trip to the Galapagos Dr. Thomas Holtz	(Salon A)

12:00 PM	"The Bright Exciting Comets of 2013 - 2014, and How We Didn't Die Horribly From Comet Elenin in 2012" Dr. Carey M. Lisse, Astrophysicist, JHU-APL	(Salon A)

1:00 PM	Mercury- The Update! Noam Izenberg, JHU-APL	(Salon A)

2:00 PM	"Dirt that breathes, on Mars and the Moon" Tim Livengood	(Salon A)

3:00 PM	"The Circle of Life: A Star's Journey" Inge Heyer Loyola Universityof Baltimore, Physics Dept.	(Salon A)

4:00 PM	Convention Wrap Up

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TEEN (AGES 13-18) PROGRAM TRACK

The Teen Program Track includes workshops, panels and round table discussions for fans, readers and writers aged 13 to 18. Literary and art professionals will offer information and coaching as well as act as moderators for panels and round tables.

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VIDEO ROOM

Balticon 47 again offers an expanded Video Room schedule. In addition to the Salon F video schedule, Video and the Film Festival will be teaming up to provide midnight movies in the Belmont room, and Video will continue to offer movies in the Belmont through from midnight through early morning in addition to those offered in Salon F. Look for the Video Schedule below sometime in April. Please Note: All Start Times are APPROXIMATE.

Balticon 47 Video Room Schedule

See the Schedule posted at Salon F.

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BALTICON VOLUNTEERS PROGRAM

Balticon is an all-volunteer managed and staffed convention and we can always use more help. Show your SF community spirit by volunteering a few hours at the con. Volunteers who work more than 10 hours receive our exclusive volunteer T-shirt. Work more than 20 hours and next year's Balticon membership is comped. Sign up via email, at the convention or check the Volunteering box on the registration form. And if you decide not to volunteer, take a moment to say thank you to those who do! This convention wouldn't exist without them.

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WORKSHOPS

Balticon brings you a variety of workshops in the Anime, Art, Children's, Costuming, Gaming, Literary:Writing, and Filmmaking program tracks. See the Panels and Workshops page for the Workshops Schedule.

Poetry Workshop

Enter the Annual Balticon Poetry Contest! Here's your chance to win cash prizes, a convention membership, and have your work published in the BSFAN, the souvenir book of Balticon. Entries should address the themes of science fiction/fantasy/horror/science. Limit: 3 poems/person, maximum 50 lines each. Email/postmark deadline: April 1. No entry fee. Complete information is available on the Baltimore Science Fiction Society Poetry Workshop page.

Writers' Workshop

You Have To Have Character: We will critique character development in people's writing. To do this, we ask that all participants bring a sample of their writing that describes, develops, illustrates or otherwise presents a character. There will be discussion on how to create a character, both in fiction and non-fiction.

For those who want to improve your writing skills in the areas of science fiction and fantasy, the workshop is a place and time to discuss ideas, debate styles and comment on each others' work. From year to year, we look at various aspects of writing:

Opening lines

Outlines

Themes

Character development

Story structure

Dialogue

In addition, we also discuss and debate those things that make SF&F different from 'mainsteam' literature: story ideas ranging from the dawn of time through the future, parallel worlds, civilizations human and non-human, technology advancing and threatening; settings near and far, on this planet and others, running across dimensions, travelling through the past and future; characters that are human, non-human, organic, inorgranic, physical and spiritual; settings ranging from worlds the size of a microbe to civilizations spanning galaxies. Yet all these connecting to us as people.

Having trouble with your short stories? We can work with you. Not sure how to write a novel? Talk to others who have done one or two. Wondering how to approach an editor, or how to write a cover letter? Let us help you. We don't guarantee story sales, but we do what we can to help you. If you have questions, write to writersworkshop AT bsfs DOT org. Coordinator Steve Lubbs looks forward to hearing from you.

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YOUNG FAN (AGES 17-25) PROGRAM

The Young Fan Program Track includes workshops, panels and round table discussions for fans, readers and writers aged 17-25. Literary and art professionals will offer information and coaching as well as act as moderators for panels and round tables. Some items will be open to both Teens and Young Fans. We are especially working to include lots of hands-on craft presentations.

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10:00 PM	Friday Night Open Filk (Overnight)	(Salon C-D)


10:30 PM	Saturday Night Open Filk — 5 hours of it!	(Garden Room)


2:00 PM	SE-10. Sundown: Whispers of Ragnarok Ada Palmer and Sassafrass Concert	(Valley Ballroom)


10:00 PM	Sunday Night Open Filk until 3:00 AM	(Salon C-D)


2:30 PM	Concert: Gorgeous Gary and Friends	(Garden Room)