Kidscreen Announces Shortlist for 2022 Kidscreen Awards
CN Drops ‘We Baby Bears’ Show Open Video
A spin-off of the popular ‘We Bare Bears,’ the all-new animated comedy features the lovable siblings as their baby selves, traveling in search of a home; the series premieres January 1 on Cartoon Network.
‘Flee’ Named Best Animated Feature at Manchester Animation Festival
Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s film takes top honors alongside Best Short ‘Navozande, The Musician’ and Best Student Film ‘BusLine35A;’ Industry Excellence Awards also announced.
Call for Submissions: Mifa Pitches 2022
Selected pitch projects receive unique opportunities including meeting with and access to key players in the animation sector; submission deadline set for February 8, 2022; Annecy Festival runs June 13-18, with Mifa running June 14-17.
Guru Studio Drops ‘Big Blue’ First Look Music Video
Featuring a theme song produced by Grammy-winning music producer Timbaland and his Beatclub team, the all-new animated sci-fi comedy premieres on CBC Kids Canada December 4.
Mark Millar and Motonobu Hori Talk ‘Super Crooks’
The creator and director of Netflix’s first superhuman heist anime series discuss their comic-inspired show that follows a small-time, superpowered crook, Johnny Bolt, and what he hopes will be his biggest - and final - score.
Cinesite Renders ‘The Addams Family 2’ in the Cloud
Morticia, Gomez and crew give ‘Road Trip’ a new meaning; in showcasing iconic North American locales, the studio turned to AWS to manage the extensive assets and complex visual effects needed to coordinate the largely remote work.
‘Gintama THE VERY FINAL’ Coming Home January 25
Releasing in North American for the first time, the conclusion of the popular manga franchise drops on digital January 25 and Blu-ray + DVD combo pack on February 8; preorder now from Shout! Factory to receive an exclusive poster.
Seek the Spice as ‘Dune’ Comes to Digital and Blu-Ray
Denis Villeneuve’s hit sci-fi epic, based on the seminal Frank Herbert books, arrives for digital ownership on December 3 and 4K, Blu-ray and DVD on January 11, 2022, complete with special bonus features.
A Lonely Otter Finds Unusual Companionship in ‘I am a Pebble’
Maxime Le Chapelain, one of six creators of the multi-award-winning 3D/CG student short, discusses the genesis of the project and the collaborative process that brought it to fruition.
OnOff Studio Releases ‘Zako’ Teaser
The innovative animated film follows the story of Soviet Armenian painter Sargis Mangasaryan, who used his skills, drawing portraits of his captors, to survive a Nazi POW Camp; based on a graphic novel ‘Zako - Crude Fruit,’ the film is slated for release by 2025.
Did I Err Productions Acquires Sergio Aragonés’ ‘Groo the Wanderer’
Josh Jones licenses animated film and TV rights to famed cartoonist’s award-winning comic, now in its 40th year of publication; property follows the exploits of an invincible barbarian warrior who negotiates his days with an I.Q. three points lower than a boulder.
Hype Animation Awarded Epic Mega Grant
The Brazilian animation studio will use Unreal Engine and AI to animate and generate music for the upcoming preschool series ‘Kaia's Discoveries;’ the show promotes diversity, empathy, technology and science with music and melodies.
Exclusive Premiere: ‘Nuevo Rico’ Explores Latinx Futurism
Kristian Mercado Figueroa’s multi-award-winning short boldly explores Puerto Rican identity in a new way, a defiant gesture of representation that looks at the island’s commercialization and colonial status.
Nexus Studios ‘A Future Begins’ Gets Thanksgiving Kick-Off
The charming stop-motion spot, created by award-winning animator John Kelly, focuses on Chipotle’s commitment to sustainable farming and human welfare; with a soundtrack by Grammy-award winning singer Kacey Musgraves, the commercial is a patchwork quilted love letter to the restaurants’ supply chain and the people behind it.
‘Cryptozoo’s Legendary Cryptids Now Available on Blu-Ray and VOD
Dash Shaw’s visually stunning Sundance award-winning animated film follows the hallucinatory world of cryptozookeepers as they struggle to capture a legendary dream-eating baku.
The Stop-Motion Wonderland of ‘Robin Robin,’ Aardman’s First Musical
The renowned studio’s charming new holiday special stars a sweet, clumsy, and rather noisy little bird who desperately wants to be as sneaky - and quiet - as her adoptive mouse family, now streaming on Netflix.
Stampede Ventures and UTA Launch HappyNest
Former MGA Entertainment VP and executive producer Sadaf Cohen Muncy will helm new independent animation production company and creative incubator; company will guide IP development while enabling artists to maintain financial and creative control.
Capturing Everest’s Compelling Beauty and Danger in ‘The Summit of the Gods’
Patrick Imbert and Jean-Charles Ostorero’s breathtaking 2D animated feature deftly wraps a historical mystery inside a recluse’s obsessive need to climb the most treacherous mountain on Earth; film releases today in theaters, and hits Netflix November 30.
Disney Television Animation Adds Lisa Fragner as VP, Development
Former Blue Sky Studios’ VP and Head of Development steered numerous projects from pitch to greenlight, including ‘Ice Age: Dawn of The Dinosaurs,’ ‘Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who,’ ‘Rio, Spies in Disguise’, and ‘Nimona.’
Elizabeth Waybright Taylor Named VP, Development, Disney Television Animation
Long-time Disney exec promoted to oversee team steering new Disney Channel animated content for kids and families; previous projects include ‘The Wonderful World of Mickey Mouse’ cartoon shorts, ‘Amphibia,’ ‘Kiff,’ and the upcoming ‘Primos.’
DreamWorks Shares ‘Fast & Furious: Spy Racers Homecoming’ Final Season Trailer
Buckle up as the Spy Racers set out on one last mission; all-new Season 6 episodes of the popular animated show, based on the live-action ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise, hit Netflix December 17.
Illumination Drops Final ‘Sing 2’ Trailer
Buster Moon and his all-star cast of performers are ready to unleash their biggest extravaganza yet… but there’s one small hitch; sequel to 2016 hit ‘Sing’ comes to theaters December 22.
‘Far From the Tree’: A Harried Raccoon Confronts the Challenges of Parenting
Writer/director Natalie Nourigat and producer Ruth Strother talk about their all-new animated short screening with Disney’s animated musical, ‘Encanto,’ which opens today in theaters.