AWS Launches Amazon Nimble Studio
New cloud-based pay as you go production service provides almost limitless, easily scalable access to high-power accelerated virtual workstations, high-speed storage, and on-demand rendering resources across Amazon’s global infrastructure.
Lebanese Animated Thriller ‘Alephia 2053’ Imagines A World Without Tyranny
Pulling from events surrounding the Arab Spring uprisings, powerful new 60-minute film envisions what the Middle East could look like in 30 years.
Tech Platform disguise Awarded Innovate UK Grant
R&D project aims to develop a totally immersive virtual production environment delivering high-quality real-time scenes in Unreal Engine.
LOBO Animates ‘Draw the Line Against Malaria’ PSA
Using ‘Muundo,’ a new universal visual language created by artist Láolú Senbanjo, animation studio creates promotional spot with eye-catching lines, symbols, and patterns to inspire African youth to call on their leaders to end malaria within a generation.
FMX 2021 Shares New Program Highlights
Running May 4-6, the online even has announced additional talks and highlights, including ‘From 2D to 3D: The Craft of Tom & Jerry,’ more ‘Concept Art Track’ speakers, and a panel by the Animation Media Cluster Region Stuttgart.
The Gremlin’s First New Looney Tunes Cartoon Hits HBO Max
Watch clips of ‘High Speed Hare,’ and Petunia Pig’s ‘Pigture Perfect;’ new batch of 10 shorts premieres April 29.
Creating the Stylized, 2D-Inspired Fun of Pixar’s ‘Luca’
Director Enrico Casarosa used his cartoony sketches and storyboards to lead a ‘less is more’ move away from 3DCG realism in the studios’ upcoming tale about a life-changing summer for two teenage sea monsters living on the Italian Riviera.
Ottawa Animation Festival Going Online for 2021
With the pandemic still to be reckoned with, event will go virtual again this year, with an extended run set for September 22 – October 3; the best of the usual ‘in person’ activities will be featured and available from the safety and comfort of home; submissions still being accepted through May 31.
Spire Animation Receives ‘Unreal Shorts’ Program Grant
Epic Games’ new grant and fellowship program aims to fund filmmakers who utilize Unreal Engine for real-time projects.
bulbKIDZ Launches with Development of ‘Gopher It!’ Preschool Series
New kids’ entertainment company teams up with Canadian creators Andrew Sabiston and Ron Rubin to develop original kids’ show where adventure, learning, laughter, and music are at the heart of every episode.
Pixar’s ’22 vs. Earth’: Rebellions Have Never Been So Cute
Fresh off Soul’s double Oscar-winning performance, the studio, along with Tina Fey and a gang of five heck-raisers, returns to the enchanting and mystical world of the Great Before, in a brand new short directed by Kevin Nolting.
Jetpack Inks Distribution Deal for ‘Clangers’
ZDF to bring the BAFTA Award-winning stop-motion animated series to Europe and Asia; other distribution deals take the series to Singapore, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and Croatia.
A Summer - and Spring - of Animated Films Set to Hit Netflix
The streaming giants shares release dates, teaser trailers, and new images from their upcoming slate – including Lin-Manual Miranda’s ‘Vivo’ - that starts this Friday with Mike Rianda’s ‘The Mitchells vs. The Machines.’
Pebbles Flintstone Animated Comedy ‘Bedrock’ in Development at Fox
Elizabeth Banks to produce and star as Fred and Wilma’s now 20-something daughter in the continuing stories of everyone’s favorite modern Stone Age Family.
WildBrain Adds Lorna Withrington as VP Development-Animation
Seasoned creative development and acquisition exec is tasked with growing company’s slate of original and existing IP.
Netflix Unveils ‘Yasuke’ Official Trailer and Key Art
The reimagined story of the first African samurai - bound by honor, compelled to defend – debuts globally April 29; directed by LaSean Thomas, the anime series stars LaKeith Stanfield, with animation by ‘Jujutsu Kaisen’ production studio MAPPA and music by Flying Lotus.
Winners Announced for KingstOOn 2021
Martinique’s ‘TOL’ named Best Caribbean Short Film, South African ‘The Sugarcane Man’ named Best International Student Film, and Malaysian ‘Biji’ named Best International Short Film, as Jamaica’s premier animation conference and festival came to a close Sunday night.
Capturing Chaos and Unpredictability in POORSTACY’s ‘Get Out’ Visualizer
Artist Yemi Faleti used Premiere Pro with Boris FX’s Sapphire and Red Giant’s VFX suite to produce the rapid cuts and melting colors in his CG piece for Universal Music Group’s °1824 division.
Annecy 2021 Announces VR Works Selections
Nine projects selected out of 75 submissions include a diverse group of films with varied themes; festival runs from June 14-19.
ITFS’ AniMovie 2021 Competition Running Online May 4-9
Program highlights include feature film animation competition, screenings, film talks, and free live-streams; notable speakers include Oscar-nominated ‘Wolfwalkers’ director Tomm Moore and David Silverman, director of ‘Extinct.’
‘Soul,’ ‘If Anything Happens I love You,’ and 'Tenet' Take Home Oscar Gold
‘Soul’ also wins for Best Musical Score, while ‘Mank’ wins for Best Cinematography, in the final ceremony of the 2021 awards season.
New Animated Short Challenges Misconceptions About Down Syndrome
Intellectual disability charity L’Arche, animation studio Tonic DNA, and musician Jordan Hart’s powerful new 2D film, ‘Freebird,’ asks the important question, “Why does the world assume that a disabled life is not profoundly beautiful?”
Sean Ono Lennon’s Animated ‘I Am the Egbert’ Loops Launch on Spotify
Inspired by his father’s illustrations and produced by the team behind the Oscar-nominated ‘I Met the Walrus’ short, the artist’s Canvas animation shorts celebrate today’s release of the 50th anniversary edition of ‘John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.’
Animatricks 2021 Announces Competition Nominees
In addition to the competition and screenings, the virtual event will explore women and animation, freedom of speech, social criticism, and satire; the conference will run online from May 20-23.
Jazztronica Meets Pop Art in Asta Hiroki’s ‘Cherry Blossom’ Music Video
The Brighton-based visual artist brings a storybook feel, using public domain cartoons, and a Roy Lichtenstein-inspired tone, to his animated short, released in support of his debut album, ‘Entropy.’