ASIFA San Francisco, Newsletter March 1997

NATIONAL NEWS

CONGRATULATIONS TO BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD ON BEING A WINNER The feature has now grossed around $65 million. It cost about $8 million to make and a small hunk of change went into the promotion of the feature. Paramount is reported to have given the ok to a sequel. If you haven't seen it and care to do so, it will be at the Red Vic on Haight Street, April 26-27th.

MANGA WANTS TO BE THE NEXT MAJOR INTERNATIONAL THEATRICAL AND HOME VIDEO DISTRIBUTOR OF ANIMATED SHORTS Jan Cox, who is director of the animated shorts division, says Manga
plans to distribute more than one quality 35mm program a year in the US and abroad. They also plan to release shorts on tape for the home video market.
Cox, who was with Spike and Mike for several years as their office manager, is not interested in sick and twisted work. She will consider doing a show for an "adult" audience at some point, but with better made work that has mature content. She wants Manga packages seen on big screens by general audiences and wants to build a greater appreciation of animation.
Manga wants to work with animators to help them establish their works through festivals. They plan to provide artists whose work is shot in 16mm with 35mm prints so their work can be entered in major festivals. Cox says "we can't do this if we don't make money." She wants to help people win awards so the public will be more curious and excited about seeing Manga's shows of award winning shorts.
Cox is paying cash advances plus royalities to artists. She is offering 5 year theatrical contracts with the right to renew the contract. If certain rights are already assigned to another company Manga will work around your exisiting contracts. She expects work they distribute on video to be released by PolyGram Video/PGD (also owned by Island).
Manga is not asking for all forms of distribution rights. Cox does not want to tie up rights they do not intend to exploit. She says her background has taught her both what to do and what not to do. She wants to help support animators and remain well respected by the film community instead of developing a negative reputation like some companies have done in the past.
Manga Entertainment, the parent company of the shorts division, is a Chicago based Island International company specializing in the international marketing and production of Japanese animated films and videos. Their recent releases included Ghost in the Shell. Marvin Gleicher is the CEO.
An educated guess from somebody who knows the company's executives is that Manga will probably use the shorts programs to identify upcoming talent. The company may wish to back future productions by these individuals.
Jan Cox can be reached at 964 Fifth Ave. Suite 330, San Diego, CA 92101 (619) 531-1695.

SIDNEY NETER IN AMSTERDAM SEEKS WORKS TO DISTRIBUTE TO TV STATIONS OVERSEAS Neter distributes the work of about 20 Americans overseas including T. Reed Norton's The Lizard Whomper. Neter says he is "very picky" about what he distributes. He is looking for work up to 23 minutes in length and he prefers work shot in 16mm or 35mm. Send 1/2" VHS preview tapes to PO Box 94385, 1090 G.J. Amsterdam, Holland. His phone number is 31 20 40 40 707 and his fax is 40 40 708. Norton says he is quite pleased working with Neter as the short was sold to TV in Italy, Portugal and Spain. Neter is helping Norton to develop a series of 13 two minute shorts for Dutch TV.

ASIFA-HOLLYWOOD'S MAIN EVENT IN FEB. WAS TOM SITO INTERVIEWING ED FRIEDDMAN Friedman began his career in animation at the Ub Iwerks studio in 1931. He later worked for Disney, Screen Gems, UPA, Format and Filmation. He was also an Olympic athlete at the 1932 games in LA.
The chapter also held a careers in animation program with character designer Raul Garcia. His credits include Roger Rabbit, Land Before Time, Aladdin, Hunchback of Notre Dame and the upcoming Hercules.

9th ANNUAL SOCIETY FOR ANIMATION STUDIES CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN THE NETHERLANDS, October 8 - 12 in Utrecht at the Netherlands Institute for Animation Film (NIAF). This is an excelent academic conference where papers are presented on a wide range of subjects. For details contact Ton Crone, NIAF, PO Box 9358, 500 HJ Tilburg, The Netherlands or call 31-13-424-4555.

ANIMATION WORLD NETWORK IS A YEAR OLD The on-line magazine is now approaching one million hits a month! Their first anniversary will be celebrated in April with a special on-line exhibit of artwork from
friends, colleagues, and supporters. Check them out at www.awn.com



BILL PLYMPTON TO PREMIERE MONDO PLYMPTON AT THE LA WORLD ANIMATION CELEBRATION on Friday, March 28 at 8 PM. This is an 80 minute compilation of his shorts with footage of an animated caricature of Bill introducing them.
The festival just published a partial list of upcoming shows. Besides daily screenings of films in competition they will show on Tues. March 25 at 9:45, DISNEY'S UNSEEN TREASURES (outtakes and other rare treats). A show of outtakes from BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA will be presented on Fri. March 28. On Wed. there is a show of THE OUTLAWS OF ANIMATION with Bill Plympton, Ralph Bakshi, John Dilworth and others in-person. Thursday includes the world premiere of SPAWN & BEYOND, a new feature from HBO plus The World's Best Computer Animation. There are tributes to Fox Animation Studios, Klasky Csupo, MTV and Nickelodeon; Warner Brothers (classics), and other studios. The World's Best Commercials (some from the Bay Area) will be shown on Saturday along with the American premiere of Werner - Eat My Dust.
Anime programs will be screened on Tuesday - Friday. They will show classics including Robot Carnival, Fist of the North Star, Megazone 23, Space Adventure Cobra, Armitage III, Roujin Z and other titles.
Daily Variety is doing their annual animation issue around the World Animation Celebration. I assume there will be a lot of other hype about the event as Disney, Fox, Nickelodeon, and other large corportations have sponsored segments of the event. Many companies are displaying their wares here, and a lot of individuals will be promoting their latest projects. All will want to see their name in print or on TV, so I assume the event will be covered by "Entertainment Tonight," etc.
If you hate crowds, stay away. If you want to meet animators from other parts of this country, want to look for a job, want to see the latest films, want to attend seminars, want to... attend. For $8.50 you can see an individual screening. For an extra fee you can hear lectures and see exhibits, etc.
If you want to enjoy the fun, but need more information about the March 24-30 event, call (818) 991-2884 or use their toll-free number (800) 996-TOON.

20th PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL SHOWED 8 ANIMATED WORKS The shorts are Richard C. Zimmerman's Birdhouse, Chris Landreth's The End (Canada, Oscar nomination last year), Lynn Smith's Sandburg's Arithmetic (NFB of Canada), Paul Vester's Abductees (UK), Frances Lea's Oh Julie! (UK), Paul Driessen's The End of the World in Four Seasons (NFB of Canada), Mike Booth's The Saint Inspector (UK) and Paul McCartney's Grateful Dead - A Photofilm (UK). The last work is a 10 minute film created by the former Beatle using 4 rolls of photographs shot by his wife Linda in 1967/68. They were manipulating with a computer. The festival dates were Feb. 13 - March 2.

THE PONTIAC SUNFIRE CAR AD WITH THE EDWARD MUNCH "THE SCREAM" PAINTING is by Windmill Lane Productions in Santa Monica, CA.
50% OFF ON ANIMATION CELS OF WARNER BROTHER STARS Roger May and a business partner have a collection of late 1950's and 60's cels featuring Daffy, Sylvester, Elmer and other stars. Some are whole figures, others do not include legs or other body parts. Most are priced between $20 for a head of Daffy to $300. With a discount on top of their already low prices you might find something for that empty wall
space. For an illustrated xerox flyer contact Park Avenue Enterprises, 228 Commercial Street #504, Nevada City, CA 95959 or Fax (916) 478-9630

RICHARD CONDIE'S OSCAR NOMINATION IS THE 61ST NOMINATION RECEIVED BY THE NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA since the group was formed in 1939. Condie's La Salla was nominated for best animated short. It is described as a "hilarious, eight-minute comic opera examining what happens when we try to become masters of our own destiny." Condie was nominated in 1986 for The Big Snit.
Out of the 61 nominations the NFB has won 10 Oscars. Five were for animated work - McLaren's Neighbors, 1952 (nominated in the short film category); Co Hoedeman's Sand Castle, 1978; John Weldon's and Eunice Macaulay's Special Delivery, 1979; Eugene Fedorenko's Every Child, 1980; and Alison Snowden's and David Fine's Bob's Birthday, 1995. The NFB won 4 Oscars for live action shorts and a special Oscar in 1989 for 50 years of excellence.

DISNEY CREATES FLAP IN CANADA OVER LICENSE RIGHTS TO THE IMAGE OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN MOUNTED POLICE The RCMP cut a license deal with Disney about 1994 to raise money from the sale of their logo and image on keychains and other plastic trinkets. The deal has angered a lot of Canadians and there have been news stories and hearings about the deal in recent months. It seems there are archaic laws that require all mentions of the RCMP to be cleared before they can be used. They must now be cleared through Disney, a company that isn't even Canadian! Apparently that includes visual depictions of Mounties on postcards, in books, in drawings, in animated films, etc. and possibly mentions of them in songs or in poetry. There is a stiff fine if you break the law. Special thanks to an annonomous ASIFA-SF member in Canada for this news item.

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