* Friday, November 6 - Saturday, November 14. Siena, Italy.


The third Siena International Short Film Festival and Market boasts one of the two international competitions dedicated solely to animated films. For information call (39) 6-4745585.

Spumco, the studio that brought us the first web cartoon series, “The G@*&!$ George Liquor Show,” has teamed up with Electric Communities to present “the Internet’s first 3D cartoon chat event.” The chat, scheduled to kick off at 5:30 p.m. on November 6, and run through November 9, 1998, will take place on the web site cartoonsforum.com port 9994.

On November 17, DreamWorks will release three albums based on its forthcoming animated feature film, “Prince of Egypt.” The album releases come a full month before the film’s December 18 theatrical opening. “The Prince of Egypt: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack” features performances by Boyz II Men, Amy Grant and the duo of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, singing together for the first time, as well as songs performed by actors who voice characters in the film, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer and Steve Martin.

* Monday, November 9 - Wednesday, November 11. New York City, New York, U.S.A.


The second New York Shorts International Film Festival will feature six competition categories: animation, comedy, documentary, drama, experimental and student. For information visit www.shorts.org

* Tuesday, November 10 - Sunday, November 15. Esphino, Portugal.


The 22nd Cinanima International Animated Film Festival takes place. For detailed information contact cinanima@mail.telepac.pt, or for general information about the festival, visit www.awn.com/cinanima.

* Thursday, October 29. Toronto, Canada.


The fourth Toronto’s Animators’ Zoetrope Association (TAZA) Digital Image Festival will showcase independent computer animation such as “Macca Strewth” by Momentum Animations (Australia). For information visit www.interlog.com/~dolish/taza.htm.

* Friday, November 6. New York City, New York.


The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) will host a retrospective of animation by animator, educator, historian and author John Canemaker. The screening will take place in the Titus 2 Theatre at 6:00 p.m. and Canemaker will be present. Featured films will include “Break the Silence: Kids Speak Out Against Abuse,” “John Lennon Sketchbook” and Canemaker’s new personal film, “Bridgehampton.” For information call MOMA at (212) 708-9400.

The 65th Milan International Film, TV and Multimedia Market (MIFED) kicks off this week with a strong focus on animation, in collaboration with the European MEDIA II program. The six-day event, November 1 -6, will include a designated animation market and even an “Animation Day” on November 3.

* Tuesday, November 3. Vancouver, Canada.


VanArts presents “Before and After Independence: 40 Years of Estonian Animation,” a retrospective put together for the Ottawa International Animation festival, which is now touring North America. The show takes place at the Pacific Cinemateque, 1131 Howe Street, at 7:30 p.m The show is made possible by the Ottawa International Animation Festival and the Canadian Consulate in Estonia.

Paris-headquartered motion-capture animation company, Medialab and Canadian animation studio, Ciné-Groupe, a subsidiary of Lion’s Gate Entertainment, have agreed to a four-year co-production deal. The two companies plan to co-produce two computer-animated theatrical films and two TV series. The first project, starting production in December, will be “Pinocchio 3001,” a futuristic rendition of the classic tale.