* Tuesday, October 13 - Friday, October 16. Pasadena, California, U.S.A.


Miller Freeman presents the Digital Video (DV) Conference and Exposition at the Pasadena Center. Highlights include courses on Maya and After Effects software, character modeling and animation for the web. For information visit www.dvexpo.com.

Venice, California-based DIGITAL DOMAIN has hired ENRIQUE SANTOS as director of technology, a role in which he will oversee the company’s technology department and assume responsibility for its overall technical direction. Santos was previously senior manager of technology at WALT DISNEY FEATURE ANIMATION, where he managed technical support for animated features from “The Lion King” to “Mulan.” At Digital Domain, Santos will report to vice president of digital operations, Edward Kummer, with whom he worked at Disney for four years.

* Tuesday, October 13. New York City, New York, U.S.A.

* Saturday, October 10. San Francisco, California, U.S.A.


The Mill Valley Film Festival presents an animation program including Dave Thomas’ “A Dog Cartoon,” Ryan McCulloch’s “Without You,” Frazier Bradshaw’s “Baker, Paints, Cakes,” Velvy Appleton’s “Hervic in Cloudland,” and Matt Broersma and Shari Rubin’s documentary on San Francisco independent animators, “Meet the Mole People.” For information and location, visit www.finc.org/mvff.

* Thursday, October 8, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.


Jeffrey Scott, Emmy-winning writer of over 450 animation scripts (“Wacky World of Tex Avery,” “Dragon Tales”), is scheduled as speaker for the Women In Animation Writers’ Seminar series. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. at Saban Entertainment. Admission is $5. Reservations are required. Call Jean Ann Wright at (818) 360-8321.

The Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television presented the 13th annual Gemini Awards on Sunday, October 4 in Toronto. The winner in the “Animated Program or Series” category is Nelvana Limited’s 2D series, “Sam & Max,” produced by Patrick Loubert, Gwenn Saunders Eckel, Michael Hirsh, Stephen Hodgins, Robert Ross, Clive A. Smith and J.D. Smith. The winner in the “Preschool Program or Series” category is Cochran Entertainment’s mixed-media show, “Theodore Tugboat,” produced by Andrew Cochran.

On October 8, McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. will start distributing a new animated video series starring the company spokes-clown, Ronald McDonald. All three of the productions were produced by Los Angeles-based animation studio, Klasky Csupo. Just in time for Halloween, the first release is a 40-minute video titled “Scared Silly” (directed by John Holmquist), featuring Ronald and friends on a camping trip to a haunted house. It will be available for $3.49 with any purchase.

OTTAWA WINNERS. The Ottawa International Animation Festival wrapped up on Sunday night with an awards show at the National Arts Center in Canada’s capital city. The grand prize went to the new Estonian film, “Night of the Carrots,” by Priit Pärn who was on hand to accept the award as the festival also hosted a four-part retrospective of Estonian animation.

New York-based GLC Productions is seeking partners for a computer-animated series called “The Buddy System.” The pilot episode, titled “The Third Ticket” portrays a couple of hockey fans at a game, one of whom, to the disappointment of his buddy, invited his girlfriend. Animation was produced on SGI machines with Alias|Wavefront’s PowerAnimator and Maya software. “The Third Ticket” is also being screened as a short film at festivals such as the recent Los Angeles International Short Film Festival.

Copenhagen, Denmark-based INTERACTIVE TELEVISION ENTERTAINMENT has named PREBEN HENRICHSEN to the newly-created position of promotion and new business manager. He was previously sales and marketing manager for the broadcaster Kanal2/TV Denmark.