Despite DreamWorks and Imagine Entertainment's downfall with Pop.com, Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard plan to create Webtoons for CoutingDown.com, the movie-fan site purchased by DreamWorks to be part of Pop.com. Howard's toon will be based on a recurring nightmare he has been having, where he is trapped on a crazed and out-of-control film set. Spielberg's toon will also be based on one of the filmmaker's dreams, but no plot has been released. The site will debut one toon early in December and the other in January.

The Mad Cow Picture Company has just opened its doors in Sydney, Australia. The new studio specializes in Flash animation and animation pre-production, including storyboarding and character design. Mad Cow Picture Company offers a mix of digital and traditional animation. The company is currently creating pilot episodes for StupidHeroes.com and 00STEVEN: PLAYGROUND PRIVATE EYE. For more information contact The Mad Cow Picture Company at: Tel.: ++612 9808 4153; Fax: ++612 9808 1041; or Web: http://www.madcowpictures.com.

Over the past week at the international box office, DreamWorks' WHAT LIES BENEATH and Miramax's SCARY MOVIE have fought it out for global wealth. In the U.K., WHAT LIES over took the top spot by grossing US$2.98 million, thus pushing its 3-week U.K. cume to $12.28 million. Dropping 64% in its fourth full week, DINOSAUR fell to fourth in the U.K., with a gross of $1.44 million, escalating its cume to $17.44 million. In seventh, THE LITTLE VAMPIRE grabbed $670,689, growing its U.K. cume to $4.52 million. In Australia, WHAT LIES BENEATH's debut claimed first place with a gross of $1.72 million.

The Holland festival will be held in Utrecht, November 15-19, 2000. Besides the official competition for Independent Short, Applied Animation and Student Films in Belgium & The Netherlands, this year the festival will offer a variety of retrospectives and special programs.

The 2000 Awards Ceremony and Closing Night Party of the 17th Annual Chicago International Children's Film Festival was held Sunday, October 22, 2000 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Mayer Education Center. The event was hosted by director/actor Harold Ramis (BEDAZZLED, GROUNDHOG DAY, GHOSTBUSTERS). The Chicago International Children's Film Festival is the largest competitive festival of films for children in North America. This year's Festival screened 210 films from over 40 countries, including 36 world premieres. Below is a list of the animation winners.

Based in Sydney, Australia, The Mad Cow Picture Company offers a mix of digital and traditional animation experience. The studio specializes in Flash animation and pre-production services including storyboarding and character design. They are currently creating pilot episodes for "Stupidheroes.Com" and "00steven-Playground Private Eye." For more information about what's on offer from Down Under, visit the Mad Cow Picture Company Web site at http://www.madcowpictures.com.

In February, Warner Bros. will start shooting their live-action adaptation of SCOOBY-DOO. Raja Gosnell, director of HOME ALONE 3 and the Drew Barrymore comedy NEVER BEEN KISSED, will direct the film from a script by James Gunn, with Chuck Roven producing. The picture will shoot in Australia and no cast has been announced. The story will feature the gang of Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby, but no specific plot summary has been release.

This week's update to the Calendar of Events includes a wide range of international events such as the Animation Sensation Weekend in Seattle, USA; the Melbourne International Student Animation Festival, Australia; Anime A-Go-Go in Los Angeles, USA; the AnimExplosion Festival in Mandaluyong City, Philippines; a Virtual Reality Conference in London, UK; and many more!

The 5th edition of Castelli Animati took place in Genzano Di Roma, Italy, October 4-8, 2000. An international jury comprised of Massimo Bucchi (Italy), Paul Driessen (Netherlands), Julian Nott (UK), Furio Scarpelli (Italy) and Wendy Tilby (Canada) chose the winners. The Grand Prize (ex-aequo) went to "Flying Nansen" by Igor Kovalyov, USA, and "Village Of Idiots" by Eugene Fedorenko & Rose Newlove, Canada.

* Tuesday, October 17 – Sunday, October 22, 2000. Melbourne, Australia.