The second International Student Animation Festival of Ottawa (SAFO)
wrapped up on Sunday. The festival received an astonishing 745 entries,
from students, and, this year, first time filmmakers. 59 student films,
ranging from primary, secondary and post-secondary levels were screened.
The international jury, comprised of Suzanne Buchan (Switzerland), Eric
Darnell (USA), Peter Dougherty (USA/UK), George Griffin (USA), and Marcy
Page (Canada), awarded the Grand Prix, Best Film In Competition, to

An exhibition of New Animation from Germany consisting of models,
paintings, sketches and production shots from the works of eight young
German animators will be on display at Chapman University. The event takes
place Monday, November 1 - Wednesday, December 15, 1999 in Orange,
California, USA. For more information including a screening schedule call:
(714) 997-6729.

The Goethe-Institut is presenting a program featuring nine new animated
short films from Germany. In conjunction with this screening Academy
Award-winning visual effects specialist, Volker Engel, will be speaking.
The German-born animator will comment on the film selections and discuss
animation and special effects in general. Engel's credits include visual
effects work on GODZILLA and INDEPENDENCE DAY, for which he won the Oscar.
Films from Thomas Meyer-Hermann, Heinrich Sabl, Thomas Stellmach, Tyron

Lucasfilm's STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE took in $16.5 million
last weekend (October 15 - 17), bringing its overseas gross to US$428
million, surpassing its domestic gross of US$426.8 million. The film opened
in France with US$11.02 million, the best ever opening in France for a US
film.

The Ottawa International Student Animation Festival (SAFO) announced the grand prize winners in this year's
competition on Sunday, October 24, 1999. The festival stated that, "This
year's winners show the high quality of work coming out of schools, both
locally, nationally, and internationally."


The winners in the various competitions are as follows as reported by the
festival:


Grand Prix: Best Film In Competition -- GRACE, Lorelei Pepi, USA


Grand Prix: Best School In Competition -- Royal College of Art, England

The WB has already removed its new primetime animated
series MISSION HILL from its Friday night line-up due to poor ratings. (Its
premiere episode finished 115th in the ratings for the week of October 4 -
10.) It's expected to return as a midseason replacement. New episodes of SOUTH
PARK return beginning next Wednesday, October 27 at 10 pm on COMEDY
CENTRAL, with an all-new Halloween special, KORN'S GROOVY PIRATE GHOST
MYSTERY, guest starring the band, KORN. . . MTV is developing an animated

DISNEY PUBLISHING WORLDWIDE has made several appointments. GUIDO
MASTROPAOLO has been named Director of Global Planning and Business
Development for Disney Publishing Worldwide. Located in Paris,
Mastropaolo's duties will include leading international initiatives to grow
revenue by negotiating acquisitions, new business ventures and major
licensing deals in order to ensure meeting overall publishing financial
goals. In addition, he will co-manage the strategic planning process and

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events includes the Cartoons On The
Bay International Festival of Television Animation in Italy, the 5th Annual
Communicator Awards Video Competition in the US, as well as a Screening and
Exhibition on New German Animation in Los Angeles, USA. The Calendar of
Upcoming Events is a constantly changing reference source for what's
happening around the World of Animation. Use it to stay abreast of
animation related activities across the globe. If you know of animation

Copenhagen, Denmark-based A.FILM has finished a :40 spot for Daloon Spring
Rolls, Denmark's largest Chinese frozen food manufacturer. In the spot,
which unveils a new product called Funsters, a dragon, called "daloon" in
Danish, presents the product like a wise and distinguished old man, but the
children's crazy antics off-screen cause him to lose his cool. The CGI spot
was animated using 3D Studio Max with a few live-action props. Craig Frank
directed. The word from Denmark is that after the spot aired for three
weeks, the product sold out.

The Goethe-Institut, a German cultural center, is presenting both an
exhibition and a screening of nine new German animated short films in Los
Angeles, California. The program includes films from Thomas Meyer-Hermann,
Heinrich Sabl, Thomas Stellmach, Tyron Montgomery and Kirsten Winter. In
conjunction with this event, visual effects specialist, Volker Engel --
whose credits include "Godzilla" and "Independence Day," for which he won
the Academy Award -- will be speaking on the exhibition's selections and