Toronto-based NELVANA has hired Cathy Laughton as managing director of its
London-based operations. Laughton will be responsible for the overall
management of the UK office. Her responsibilities include the acquisition
of new properties for production/licensing development, sales to the UK,
Germany, Scandinavia, and Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxemborg),
and securing co-production opportunities. Laughton joins Nelvana from the
Jim Henson Company where she served as director of international television
distribution.

On September 14, Kid Rhino will release the soundtrack album for the upcoming feature length Scooby-Doo video, SCOOBY-DOO! AND THE WITCH'S GHOST, which is scheduled for release on October 5. In SCOOBY-DOO! AND THE WITCH'S GHOST, Scooby and Mystery Inc. travel to a small New England town to learn why it's being spooked by witches' ghosts. Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Machine will appear in the flesh at the Rhino Retrofest, August 13 to 15, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California, USA. Suggested retail price for the CD is US$13.98 and US$9.98 for the cassette.

The July '99 issue of "Storyboard," the Newsletter for the French Animation
Producers' Union, is now available [in French], featuring the most recent
European industry news.


SPFA July Issue

The Action Young Independent Talent Award is an annual contest organized by
Films Action Inc., in partnership with Ina-Imagina. This 3D contest's goal
is to promote new 3D computer artists talents. Prizes include hardware and
software packages. The best animation will be transferred to 35 mm. Entry
deadline is October 10, 1999. The festival takes place in Paris, France
January 28-February 3, 2000. For more information contact Films Action,
Laurent Rodon, 25 rue Le Peletier, 75009 Paris, France; Tel: +33 1 47 70 45

DEPTH is a project of Village Arts (Animha Productions). DEPTH is looking
for challenging contemporary Puppet or 3D Model animation of any genre.
DEPTH accepts films from around the world in any of the following
categories: Experimental, Professional, and Student & Non-Professional. All
films submitted will be considered equally for screening. Provisional entry
deadline is July 30, 1999. For more information contact DEPTH, Village
Arts, Stable House, Water Lane, Loftus, Saltburn, TS13 4JT, England; Tel:

The Annual Society for Animation Studies (SAS) Conference will be hosted by
Griffith University and will feature papers by Maureen Furniss on motion
capture, Chris Robinson on Estonian animation, Richard Leskosky on
animating between the lines, Jean-Paul Goergen on hand-drawn sound in
Germany in the 1930s, Suzanne R. Williams on the aesthetics of computer
games, Marilyn Carney on Australian women animators, Bryan Barker on the
impact of CinemaScope on animation production, Cathyrn Vasseleu on "Time

Hollywood-based Super 78 used Adobe After Effects 4.0 to design the 2D
graphics for a :30 spot, "Wanna Bet?," for YouBet.com, a new thoroughbred
horseracing on-line wagering service.

Animation filmmaker, teacher, and author John Canemaker has been awarded a
Rockefeller Foundation residency grant in Bellagio, Italy. From July 27
through August 25, he will stay at the 16th century Villa Serbelloni on
Lake Como, where he will work on a storyboard for a personal animated film.
From August 31 through September 5, he will be a guest of FANTOCHE, the
Swiss Animation Festival in Baden, where he will present two
lecture/screenings on Animated Surrealism and Jazztoons: Jazz and Animation.

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events includes ten new animation-related events, including: The BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards in London, the Ourense Independent Film Festival in Spain, and Cinequest San Jose Film Festival 2000 in California.

The ASIFA Italy web site has been updated. Read the most recent issue of the ASIFA Italy Newsletter, NOTIZIE ASIFA ITALIA, featuring: "Japanimation At The Annecy Festival;" "Luigi Liberio Pensuti, Italian Animation Pioneer;" an interview with Terry Brian by Italian model-maker Francesca Ferrario;" Bendazzi on European animation in the book "The World History Of Cinema;” plus, a list of upcoming Italian events. Available in Italian only.


www.awn.com/asifa-italia