Benita Raphan has joined creative agency Blah! Blah! Blah! as a sales representative. Until recently, Benita Raphan was an Inferno artist at New York-based visual effects company Quiet Man. Also a filmmaker, her most recent short film 2+2, co-directed with Clayton Hemmert of New York-based editing house Crew Cuts, will screen at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. Her award-winning animation work is also being featured in an episode of the Independent Film Channel Canada's INDIE NATION. Previously, Raphan was an agency creative specializing in animation, special FX and design. Blah! Blah!

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events include:

deadCENTER Film Festival, Edmond, Oklahoma, USA.

Friday, June 7, 2002 – Saturday, June 8, 2002.

Early Deadline: February 1, 2002. * Entry Deadline: April 1, 2002.

This two-day event at the University of Central Oklahoma campus celebrates independent filmmaking. Now accepting submissions in both short & feature format from all genres. The festival offers awards for Best Animation, Short, Feature, Sci-Fi/Star Wars, Grand Jury, Regional and Audience. The festival features a filmmaker dinner and awards, plus after-parties during the event.

Nelvana has acquired exclusive worldwide rights to produce a television series, made-for-video programs, theatrical motion pictures, and individual programs including made-for-television specials and movies, based on THE BERENSTAIN BEARS. Nelvana has already secured a relationship with Columbia Tristar to distribute THE BERENSTAIN BEARS videos in the United States; the first release is slated for 2003. In addition, Berenstain Enterprises, Inc. granted Nelvana worldwide merchandising and licensing rights.

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events include:

Sheila Graber Animated: Wednesday, January 30, 2002, Middlesbrough, Teesside UK . . . Women In Animation Present - Talkin' Voice Over With The Pros: Wednesday, January 30, 2002, Hollywood, California USA . . . Animated Encounters: Thursday, April 25 - Sunday, April 28, 2002, Bristol, UK . . . MOCCA Art Festival: Sunday, June 23, 2002, New York, New York USA . . . Kecskemét Animation Film Festival (KAFF): Friday, July 12 - Tuesday, July 16, 2002, Kecskemét, Hungary.

The Vancouver Institute of Media Arts (VanArts) in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada now offers financial aid to U.S. students and instruction in Maya 4.0. The school offers one-year (48-week) diploma programs in both classical and computer animation. Limited seats for February programs are available. Full funding for approved American students will be available through SLM Financial, a division of Sallie Mae. Funds can be applied to tuition and living expenses. Maya will become part of the computer animation curriculum in February 2002.

Adobe Systems has shipped the newest version of its award-winning motion graphics and visual effects software Adobe After Effects 5.5, which allows professionals to streamline their workflow and work with more media types than ever before. Zaxwerks 3D Invigorator Classic is included with the After Effects 5.5 production bundle and is standard to the production bundle upgrade, allowing users to turn 2D artwork into 3D elements without leaving the After Effects environment.

Kansas City Jubilee 2002 - US/International Short Film Division, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.

Sunday, April 7, 2002 – Sunday, April 14, 2002.

Entry Deadline: January 15, 2002.

For submissions in the below categories, all entries must be 30 minutes or under. Work may originate in any film, video or digital medium unless otherwise noted. Cash or inkind prizes are awarded for first place in each division & genre. A single work may be entered in multiple divisions with separate entry forms and screener tapes (VHS NTSC).

Nintendo will showcase its GameCube video console at Milia 2002, weeks before its initial European launch. The video game set-top was released in the United States and Japan in 2001 and has sold nearly 1.5 million units in North America alone. Nintendo will preview GameCube along with 20 new games including LUIGI’S MANSION, PIKMIN, STAR WARS ROGUE SQUADRON 2: ROGUE LEADER and SONIC ADVENTURE 2. Milia visitors will receive the exclusive European preview of GameCube at the Milia 2002 conference held February 4–8, 2002 at the Palais de Festivals in Cannes, France.

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events include:

- The State of the Industry: Friday, January 18, 2002, Burbank, California USA.

- Moondance International Film Festival: Thursday, January 24 -
Sunday, January 27, 2002, Boulder, Colorado USA.

- Hollywood Cartoons Author Michael Barrier in Person: Thursday,
February 07, 2002, Burbank, California USA.

- The Second Annual Puppet Short Film and Video Festival: May 2002,
Los Angeles, California USA.