Press Release from Warner Bros. Digital Distribution

Burbank, Calif., May 19, 2009 -- Halcyon Games, a division of The Halcyon Company along with Warner Premiere and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution today announced the first full length Machinima series titled TERMINATOR SALVATION: THE MACHINIMA SERIES.

Press Release from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Beverly Hills, CA -- Twelve students from eight U.S. colleges and universities have been named winners in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 36th Annual Student Academy Awards competition. They will participate in a week of industry-related activities and social events, culminating in the awards ceremony on June 13 at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater. One film student from Sweden also has been selected to receive this year's Honorary Foreign Film award.

Press Release from Moonscoop

Paris, 18 May 2009 -- Moonscoop, the worldwide brand management and entertainment company representing properties from some of the leading animation producers across the globe has scored a raft of TV sales for its hit series in Latin America and the Caribbean, in advance of the LA Screenings.

ANGELS & DEMONS opened soft at the U.S. box office for the weekend of May 15-17. The religious thriller (vfx by Double Negative, CIS Vancouver, The Moving Picture Co., Plowman Craven & Associates, and The Senate Visual Effects) put $46.2M in the collection plate for Columbia Pictures.

Press Release from MPC

ANIMA'09 -- 5th Cordoba International Animation Festival
Cordoba, Argentina
October 8-10, 2009
Deadline: July 17, 2009

ANIMA'09 will take place in the city of Cordoba, Argentina, from October 8 through 10, 2009. The festival is organized by the Centro Experimental de Animacion and the Secretaria de Extension Universitaria, National University of Cordoba.

This fifth edition of the ANIMA will be dedicated to exploring the concept of Identity Traits. Therefore, we open the following:

SIGGRAPH announces the selection of award nominees for the SIGGRAPH 2009 Computer Animation Festival to be held in New Orleans this August. Nominees were chosen from 770 submissions from around the globe, presented by both professional studios and students alike. In all, more than 140 films will be shown during the Computer Animation Festival. The award winners will be announced during the conference.

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Science is holding a series of screenings starting May 18th celebrating the films of 1939 titled "Hollywood's Greatest Year." Below is a list of the features and the animated shorts that will be playing with them.

STAGECOACH - June 1 - THE FILM FAN (Porky Pig)
WUTHERING HEIGHTS - June 8 - THE POINTER (nominee) (Mickey & Pluto)
GUNGA DIN - June 12 - THUGS WITH DIRTY MUGS (Tex Avery)
DARK VICTORY - June 15 - DANGEROUS DAN MCFOO (Tex Avery)
LOVE AFFAIR - June 22 - DETOURING AMERICA (nominee) (Tex Avery)

Weta Digital is planning a branch dedicated to advanced computer graphics research called Transfx, reports VARIETY. VFXWorld reported in April that Sebastian Sylwan had joined Weta as head of research and development, and now he will oversee the new arm, which hopes to bridge the gap between R&D and production. Previously, Sylwan worked for Autodesk as senior industry manager for film and TV.

Press Release from Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences