The National Center of Animation and Computer Games will open on July 27, 2004 at East China Normal University in the city, reports SHANGHAI DAILY. The Cultural Research Center of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Shanghai Broadband Television Corp. invested 10 million yuan (US$1.2 million) in the center to encourage more domestic production.

"As the birthplace of the Chinese film and cartoon industry, Shanghai won the right to have the center over cities like Beijing, Shenzhen and Chengdu," said Tong Zuguang, vp of East China Normal.

FUNimation Productions, Ltd., one of the leading independent home video entertainment and brand management companies in the U.S., has created Our Time Family Entertainment, a new division developed to provide high quality entertainment properties to the burgeoning preschool and children's market.

Marvel Enterprises has sued the Walt Disney Co. and ABC Family (formerly Fox Family) for at least $16 million, which it claims it is owed on the cartoons it licensed to Fox Family, which Disney acquired in 2001, reports VARIETY. As part of the suit filed July 15, 2004 in L.A. Superior Court, Marvel argues that Disney improperly accounted for profits on animated series THE INCREDIBLE HULK, X-MEN AND SPIDER-MAN and failed to promote the shows. In the complaint, Disney claims the toons lose money, but will not provide proper accounting.

Pepper Films has settled into its new space in Santa Monica, California. Founded by animation director Jean Perramon, technical director/compositor Nick Bates and producer Christina Cox in 2002, Pepper Films provides animation and CG production.

Philip Anschutz's Walden Media has left Disney for Fox, reports VARIETY. The AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS producer will team with Fox on five features, including Kate DiCamillo's BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE (due for release January 2005); Katherine Paterson's BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA; Lois Lowry's THE GIVER; Wendy Orr's NIM'S ISLAND; and Adam Mortimer's as-yet-unpublished comicbook proposal BIBLIONAUTS. Unlike the past Disney deal, the Fox agreement is neither exclusive nor constrained by time limits.

In an effort to help its local industry produce another global sensation, the Japanese government is offering financial support to cash-strapped animation houses, reports THE JAPAN TIMES.

Anime imports into the U.S. has grown from 23 in the 1980s to 42 in the 1990s and has already reached 40 during the four years through 2003, according to a survey by the government-affiliated Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). The organization also found that the anime market in the U.S. is worth $4.36 billion, which is 3.2 times the value of Japanese exports of steel products.

Brain Zoo Studios, a leading character animation company for film and videogames, is re-locating its offices to a new, 5,500 square-foot building in Van Nuys, California, that will allow Brain Zoo to triple in size and bring on additional 20 team members to double its staff.

The new facility is wired with Cat 6 and a fiber optic network for heavy data management for feature, television and gaming projects.

The Writers Guild of America West reached an agreement with IATSE Local 839 Animation Guild requiring producers to tell animation writers whether a prospective job falls under the WGA agreement or the producers contract.

some animation writers found out too late that they were working on a Local 839 show they had assumed was covered by WGA terms and lost their position to negotiate for higher wages and health care benefits before taking the job.

EM.TV has finalized its E13.5 million acquisition of Kirch Media's remaining 50% of their jointly held Junior TV program library, and settled outstanding legal and licensing issues plus all mutual claims with the bankrupt Kirch.

EM.TV's management is also seeking $158 million in financial damages "out of and, if necessary, in court" from EM.TV founder Thomas Haffa and his brother, ex-cfo Florian Haffa, plus former executive and supervisory board members. EM.TV accuses them of improprieties centering around the 2000 acquisition of a stake in Formula One racing.

Hong Kong Disneyland is expected to create 18,000 jobs, including 5,000 before opening of the theme park, it was reported in THE STANDARD in China. The park is expected to open by late 2005 and give a tourism and employment boom to the former British colony.