Sharon Katz, creator of HAPPY BIRTHDAY HANNAH (Audience Choice Award, Chicks 'n Flicks Film Festival), has finished her newest animated short, THE ANGEL'S FOOT CAKE / DER FUS TORT. In the film, Drinkeleh Fresserkeh decides to make a cake in the shape of an Angel's foot. The Angels take umbrage and the fun begins in this delightfully raucous modern Yiddish animated tale. The film premiers April 29, 2001 at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival.

The Gnomon Workshop has released six new Alias|Wavefront Maya training videos on polygon modeling, cameras and dynamics. This series of six marks the third round of releases and brings the total number of titles available from The Gnomon Workshop up to 18. The new videos are currently shipping and can be ordered in NTSC or PAL from the company's Website. The videos were produced by Alex Alvarez, director of The Gnomon Workshop and Gnomon School of Visual Effects, and Darrin Krumweide, associate director of Gnomon School of Visual Effects.

For the first time in 48 years, an animated film has been selected to compete at the Cannes Film Festival. DreamWorks SKG’s SHREK, directed by Andrew Adamson and Victoria Jenson, was one of 22 films selected for official competition. The film, slated for a May 18, 2001 U.S. release, stars Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz and John Lithgow, and was produced at PDI/DreamWorks, the company’s Palo Alto CGI and effects unit.

Richard Linklater's latest film, the animated feature WAKING LIFE, has been acquired by Fox Searchlight and will hit theaters later this year. Fox Searchlight acquired the worldwide distribution rights in a deal negotiated by the company’s executive VP Joseph de Marco and John Sloss of the indie financing company Cinetic. The movie debuted to critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

Bandai Entertainment has announced a series of June, 2001 VHS
and DVD releases for their ANGEL LINKS, SABER MARIONETTE J and
ESCAFLOWNE series. On June 5, the company will release an ANGEL
LINKS - FALLEN ANGEL DVD, which will include both English and
Japanese language tracks, English subtitles, trailers and bonus
clips, retailing for $29.98. Also scheduled for a June 5 release is
ESCAFLOWNE - LIGHT AND SHADOW and FOREVER AND EVER on VHS and DVD,
which marks the final installment of the ESCAFLOWNE television

Warner Home Video
has released three new POWERPUFF GIRL collections on VHS and DVD,
which include never-before-seen episodes. The new BOOGIE FRIGHTS VHS
collection contains five episodes, including the never-before-seen
"Helter Shelter," the Powerpuff Girls' music video featuring Shonen
Knife, a bonus episode of COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG, and a sneak peek
at the upcoming Cartoon Network SAMURAI JACK series, which is set to
air in Summer 2001. The new TWISTED SISTER VHS collection contains

FUNimation Productions Ltd. has announced a slate of upcoming DRAGON BALL Z home video releases. On
April 17, 2001, edited and uncut versions of DRAGON BALL Z PERFECT
CELL - TEMPTATION and DRAGON BALL Z PERFECT CELL - PERFECTION are
scheduled for release. Scheduled for release on May 15, 2001, are
DRAGON BALL Z GREAT SAIYAMAN - CRASH COURSE and DRAGON BALL Z WORLD
TOURNAMENT - JUNIOR DIVISION, also in both edited and uncut versions.
The videos will retail for $14.95 edited and $19.95 uncut. DRAGON

Walt Disney
Home Video will be releasing THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE on VHS and DVD
on May 1, 2001. The VHS release, retailing for $26.99, will include
Sting's "Making the Music" music video featuring "My Funny Friend and
Me" from the film's soundtrack. Two different DVD versions will be
released. The DISNEY DVD version, to retail for $29.99, includes an
additional music video "Walk the Llama Llama," as well as bonus
commentary, an interactive game and a deleted scene from the movie.

Emmy-nominated director Chris Prynoski, best known for his work on BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD DO AMERICA and the animated series MTV DOWNTOWN, has completed animation work on Tom Green's upcoming feature film FREDDY GOT FINGERED. In the film, Green plays a bizarre animator who desperately tries to win his father's approval. Prynoski, known for his edgy, underground style, provides animation that launches Green's skewed creations onto the big screen.

POKEMON 3, the third feature installment of the POKEMON trilogy, debuted in fourth place at the box office this weekend, taking in $9.18 million. SPY KIDS, Robert Rodriguez’ new espionage yarn, with primary visual effects by Hybride Technologies, captured first place for the second week in a row, grossing $17.8 million, with $49 million accumulated thus far. ENEMY AT THE GATES fell from sixth to seventh, grossing $3.45 million.

Look! Effects, a Hollywood, California digital effects and 3D
animation company, has completed a 5-minute 3D computer animation
sequence for Metaphor Films and Gotham Entertainment's independent
feature FIRST WATCH. Featuring detailed models of planets, stars,
their surfaces and movements that were based on some of the latest
astronomical imaging and scientific data available, the sequence
consists of a single, extended pull back where the camera lifts out
of an aerial view of the Earth, travels through the Solar System,

ADV Films released two new volumes of the anime series FLINT: THE TIME DETECTIVE. Hitting stores March 27, 2001, the time-traveling adventures of the little caveman return in "The Sands of Time" and "Can't We All Get Along?" The series currently airs on Fox Kids and is produced by Sanrio, the creators of HELLO KITTY. Both volumes will sell on VHS and DVD for US$14.98.

SAMURAI X: THE MOTION PICTURE was released on DVD and VHS on March 27, 2001. Inspired by the 97 episode TV series of the same name, the feature film marks the return of Rurouni Kenshin, who must fight his past demons in a duel to the death. The ADV Films title will sell for US$19.98 on VHS and $29.98 on DVD.

SPY KIDS, Robert Rodriguez’ new espionage yarn, with primary visual effects
by Hybride Technologies, captured first place at the box office this
weekend, grossing $27.0 million. ENEMY AT THE GATES fell from fourth to
sixth, grossing $5.3 million. The WWII sniper saga, with primary visual
effects by Das Werk, Die Nefzers, Double Negative, The Computer Film Company
and AudioMotion Ltd., has accumulated $34.2 million thus far. Dropping from
sixth to eighth was CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, which collected another

In a weekend with lackluster results at the box office, ENEMY AT THE GATES fell from second to fourth, grossing $8.4 million. The WWII sniper saga, with primary visual effects by Das Werk, Die Nefzers, Double Negative, The Computer Film Company and AudioMotion Ltd., has accumulated $26.2 million thus far. Staying in the sixth spot was CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON which collected another $4.62 million. The Oscar winner for best foreign film, with primary visual effects by Blue Sky Studios, CFC/MVFX and Manex Visual Effects, has amassed $106.26 million.

Lions Gate Home Entertainment has gained the home video rights for the MR. BILL collection of shorts. In addition, CinemaNow.com has obtained the Internet video-on-demand rights. Lions Gate plans to release several MR. BILL shorts on VHS late this summer with a DVD featuring 2 hours of content following sometime after. Special features on the DVD will be behind-the-scenes commentary by Mr. Bill about his time on SNL, never-before-seen footage and the short MR. BILL 2013: A BILL ODYSSEY. The collections obtained in the deal were: "The Mr.

TriStar Pictures has announced that it will be putting the animated feature THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN into theaters for a limited release on May 11, 2001. Based on the novel by E.B. White, the film follows the adventures of Louie, a mute trumpeter swan who takes extraordinary steps to compensate for his lack of voice.

Threshold Entertainment, a multimedia and intellectual property management company, announced that Dimension Films has acquired the project DUKE NUKEM: THE MOVIE. The film will be produced by Larry Kasanoff (TRUE LIES, MORTAL KOMBAT) and Threshold Entertainment. Based on the US$1 billion gaming franchise by 3-D Realms, NUKEM follows the politically incorrect title character as he travels into space to intercept an alien ship on a collision course for Earth.

Buena Vista Home Entertainment is releasing remastered versions of THE SWORD IN THE STONE and BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS on VHS and DVD on March 20, 2001. THE SWORD IN THE STONE is Disney's humorous rendition of the King Arthur tale directed by four of Disney's Nine Old Men – Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnson, Milt Kahl and John Lounsbery.

HANNIBAL held strong at the international box office with debuts of TRAFFIC topping charts in Australia and Italy. In France, however, HANNIBAL fended off the premiere of TRAFFIC, taking the top slot with a gross of US$3.17 million and raising its cume to $9.4 million. In second, TRAFFIC smuggled in $2.48 million. VERTICAL LIMIT climbed into the sixth spot, grossing $807,368, thus lifting its French total to $5.15 million. In the U.K., HANNIBAL hatched another $2.52 million in first, elevating its cume to $26.1 million.