The English-language version of the anime thriller JIN-ROH: THE WOLF BRIGADE will have its theatrical release at New York's Cinema Village on June 22, 2001, at the Varsity Theater in Seattle on June 29, 2001 and nationally throughout the summer. A collaboration between two generations of filmmakers, JIN-ROH marries a hard-hearted script by Momoru Oshii, the internationally acclaimed maker of GHOST IN THE SHELL with the vérité direction of Hiroyuki Okiura, assistant to Oshii on GHOST. JIN-ROH's setting is Tokyo - not the Tokyo of the future, but of an alternate past.

Leslie Carlson’s new short, SHRIMP AND CRAB COCKTAIL, made its debut on Ifilm May 4, 2001. This 2-minute animated short explores the shifting tides of emotion between a shrimp and crab as they flirt in an undersea cocktail lounge, with a dark twist to the old line "there are other fish in the sea." For more information, visit: www.ifilm.com/ifilm/skeletons/film_detail/0,1263,1236475,00.html. WHITE BREAD BLUES, a new animated Web series from the San Francisco office of interactive design and production company Deepend, debuts this week.

TriStar Pictures will release THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN, an animated musical film based on the novel by E.B. White, in Los Angeles, California and New York, New York on Friday, May 11, 2001. Universally hailed as a classic of children's literature, THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN follows the wonderful and witty adventures of Louie, a mute trumpeter swan who takes extraordinary steps to compensate for his lack of voice.

Premiering on the IFILM Network this week is DAMNED, a new film by Alex Crouch. Most consider a game of chess to be a fun, harmless way to pass the time, but nobody said it was fun for the pieces on the board! Witness the horrible fate of one group of chess pieces as they're thrown into the jaws of death. These guys know the true meaning of the word "Damned!" Find this short at: www.ifilm.com/ifilm/skeletons/film_detail/0,1263,1104743,00.html. .

The anime classic AKIRA, fresh from a $1 million restoration, has been released on the big screen in a few select theatres in Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York City. With digital projection, this is the cleanest, crispest print ever seen to date. AWN was invited to a special pre-release screening and was very impressed by the quality of the print and restoration. First released theatrically in Japan in 1988, AKIRA has garnered legions of fans around the world and is still considered a masterpiece of cel animation.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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

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.

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.

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.