TOKYOPOP.com has extended their first AnimeOnline Festival until September. Animation artists working in the anime style are invited to submit their original anime Internet works in Flash, Shockwave or Quicktime formats. There are five categories in which participants may enter: Fantasy/Sci-Fi, Fighting (Battle), Love/Comedy, Shoujo (Girl's Anime) and Asia Pop Focus (Open Category). Participants may enter into more than one category and may even have more than one submission within a category. Cash prizes will be awarded including a US$10,000 grand prize for best overall work. Submissions will be judged by a panel of experts from the fields of entertainment, the Internet, technology and culture, as well as by an audience vote. From September 1-15, 2000, Finalist entries will be posted on TOKYOPOP.com for viewing, voting and judging. All entrants will receive free membership to TOKYOPOP.com. Through AnimeOnline Festival 2000, TOKYOPOP.com wants to showcase the Asian pop culture phenomenon by combining the finest in traditional anime style with the latest tools for entertainment delivery on the Internet.

The 43rd International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film helps shed light on two overlooked areas of film production -- animation and documentaries. The festival has become known for featuring many hybrid films called "animadocs." Besides the competition, the event holds special programs and retrospectives. Gold and Silver Dove prizes, with cash awards, will be handed out.

The Silicon Pulp Animation Gallery will present Atomic Sushi, a major exhibition of artworks from Japanese animated films and TV series. The exhibition will include pre-production illustrations, storyboards, original hand-painted cels and backgrounds. A comprehensive catalogue covering the history, themes and artists will also be published to coincide with the exhibition. Also, the Dendy Cinemas are holding a "Japanime Festival" from Wednesday, September 6 - Sunday, September 10 as part of the Sydney Olympic Arts Festival. Silicon Pulp will exhibit original artworks from a selection of the films screened at the festival.

Screenplay Deadline: August 20, 2000.

Student Film & Children Film Deadline: September 9, 2000. The Burbank International Children's Film Festival (BICFF) gives independent filmmakers a chance to showcase their work made for children. The festival's goal is to give independent filmmakers, animators, writers and young artists a prime location to support and acknowledge excellence in children's film and media from around the globe. On the opening night, the festival will feature a screenwriter showcase and give out their lifetime achievement award. Throughout the event, BICFF will host panels discussing topics like screenwriting, producing, financing, digital technology, directing and child actors. The categories include: films intended for children's audience up to 12 years of age, films produced by children for children under age 18, films created by students in an accredited film school, digital media for children's audience up to 12 years of age and screenplays.

The CMJ FilmFest coincides with the CMJ Music Marathon and MusicFest and highlights the synergy between the moving image and music. The film festival showcases independent films that creatively and effectively use music in film. Awards are given to best feature or documentary, best short and best use of music in film. The event is sponsored and organized by the ChangeMusic Network.

This conference, sponsored by Teen Screen KidScreen, is about effectively marketing to youth. Concurrent panels in both Kid & Teen tracks will focus on: The Importance of Branding; Media Planning & Buying; Effective Media Outlets; Effective Internet Marketing Strategies; Producing Breakthrough Creative; Creating and Executing Breakthrough Promotion and more.

"bit by bit" is an all digital visual exhibition of "on-screen" art that aspires to recognize, promote and reward the best digital work being produced around the world today. This juried gallery exhibition will be installed on large format monitors in the Main Gallery of the Business of Art Center. The exhibition has three categories: still, dynamic and interactive. Prizes -- including a US$1,000 best of show award -- will be awarded to artists based on quality, skill and originality. Additional prizes will include cash awards, hardware, software and services. Current sponsors include Peachpit Press, www.firesale.com, Corel, Castlewood, scip.net and Artis Software.

The 4th Annual Short Pictures International Film Festival (SPIFF) is a biennial event that showcases the best in short film. Categories include live-action fiction, animation, documentaries, spec commercials, and digital and experimental works (15 minutes or less). Past filmmakers' works have been selected by Cannes Film Festival, Just for Laughs Comedy Festival, HBO/Cinemax, Independent Features Channel and World Animation Celebration. In 1998, Corky Quakenbush's CLOPS III won the animation category. A portion of SPIFF's proceeds are donated to either domestic or international children's charities.

Cartoon Forum is the annual European animation co-financing event, organized by Cartoon, the European animation union. The organizers have chosen 79 projects eligible for funding consideration. The selected entries can be viewed at Cartoon's Web site www.cartoon-media.be. The annual Cartoon d'Or prize will be given during the closing session. The five candidates are: BZZ by Benoit Feroumont, Belgium; PONPON by Fabien Drouet, France; PASSPORT by Siri Melchior, U.K.; THE SUSPECT by Jose Miguel Ribeiro, Portugal; and THE MAN WITH THE BEAUTIFUL EYES by Jonathan Hodgson, U.K. These European films were chosen as candidates based on their award-winning performances at selected European animation festivals. The money given is to finance a new film, suitable for television.

Animation World Magazine's article "Europe Strikes Back" by Heikki Jokinen answers all of our questions about the European Union's MEDIA program, CARTOON, the European Association of Animated Film.

VFX 2000 will highlight the growing industry of visual effects. The conference is a biennial event sponsored by BKSTS (Moving Image Society) and the Visual Effects Society. This year's event will showcase developments in the areas of digital cinema and large format films. Filmmaker seminars will include Aardman Animations' Dave Sproxton and Tom Barnes on CHICKEN RUN; The Mill's John Nelson on GLADITOR; and The Secret Labs' Neil Krepela, Neil Eskuri and Mike Belzer on DINOSAUR. Other seminars will deal with topics such as the history of matte painting, digital intermediate systems, puppeteers in the 21st century, desktop visual effects, models vs. 3D and much more.