Massive Software was tapped by Rhythm & Hues to create lifelike CG animals for Universal's EVAN ALMIGHTY. These included large establishing shots of hundreds of animals paired two-by-two as described in the biblical story of Noah's Ark.
PorchLight Ent. is forming a domestic home entertainment division launching under the label of "PorchLight Home Entertainment," with Gary Jones, svp of PorchLight Home Ent. overseeing acquisitions and sales. The new division will distribute kids and family programming acquired from leading producers worldwide in addition to releasing the company's new productions, as well as programs from its substantial library.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Rubicon, a pioneering animation, edutainment and multimedia company in Jordan, announced today (June 24, 2007) a new multi-level business alliance designed to create multiple business activities throughout the region while also impacting local and regional employment opportunities.
The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons exhibit is coming to the Allentown Art Museum's Kress and Rodale galleries. The exhibit is an expanded version of the 1985 Museum of Modern Art retrospective. Curated by Steve Schneider (author, THAT'S ALL FOLKS, THE ART OF WARNER BROS. ANIMATION), the exhibit is comprised of more than 150 drawings, paintings, cels and animated films of Warner's classic Looney Tunes shorts library. A public preview party will be held on Saturday, June 23, 2007, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. For more details, visit www.allentownartmuseum.org/gallery/exhibits/cartoons.html.
Faced with an unprecedented flood of exhibitor applications for the 160 exhibitor tables filling the three ground floor ballrooms of New York's historic Puck Building (295 Lafayette Street at Houston), MoCCA Art Festival 2007 organizers have decided to add space upstairs for more exhibitors.
The 2007 New York Book Festival will hold its annual program celebrating literature with a daytime festival in Central Park followed by an evening awards ceremony.
The 2007 New York Book Festival will consider published, self-published and independent publisher non-fiction, fiction, children's books, genre-based, teenage, how-to, audio/spoken word, unpublished stories, comics, poetry, e-books, wild card (anything goes!), science fiction, romance and biography/autobiography works.
The Great American PitchFest brings together writers and filmmakers with the industry executives that have the power to put projects in motion. The first day starts with special training sessions with top screenwriting instructors so attendees can learn how to sell your ideas. Then on day two, meet one-on-one with production companies, agents, managers, funding organizations, studios, networks and other industry representatives to pitch your TV shows and movie ideas. For more information, visit www.pitchfest.com.
More than 20 people leap from the Golden Gate Bridge each year and this film watches them do it. There is an allure to the location that draws more people to end their lives there than any other spot on Earth. It's a dramatic way to go. Eric Steel's gripping documentary about the phenomenon is chilling as we watch in horror as 24 people jump from the bridge. For many this film will certainly fall into the category of a great film that they will never want to see again. For others it may be a film too disturbing to watch one time. It profoundly tries to step into the darkness that causes people to take their own lives and it's not a comfortable place to go.
Through the course of the film, we see many people jump, we see a few people stopped, we hear from the family and friends of the dead and also hear from one very lucky survivor. The 220-foot fall takes 4 seconds; most die on impact, others drown. Roughly 1,300 people have killed themselves at the Golden Gate Bridge, only 26 jumpers have survived.
Luckily there's a 4-star Scrat short interspersed between the weak sitcom plot of this disappointing sequel to Blue Sky's surprisingly good debut film, ICE AGE. The characters made the original so wonderful. The new characters in MELTDOWN make the sequel annoying. And there are too many of them. This overshadows poor Manny, Sid and Diego. Scrat fares much better because he's out on his own.
Our loveable trio each has their own separate issues to deal with this time around. Manny (Ray Romano, TV's EVERYONE LOVES RAYMOND) is sad over the possibility that he may be the last mammoth alive. Sid (John Leguizamo, SUMMER OF SAM) gets no respect from the kids in their new larger tribe of various prehistoric animals. Diego (Denis Leary, TV's RESCUE ME) fears water, which is a real problem when the land of ice you live in is melting all around you. It appears that the valley where they all reside is going to flood soon, so they head off to the far end toward a rumored boat. Along the way Manny, Sid and Diego get separated from the mass of annoying characters, to end up with three other annoying characters — possums Crash (Sean William Scott, AMERICAN PIE) and Eddie (Josh Peck, MEAN CREEK) and their adopted mammoth sister Ellie (Queen Latifah, CHICAGO), who doggedly refuses to accept that she is indeed a mammoth.
Originally titled COMMUNION upon its theatrical release, this horror thriller peaked my interest when it made Bravo's top-50 horror list and features Brooke Shields first film performance. Horror fans may find the core premise an interesting twist on the slasher genre, but others will find the tone and pacing all wrong. Most of the ingredients are fresh, but the meal gets overheated and goes down rough.
Catherine Spages (Linda Miller, AN UNMARRIED WOMAN) has two daughters — the perfect beauty Karen (Shields) and the troublemaker Alice (Paula Sheppard). Alice torments her sister with creepy masks and mean pranks. We suspect that she is up to no good. Then on the day of her first communion, Karen is strangled by a masked killer who hides her body and sets it on fire. Catherine is devastated. Her strict sister Annie (Jane Lowry) moves in with her. The beloved Father Tom (Rudolph Willrich, THE NUMBER 23) tries to consol her. Her estranged husband Dom (Niles McMaster) comes into town. Det. Spina (Michael Hardstark) and Brennan (Tom Signorelli, THE COTTON CLUB) want to talk to Alice about the murder, but her family can't believe that she could be involved. But Karen's attack will not be the only victim of this killer.
Prior to making this film, director Joseph Ruben made another film called THE STEPFATHER, which dealt with a domineering male who loams over his family. Both films share similar plot themes, positive points and problems. They start convincingly and contain strong performances, but spiral off into ridiculous slasher movies in the end. Ruben sets up well, but doesn't deliver.
Laura (Julia Roberts, PRETTY WOMAN) meets and marries Martin Burney (Patrick Bergin, PATRIOT GAMES), who is suave, charming and wealthy. He seems like a catch. But after the honeymoon is over, he becomes controlling and ultimately abusive both mentally and physically. After three years of being trapped, Laura devises a plan to fake her own death then run away to Iowa to start her life anew. In her new life, she meets theater professor Ben Woodward (Kevin Anderson, CHARLOTTE'S WEB), who she has a problem opening up to. Laura is afraid that Martin will find out about her deception and come looking for her and she has every right to fear this happening.
Florida Supercon is a multi-format convention for comic book, sci-fi, animation and anime fans taking place June 22-24, 2007 in Ft. Lauderdale. FL. The show will include celebrity guests, writers, artists, filmmakers, vendors, guests, Q&As, film festival, parties, costume contest, giveaways, anime programming, manga, cosplay, workshops, panels and more. For more information and the current guest list, visit www.floridasupercon.com.
The New York Asian Film Festival focuses on the best contemporary Asian movies. This year's festival will take place at the IFC Center and Japan Society. Films include:
* I'M A CYBORG (BUT THAT'S OKAY) - (2006, Korea) Park Chan-Wook abandons MR. VENGEANCE, LADY VENGEANCE and his OLDBOY to make a sweet, loopy romance set in a mental hospital between a girl who thinks she's a cyborg and a kleptomaniac, thus proving that all you need is robot love.
Central Saint Martins Innovation Centre is hosting a seminar that will feature a round table discussion with animation, games and post-production industry leaders looking at how creative individuals can capitalize on their skills to run a successful business. The seminar will be preceded by a preview of the showreel from the Postgraduate Diploma in Character Animation.
Speakers include: * Mario Cavalli, founder first of Pizazz Pictures and now COLONYMEDIA* Marion Edwards, animation producer and consultant at Red & Blue Prods.
In collaboration with the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, AKQA has organized the second annual "Future Lions Competition" for advertising students from around the world. The 2007 winners of the global student competition will be announced Friday, June 22, 2007, at the Debussy Theater.
American Greetings Properties (AMP), the intellectual property and outbound licensing division of American Greetings Corp., has signed a co-production deal with DQ Ent. of India to create a new 52x11 television series for the MARYOKU YUMMY property.
Jymn Magon (DUCK TALES, RESCUE RANGERS and WINNIE THE POOH), will write and oversee the overall direction of the Maryoku Yummy series.
Philippe Moins travels to the Annecy Animated Film Festival and finds a lineup of out of the ordinary animation.
The award-winning French animated film, KIRIKOU AND THE SORCERESS, is making the transition to a stage musical this fall in a new production, KIRIKOU AND KARABA.
Michel Ocelot, creator/writer/director of the film, has written the musical's libretto and additional lyrics. The project is taking the majority of his time he told a press gathering at the Annecy Festival, during a Q&A session after a screening of his latest film, AZUR ET ASMAR.
The Walt Disney Co. confirmed reports yesterday that DisneyToon Studios (DTS) president Sharon Morrill had stepped down from her post with an announcement that DisneyToon Studios (DTS) is being restructured and will now operate as a separate unit under the supervision of Walt Disney Animation Studios. The studio will pursue original DVD productions and has curtailed making sequels to its features.
REALVIZ announced the availability of the REALVIZ HDR Imaging Studio, which combines Stitcher 5.6, VTour 1.2 HDR and Photomatix Pro, and is the only software bundle available today for the creation of HDR environments for virtual reality, industrial design, vfx and videogame applications, starting from digital snapshots and panoramas.
MTV Networks' Ent. Group has promoted Erik Flannigan to evp, digital media. The Entertainment Group is comprised of a multi-platform portfolio of brands featuring the Comedy Central, Spike TV and TV Land cable channels, as well as Internet sites AtomFilms, AtomUploads, GameTrailers.com and Xfire. Flannigan supervises the linear channels' digital media teams, overseeing the networks' digital programming initiatives, to maximize revenue growth opportunities for the group and now will oversee all of the Entertainment Group's digital businesses as well.
Nickelodeon & Viacom (Nachrichten) Consumer Products (NVCP) showcased plans at Licensing 2007 International to create new merchandise. The Emmy and Peabody-Award winning SOUTH PARK, already a consumer hit on DVD, apparel and footwear will be expanded into new licensing categories. New merchandising programs will be created for other hit shows in the Comedy Central lineup including MIND OF MENCIA, THE COLBERT REPORT, THE SARAH SILVERMAN PROGRAM and the recently launched LIL' BUSH.
In anticipation of THE POWERPUFF GIRLS' 10th anniversary in 2008, Cartoon Network and Warner Home Video have released a two-disc special edition DVD of the show's first season. Working closely with series creator Craig McCracken, who served as art director on the project, the two-disc set will include all 13 original episodes of the Emmy-winning series and is loaded with never before released special features hand-picked by McCracken. The POWERPUFF GIRLS: SEASON ONE will retail for $26.99.
Bandai Visual USA Inc. announced it will be participating at Anime Expo 2007 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California, June 29-July 2, 2007. Bandai Visual USA will be offering FREEDOM VOLUME 1, which will mark the first commercial availability of a high-definition anime title in North America. Bandai Visual USA will be located at booth #1605.
Shuhei Morita, the director of FREEDOM, is expected to be on-hand at the Bandai Visual USA booth, and is scheduled to appear on an industry panel.
Coney Island Film Festival 2007Brooklyn, New York, USA Sept. 28-30, 2007Deadline: July 10, 2007
The mission of the Coney Island Film Festival is to raise funds for the non-profit arts organization Coney Island USA and to present an engaging and entertaining program of films in the heart of Brooklyn's most storied neighborhood.
