Search form

All AWN Content

Festival Headline News

Send Your Shorts to Transylvania for Muuuvi Fest

Muuuvi International Film Festival 2007Lazarea, Transylvania, Romania Aug. 3-5, 2007Deadline: July 20, 2007

Muuuvi International Film Festival will be organized this year for the third time in Lazarea (Transylvania) in a medieval castle. Lazarea is a village, very close to Gheorgheni. The aim is to ensure new opportunities for filmmakers from Romania and abroad who produce shorts and animation.

Blogs

Find your fantasy

Very interesting contrast last week when I caught back-to-back screenings of a pair of fantasy flicks: Stardust and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

For one, the Stardust screening was deserted - just me, one other person and a friend I brought along. (A tumbling tumbleweed blocked my view of the screen for a while). The Phoenix screening was packed - they had to bring in folding chairs for the overflow, and held the start until some bigshot could make it.

And the movies deserved their respective audiences. Want to see an uninspired, you'll-leave-the-theater-humming-the(adequate)-special-effects fantasy? Stardust (directed by Matthew Vaughn of Layer Cake) is your film. Everything's pro-forma, out of the twinkly, twee, Edwardian-British faerie school of literary fantasy, without an ounce of conviction showing anywhere; I've had more believable experiences at your average Renaissance Festival.

Events

Joss Whedon Dinner Contest

By Guest (not verified) | Monday, July 2, 2007 at 11:00am
Begins: July 2, 2007

Joss Whedon (BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER), Dark Horse and eBay have teamed to offer fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sit down to a private dinner with Whedon at this year's San Diego Comic-Con. Beginning on July 2, fans will have the opportunity to bid on seats at his table, all for a worthwhile cause. The charity auction also offers additional rarities, including signed editions of Dark Horse's upcoming SERENITY hardcover. For complete details, visit ebay.com/josswhedon.

International Events

RomaFictionFest 2007

By Guest (not verified) | Monday, July 2, 2007 at 11:00am
Begins: July 2, 2007

RomaFictionFest is the world's biggest international television festival dedicated to all types of fiction. The festival will feature numerous sections dedicated to the vast world of TV fiction, from TV series to TV movies and from mini-series and docu-fiction through to comedy. Not to mention retrospectives of great TV fiction from the past. It's an international event that stems from the desire to celebrate and at the same time explore the present day "Golden Age" of world fiction, in which the high artistic quality of the products is reflected by big successes in terms of audience ratings.

Blogs

TRANSFORMERS (2007) (**1/2)

TRANSFORMERS starts off as a fun summer cruise, but then crashes head on into the medium strip at 100 mph and subsequently kicks it into autopilot. The first third is an entertaining global alien invasion flick in the mold of INDEPENDENCE DAY, but sadly once the Autobots show up the script flips into a juvenile, sitcom-like version of IRON GIANT. Finally in the end, we are given a conclusion with so many plot holes you could drive Optimus Prime right through them.

In Qatar, a U.S. military base is attacked by a transforming helicopter, leaving soldiers Sgt. Lennox (Josh Duhamel, TV's LAS VEGAS), USAF Tech Sgt. Epps (Tyrese Gibson, BABY BOY) and their teammates stranded in the desert. Then we move to the American suburbs, Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf, HOLES) is trying to save up for his first car, going to the point where he's willing to sell his grandfather's glasses on eBay. He pines over the pretty, popular girl Mikaela Banes (Megan Fox, TV's HOPE & FAITH), who turns out to be a grease monkey. Defense Secretary John Keller (Jon Voight, DELIVERENCE) tries to make heads or tails of the robot attack, which includes a hack into the government's computer systems. To do so he calls in tech experts from all walks of life. Young, pretty, Aussie techie Maggie Madsen (Rachael Taylor, SEE NO EVIL) discovers the alien robots hacking into Air Force One computers and when she gets resistance to her idea about the hacks coming from DNA based machines, she goes to her hacker friend Glen Whitmann (Anthony Anderson, HUSTLE & FLOW) for help. Later Sam discovers that his beat-up Camero is really an alien robot named Bumblebee (Mark Ryan, THE PRESTIGE) and that his grandfather's glasses are key to saving Earth from the evil alien robot Decepticons.

Film Headline News

Pearce Sisters Wins First PLATFORM Animation Festival

PLATFORM International Animation Festival announces competition award winners during closing ceremonies of a six-day long program in Portland, Oregon. Luis Cook took home the Grand Prix for his film, THE PEARCE SISTERS, which also won Best Art Direction.

Awards were given in categories covering commercial and independent films, student animation, installations and films for new platforms, including cell phones and the Internet. In total, more than $50,000 was awarded to the winning artists.

Creative Headline News

Adobe Ships Creative Suite 3 Production Premium and Master Collection

Adobe Systems Inc. announced the immediate availability of Adobe Creative Suite 3 Production Premium and Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection software. Adobe Production Premium CS3 is the comprehensive collection of integrated cross-platform post-production software tools, helping video professionals deliver stunning results for film, broadcast, DVD, web and mobile devices. Adobe Creative Suite 3 Master Collection combines 12 of Adobe's new design and development products in a single box.

Headline News

Ratatouille Opens as the Box Office Main Dish

Pixarâs eighth animated feature, RATATOUILLE, withstood heavy competition from a rejuvenated franchise to lead the box office for the period ended July 1, 2007, with $47M for Buena Vista. Foxâs LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD (with primary vfx from Digital Dimension and The Orphanage) grabbed $33.3M for the weekend and $48.3M since its Wednesday opening. Dropping to third was Universalâs EVAN ALMIGHTY (with vfx from ILM and Rhythm & Hues), which collected $15.1M for a two-week cume of $60.6M.

Cartoon Headline News

Cartoon Network's Re-Animated Becomes Live-Action Out of Jimmy's Head Series

Based on the hit original movie RE-ANIMATED, a new live-action series, OUT OF JIMMY'S HEAD, will continue the crazy adventures of Jimmy Roberts and his animated world with Golly and the gang this fall.

Animation Headline News

AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for July 2, 2007

This week in AWN's Forums, RATATOUILLE is out and members are talking. A member wants to know how he can tackle the basics of drawing. Others are looking for Maya rigs. Another member has budget questions for a four-minute short. A junior member has some questions about what render wranglers, layout artists and Flash builders do. Any Toon Boom users out there? A member is curious what you think of the program. As well as, tools for teaching animation, the business of animation and, as always, brand new stuff to check out in show and tell!

Headline News

HIT Restructures EMEA Consumer Products Group

HIT Ent. has made a number of key changes to its U.K./European consumer products business following the recent appointment of Peter Byrne as evp of worldwide consumer products.

Katie Rollings fills the newly created position of vp of international marketing responsible for all strategic brand planning, marketing, retail development and creative services covering the entire international region.

Jon Owen is now vp of EMEA (Europe, the Middle East & Africa) consumer products responsible for all U.K. and EMEA licensing operations.

Series Headline News

Boomerang Presents The Flintstones Marathon July 4-7

Boomerang, Cartoon Networkâs 24-hour commercial-free sister network, brings true fireworks to the Fourth of July holiday weekend with a first-time presentation of every episode of televisionâs first primetime animated series, THE FLINTSTONES, including its original pilot, entitled âThe Flagstones,â in chronological order. The three-and-a-half-day marathon -- THE FLAGTONES TO THE FLINTSTONES, features all 166 episodes without commercial interruption.

Game Headline News

Transformers: The Game Rolls out to Retail Stores

TRANSFORMERS: THE GAME from Activision under license from HPG, the licensing division of Hasbro, has shipped to retail stores in the U.S. Timed to coincide with the theatrical release of the TRANSFORMERS live-action feature film from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures, the game allows players to experience the unstoppable power and massive scale of the Autobots and Decepticons in an epic battle for Earth.

Disney Headline News

Icon Animation & Disney Channel Spain Make Way For Noddy

Barcelona-based Icon Animation has scored a Spanish deal for Chorion's animated property, NODDY, which Icon represents third party for Spain. The Disney Channel bought all episodes of MAKE WAY FOR NODDY (100x10) and SAY IT WITH NODDY (100x2), alongside three television specials: NODDY SAVES CHRISTMAS (1x26); NODDY AND THE ISLAND ADVENTURE (1x26) and NODDY AND THE MAGICAL MOONDUST (1x26).

The show will be stripped daily on Playhouse Disney from Monday to Friday at 9:00 am and on Sundays at 5:00 pm with back-to-back episodes of MAKE WAY FOR NODDY and SAY IT WITH NODDY.

Headline News

Lord of the Rings, Toy Story Lead USA Today Impact List

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, USA TODAY has compiled a list of the 25 top movie milestones of the past 25 years. Topping the list is Peter Jackson's Tolkien epic LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, which won 17 Oscars and brought in a box office gross of more than $3 billion. TOY STORY followed right behind at #2 for launching 3D animation on the big screen.

Kids Headline News

Nat Geo's Mama Mirabelle Plays on PBS KIDS

PBS KIDS will debut MAMA MIRABELLE'S HOME MOVIES in September. Starring Vanessa Williams as the voice of Mama, the series combines animation with wildlife movies from the National Geographic and BBC award-winning archives. The series premieres on public television the weekend of Sept. 8, 2007.

A co-production of National Geographic Kids Ent., BBC/CBeebies and King Rollo Films, MAMA MIRABELLE'S HOME MOVIES represents the first time National Geographic Kids Ent. and PBS KIDS have teamed up to bring a children's show to television.

Movie Headline News

Fox Launches Simpsons Movie Website, Relaunches Store

With THE SIMPSONS MOVIE hitting theaters on July 27, 2007, 20th Century Fox has launched the official movie website www.simpsonsmovie.com/. The interactive site features various games, including THREE CARD MOE, BALL OF DEATH and WRECKING BALL. Visitors can also download wallpaper, buddy icons, screensavers and ring tones as well as take a virtual tour of Springfield itself. Additionally, users can create their own Simpsons character avatar then go visit Moe's Tavern, where their character can hang out with Homer. Moreover, the site will feature trailers and teaser clips.

Films Headline News

India's UTV Begins Trading on London AIM Market

On Monday, July 2, 2007, Indian production company UTV Motion Pictures Plc began trading on London's junior market AIM, reports REUTERS. Shares jumped 6% over by the close of its first day, finishing at $3.075. The total value of the shares is $320.2 million.

UTV plans to invest the money earned on AIM into 30 productions over the next two years. The firm has 25 films in the pipeline and has put its funds behind such Hollywood films as THE NAMESAKE and M Night Shyamalan's upcoming THE HAPPENING.

Headline News

EM.TV AG Moves to Separate Sports & Entertainment Businesses

At its annual general meeting in Munich on June 26, 2007, the management board of EM.TV AG -- in future EM.Sport Media AG -- laid out its plans for strong revenue growth during the upcoming years.

Following the strategic decision, announced on March 22, 2007, to concentrate future business on the sports sector and to dispose of its interests in the entertainment sector (children's and youth programs), the company is striving to at least double its revenues from the sports sector from around 220 million euros (2006) to significantly more than 400 million euros by 2010.

Pages