Asian Festival of 1st FilmsSingapore, SingaporeNovember 30 December 7, 2006 Deadline: August 31, 2006
Asian Festival of 1st Films is an annual film and documentary festival to celebrate excellence for first-time producers, directors, cinematographers, writers, actors and documentary makers from the Asian Diaspora. For more information, visit asianfirstfilms.com.
DISCOP 06, the only television content & formats market strictly targeted at central & eastern European marketplaces, will open to record numbers in all categories this week, it was announced by Patrick Jucaud, gm, DISCOP; and Rick Feldman, president/ceo, National Assoc. of Television Program Executives (NATPE), DISCOPs joint partner.
Now in its 15th year, the market will open in Budapest on June 22 at noon in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Hungarian revolution.
SILVERDOCS: AFI/Discovery Channel Documentary Festival announced its award winners, culminating the weeklong festival activities that included screening 100 films from 22 countries, free outdoor screenings and live performances, and a four-day concurrent International Documentary Conference attended by more than 500 filmmakers, film and television execs and media professionals exploring The Future of Real. Winning filmmakers received more than $42,000 in cash, goods and in-kind services.
Assistant animator Kimie Calvert, the wife of director and producer Fred Calvert, has passed away. The Animation Guild Local 839 just reported her passing, which was on Dec. 23, 2005.
With a career spanning from 1956 until 2003, Calvert worked for Filmfair, Disney, Hanna-Barbera, Fred Calvert, Rich Animation, Baer Animation, Warner Bros., Amblimation, Hyperion and Calvert-Cobbler.
She was an animator for the Disney feature THE TIGGER MOVIE (2000).
The first in the blockbuster vampire trilogy from Russia, NIGHT WATCH, bows on DVD (Fox Home Ent., $27.98) June 20, 2006. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov, NIGHT WATCH is a present-day struggle in Moscow between the forces of light and darkness. Included in the two-disc set are both Russian-language and English-language widescreen versions. In fact, the subtitles are graphically inserted for creative effect.
Disney opened Licensing International 2006 in New York City by revealing Brittany Murphy as the voice of Tinker Bell in an all new CG-animated feature featuring the spunky fairy in 2007. This will be the first time audiences hear Tinker Bell speak, as the movie brings to life enchanting tale of Pixie Hollow and Tink's new fairy friends voiced by some of Hollywood's most talented actors.
Alain Bielik recounts how Cinesite (Europe) recreated the legendary death scenes in the remake of The Omen using state-of-the-art digital technology.
Alexander Coridass, president/ceo of ZDF Enterprises, will remain in charge of the ZDF licensing subsidiary for another five years, according to Markus Schächter, gm of the German pubcaster ZDF, who said Coridass' contract has been renewed. The 51-year-old media manager has been in charge of the ZDF subsidiary since 1998.
FIVEs Milkshake has ordered a second season of FUNKY VALLEY from British award-winning animation studio Honeycomb Animation.
The successful preschool show was first aired in May 2004 on FIVEs preschool strand Milkshake!, and has been sold to more than 30 territories worldwide, including Italy, South Africa, Canada and Australia. (A spin-off series, FUNKY TOWN, is currently in production.)
Electronic Arts Inc. announced today (June 20, 2006) it has entered into an agreement to acquire Mythic Ent. Upon completion of the acquisition, Mythic Ent. will become EA Mythic, a wholly-owned studio dedicated to developing Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs). Mythic has revolutionized the online gaming space with the award-winning DARK AGE OF CAMELOT and is currently developing WARHAMMER ONLINE: AGE OF RECKONING, under license agreement with Games Workshop.
The 8th Festival of Visual Effects presented by the Visual Effects Society (VES), to be held July 6-8, 2006, at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood, will include presentations of SUPERMAN RETURNS, X-MEN: THE LAST STAND, CARS and SMALLVILLE. Workshops and panels dealing with the future dimensions of digital film processing will be lead by eight-times Oscar winner and VFX legend Dennis Muren and other celebrities, such as Robert Skotak, John Myhre and Mark Stetson.
Kathaa Animations is one of the leading content provider for the animation industry in India. With a shortfall of talent in the animation industry, it is taking the initiative to teach wannabe animators and animation directors, the steps that will take you through the process of animation. From basic conceptualization to converting the concept into an animation film, the animation module will take you through the grass root basics of animation and bring you to a threshold wherein you can develop yourself into a creative professional par excellence in the field of animation.
Impact! Mobile addresses the issues of the growing field of mobile marketing and advertising. This sector is the newest method of one on one marketing and advertising for one-on-one entertainment companies and brands. The event gather leading experts to show attendees how to deliver their message to consumers using mobile marketing with a focus on Hollywood and home entertainment industry. For more information, visit www.iHollywoodForum.
BroadcastAsia2006, organized by Singapore Exhibition Services (SES), will address the theme,
Future TV Show 2006 is a conference where broadcasters and network operators meet the production companies and channels to discuss new opportunities in the world of media convergence. Conference topics include:
* Who is the viewer of the future and on what platforms will they be watching TV?* Securing content for new platforms* VOD & PVR
The latest Animation World Magazine Acrobat edition is now online and free for a limited time. This edition covers the ever-expanding world of gaming. Joe Strike uncovers the voice over actors finding lucrative work in the videogame industry. Janet Hetherington takes a look at how videogame art is jumping off the screen and into the gallery. Christopher Harz looks into the field of educational videogames, moving games from the home into the classroom and office.
Disney/Pixars CARS had plenty in the tank to outpace the competition in its second weekend at the box office. For the period ended June 18, CARS grabbed $33.7M, down 44%, for a cume of $117M. Following in the second through fourth spots were newcomers NACHO LIBRE, THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT and THE LAKE HOUSE.
The Animation Guild celebrates the sixty-fifth anniversary of the 1941 Disney strike in the June issue of its newsletter, The Peg-Board...
Autodesk Inc. announced that its technology was used to create high-definition television (HDTV) content for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Autodesk solutions provide digital artists with the creative tools and processing power necessary to quickly and efficiently produce content containing the level of detail required for HDTV programming. Post-production facilities that relied on Autodesk technology include: Deep Blue Sea, Locomotion, METAphrenie, Method Studios and The Mill.
Each month, ANIMATION WORLD MAGAZINE focuses its attention on a particular theme.
Adult Swims first season of THE VENTURE BROS., a spoof of JONNY QUEST, from Noodlesoup Prods., is currently available on DVD (Warner Home Video, $29.98). All 13 episodes from Cartoon Network plus the pilot and Christmas are contained in this two-disc collectors edition featuring the adventures of dim-witted twins, Hank and Dean, who tag along with their scientist father and unsuccessfully try to combat oddball villains. The series offers the voice work of Patrick Warburton, who plays Brock Sampson, the family bodyguard.
Other extras include:
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz.
Steve Martin steps into the role of bumbling Inspector Clouseau made famous by the late Peter Sellers in this family-friendly remake of THE PINK PANTHER, which recently bowed on DVD (Sony Home Ent., $28.95). Say what you will about the success or failure of Martins wild and crazy interpretation, but the title sequence from Kurtz and Friends Animation is true to form. Judge for yourself, as the Animated Trip featurette covers the animated opening credits with interviews with director Bob Kurz, animator Eric Goldberg and editor Ken Smith.
This week in AWN's Forums, a debate has begun over why animators up and quit jobs. Theres a continuing thread on character animation in Flash. Others are talking about the continued string of Pixar success. Another member needs advice on ways to improve their drawing skills. A junior member wants some suggestions on building a portable animation studio. Theres also a thread over the poor treatment of the CHIPMUNK ADVENTURE DVD cover.
FUNimation Ent., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Navarre Corp. and the market share leader for home video sales of Japanese animation in the U.S., announced today (June 16, 2006) that the FUNimation Channel is now live in Los Angeles via digital broadcast on LA 18.3. The FUNimation Channel provides 24-hour digital programming featuring top anime brands in the U.S. to more than five million households in the Los Angeles area.
