Nintendo announced on Friday that it would not release its next generation versions of Gameboy and next generation console unit, Gamecube, this year. This announcement marks a crucial hit for the company in the next generation console market, which was led off by the healthy debut of Sony’s PlayStation 2 in Japan. The new Sony console looks to be a hot seller for the holiday season, with Sony set to raise ¥150 billion (US$1.4 billion) by selling bonds to keep up with the demand for the PlayStation 2.

This month: Feature Films & Education

and Training.





For feature films Martin Goodman is taking a look at this summer's

hits and misses. Gerard Raiti is figuring out why some cartoons don't

work as live-action adaptations and others do. Amid Amidi is

profiling feature films that have been released outside of the big

studios' theatrical machine. Plus, for a look into the Japanese

planetLingo, an Internet-based language learning company, has hired three former Disney executives John Feenie as president and CEO; Cedric Astor as executive VP and CFO; and Greg Probert as executive VP and head of content and curriculum. Previously, Feenie served as executive VP, China Affairs for Disney, in which he was responsible for all of the company’s activities in China. For planetLingo, Feenie will help establish markets around the globe. Most recently, Astor served as senior VP for Disney consumer products in Europe/Middle East/Africa.

Serving as the major animation festival in South America, Anima Mundi has rolled out its list of winners for the 2000 competition in both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The festival’s goal of highlighting different styles and points of view was achieved with a list of winners from around the world. From Portuguese director José Miguel Ribeiro, A SUSPEITA took home the top prize in both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The five-day event drew 16,000 people.

Stan Lee Media, Inc. (SLM) has teamed with Venture Soft Co., Ltd., Asia's leading creator and aggregator of anime and manga, to form a joint venture that will bring SLM's superhero and fantasy story franchises to Asia. Coming on the heels of a similar deal with Fox Kids Latin America, the Asian venture will be called SLM Japan and will continue SLM’s strategy to partner with strong regional communication companies to introduce its branded content via the Internet and then leveraging it into global partnerships.

Los Angeles, California-based Unbound Studios, a new media company

specializing in animation and gaming for the Web, is looking for 2D

FLASH ANIMATORS, a PRODUCTION/OFFICE ASSISTANT and a TRADITIONAL

CHARACTER ANIMATOR. . . Sucker Punch Productions is looking for a 3D

MODELER and a TEXTURE ARTIST/2D ILLUSTRATOR to work on

character-based games. . . Venice, California-based Brand New School,

a broadcast motion graphics design firm, is looking for an AFTER

Roy Disney has agreed to help director Richard Williams restore his masterpiece, THE THIEF AND THE COBBLER, to the version he had originally intended to make. The heart-wrenching saga of the THIEF began after Williams’ success on WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? With the backing of Warner Bros., the filmmaker set out to finish his then 20 years in the making feature about a mute cobbler and an unsuccessful thief. The stipulation attached to the project was that Williams must finish the film for a 1992 release. The production fell behind schedule and Warner Bros.

* Saturday, September 23, 2000. Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

NetGuru, Inc. (formerly Research Engineers, Inc.), an integrated

Internet technology and software company, has expanded its

netGuruDigitalmedia (www.guruanimation.com) facilities to provide

animation, production and digital media services for U.S. and

offshore producers. The new Calcutta studio is equipped with the

latest software including AXA Team 2D, After Effects, Director, 3D

Studio Max and Flash. The studio has already completed various

netGuru, Inc. (formerly Research Engineers, Inc.) has expanded its netGuruDigitalmedia facilities to provide animation, production and digital media services for U.S. and offshore producers. Based in both Yorba Linda, California, U.S.A. and Calcutta, India, the company offers animation services including 2D animation, clean-up, in-betweening, digital ink and paint, 3D animation, special effects compositing, audio/video editing, and Web and interactive animation and graphics. netGuru also markets AXA Team 2D Pro, a 2D pencil test and ink and paint software package, and newly released AXA-Web.

The Chinese Administration of Radio, Film and Television has instituted a new regulation cutting the airtime of imported cartoons. Starting on June 1, TV networks in China must air six Chinese toons for every four imported ones. Before the new rule two-thirds of the cartoons broadcast in China were from foreign soil and with their domestic production only reaching 6,000 minutes (roughly 272 twenty-two-minute episodes) a year there is little for Chinese programming to choose from.

After having announced the entries for the Independent Film

Competition, the Ottawa 00

International Animation Festival has

released the selections for the Panorama section - Commissioned,

Canadian and Computer categories. For a complete list of competitors,

please visit the Ottawa 00 Web site. The competition will take place

September 19-24, 2000 with the awards ceremony being held on Sunday,

Bill Plympton has updated his appearances page. In the upcoming

months, his films will be appearing in various festivals and other

events, including the Hiroshima Animation Festival, Japan, August

24-28, 2000; the Macau Urban Council art carnival, Macau, August 19,

2000; and the Atlantic Film Festival, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada,

September 15-23, 2000. In addition to Hiroshima, Bill will be

attending the KROK Animated Film Festival Moscow, Russia, August

With MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2 still holding on in many countries, PERFECT STORM’s debut in Hong Kong and the U.K. shook up the international box office. Finishing at the top spot in the U.K., STORM grossed US$2.86 million over the weekend and $3.25 million since its Wednesday nod. Slipping to #2, STUART LITTLE grossed $2.08 million, advancing its British cume to $9.59 million. The U.K. sensation, CHICKEN RUN, amassed another $1.82 million in third, bringing its cume to $28.85 million.

Spontaneous Combustion has spruced up the CGI product shots and on-line edit for two Aube Cosmetics ads. "Lipstick" and ‘Eyeshadow" were produced for Aube, one of Japan’s foremost cosmetic companies. Creative director Sam DeWitt said, "We built models and textures for the new compacts containing the make-up.

Best known for his work on SLEEPLING BEAUTY and LADY AND THE TRAMP, Eyvind Earle, creator of eclectic backgrounds for Disney cartoons, has passed away. He was 84 years old. Earle succumbed to esophageal cancer on Thursday, July 20, 2000. The 1953 Academy Award and Cannes Film Festival winning short film, TOOT, WHISTLE, PLUNK AND BOOM, is the film that made people truly notice Earle’s artwork. His other toon credits include PETER PAN, FOR WHOM THE BULLS TOIL, WORKING FOR PEANUTS, PIGS IS PIGS and PAUL BUNYAN.

On Wednesday, July 26, 2000, Cinar Corporation began its discussions with Nasdaq officials to explain why they have not filed their annual reports and financial statements from as far back at November 30, 1999. In the midst of the talks, Cinar has announced they have been sued again! This time, the former owners of Cinar subsidiary, Carson-Dellosa Publishing, which Cinar purchased in 1997, have brought forth the lawsuit.

With more summer blockbusters arriving in international theatres, the old guard is weaning. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 2, however, is still strong, finishing atop the charts in Italy, Sweden Japan and Spain. In its second week, M:I 2 grossed another US$700,928 in Italy, raising its cume to $6.82 million. GLADIATOR is losing its power, slipping a spot in Italy to finish at #4 with a gross of $103,693, bringing its Italian cume to $8.64 million. In Sweden, GLADITOR also finished in 4th place with a gross of $217,952, advancing its cume to $3.93 million.

* Saturday, September 23, 2000. Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.


Entry Deadline: August 31, 2000.





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

The Ottawa 00 International Animation Festival has completed this year's pre-selection for the official competition. Once again, the festival set a record for entries, receiving 1,300 films from over 50 countries. To ease the pressure on the selection committee, this year's selection was divided into two committees. Festival organizers Chris Robinson and Hayden Mindell judged the Independent Film Competition (graduate films, first professional films, independent short works under 50 min. and films for children).