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Ratatouille Cooks Up Most Annie Nominations

ASIFA-Hollywood announced nominations today for the 35th Annual Annie Awards recognizing the year's best animation across film, television, commercials, videogames and short subjects.

In the feature categories, Pixar's RATATOUILLE leads the field this year with 13 nominations including Best Animated Feature, as well as individual nominations for directing, writing, character animation, animated effects (two nominations), production design, storyboarding, character design, character animation, music and voice acting (three nominations). Sony Pictures Animation's SURF'S UP follows with 10 feature nominations for feature, animated effects, animation production artists, character animation (two nominations), character design, and directing.

Rounding out the Best Animated Feature category are DreamWorks Animation's BEE MOVIE, Sony Pictures Classics' PERSEPOLIS and Twentieth Century Fox's THE SIMPSONS MOVIE.

For television, Nickelodeon's EL TIGRE leads the pack with four nominations for Best Animated Television Production for Children, and individual nominations for character animation, character design, and music. The Best Animated Television Production nominees this year are CREATIVE COMFORTS AMERICA from Aardman Animations, JANE AND THE DRAGON from Weta Prods. Ltd. & Nelvana Limited, KIM POSSIBLE from Walt Disney Television Animation, as well as MORAL OREL and ROBOT CHICKEN STAR WARS from ShadowMachine.

Special juried awards honoring lifetime achievement and exceptional contributions to animation will also be awarded:

This year's Winsor McCay Award winners for career contributions to the art of animation, include:

John Canemaker - Animation historian, educator, Oscar winning filmmaker. Canemaker's tomes on Windsor McCay and Felix The Cat, his numerous books on Disney history (The Nine Old Men, Mary Blair, etc.) are esstential references. Canemaker is Chair of NYU's Animation Program and won an Academy Award for his animated short The Moon And The Son: An Imagined Conversation.

Glen Keane - One of the leading lights in the current generation of Disney character animators, Keane's artistry has been the bedrock of many classic animated features since 1977. Most notably, Keane was lead animator of Ariel in THE LITTLE MERMAID, The Beast in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and animated the characters ALADDIN, TARZAN, POCAHONTAS in their respective Disney films. Aside from Disney he's worked on animated films of STAR TREK and ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS.

John Kricfalusi - Notorious animator Kricfalusi created the influential REN & STIMPY SHOW in 1991. He restored an individual look to TV animation, pushing the envelope during the "creator-driven" movement of the 1990s. He also pioneered the use of artist-driven Flash animation. His animated films and design style currently influences a new generation of cartoonists, with which he communicates personally to through his blog.

The June Foray Award for significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation was bestowed on animation historian Jerry Beck.

The Ub Iwerks Award for technical achievement was given to Jonathan Gay, Gary Grossman and Robert Tatsumi -- the creators of Flash computer software.

Special Achievement Annie Award was awarded to Edward R. Leonard for promoting the Linux open system for animation in animation studios and gaming software development.

Certificate Of Merit have been announced for Marcus Adams, Jo Jo Batista, Steve Gattuso, Jon Reeves, Gemma Ross and Woodbury University.

The 2007 Annie Award nominations are:

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Best Animated FeatureBEE MOVIE -- DreamWorks AnimationPERSEPOLIS -- Sony Pictures ClassicsRATATOUILLE -- Pixar Animation StudiosSURF'S UP -- Sony Pictures AnimationTHE SIMPSONS MOVIE -- Twentieth Century Fox

Best Home Entertainment ProductionDOCTOR STRANGE -- MLG Prods.FUTURAMA "BENDER'S BIG SCORE" -- The Curiosity Co. in association with 20th Century Fox Television

Best Animated Short SubjectEVERYTHING WILL BE OK -- Bitter FilmsHOW TO HOOK UP YOUR HOME THEATER -- Walt Disney Feature AnimationSHORTY MCSHORTS' SHORTS "Mascot Prep" -- Walt Disney Television AnimationTHE CHESTNUT TREE -- Picnic PicturesYOUR FRIEND THE RAT -- Pixar Animation Studios

Best Animated Television CommercialCVS "Watering Can" -- Acme FilmworksEsurance "Homeowners" -- Wild BrainIdaho Lottery "Twister" -- Acme FilmworksOregon Lottery "Alaska" -- Laika/housePower Shares "Escape Average" -- Acme Filmworks

Best Animated Television ProductionJANE AND THE DRAGON -- Weta Prods. Ltd. & Nelvana Ltd.CREATIVE COMFORTS AMERICA -- Aardman AnimationsMORAL OREL-- ShadowMachineROBOT CHICKEN STAR WARS -- ShadowMachineKIM POSSIBLE -- Walt Disney Television Animation

Best Animated Television Production for ChildrenCHOWDER -- Cartoon Network StudiosEL TIGRE -- NickelodeonLITTLE EINSTEINS -- Disney ChannelPEEP AND THE BIG WIDE WORLD -- Discovery KidsTHE BACKYARDIGANS -- Nickelodeon

Best Animated Video GameAVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER "THE BURNING EARTH" -- THQ, Inc.BEE MOVIE GAME -- ActivisionRATATOUILLE -- THQ, Inc.TRANSFORMERS: THE GAME -- Blur Studios

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

Animated EffectsGary Bruins -- RATATOUILLE -- Pixar Animation StudiosDeborah Carlson -- SURF'S UP -- Sony Pictures AnimationRyan Laney -- SPIDER-MAN 3 -- Sony Pictures ImageworksJames Mansfield -- HOW TO HOOK UP YOUR HOME THEATER -- Walt Disney Feature AnimationJon Reisch -- RATATOUILLE -- Pixar Animation Studios

Animation Production ArtistJohn Clark -- SURF'S UP -- Sony Pictures AnimationMichael Isaak -- BEE MOVIE -- DreamWorks AnimationHyun-Min Lee -- THE CHESTNUT TREE -- Picnic PicturesNatasha Liberman -- GROWING UP CREEPIE "Creepie & The Candy Factory" -- Taffy Ent. LLC, Telegrael Teoranta, Discovery Communications Inc., SunWoo Ent., Peach Blossom MediaJim Worthy -- MY GYM PARTNER'S A MONKEY "Meet the Spidermonkeys" -- Cartoon Network Studios

Character Animation in a Feature ProductionDave Hardin -- SURF'S UP -- Sony Pictures AnimationAlan Hawkins -- SURF'S UP -- Sony Pictures AnimationMichal Makarewicz -- RATATOUILLE -- Pixar Animation Studios

Character Animation in a Television ProductionElizabeth Harvatine -- MORAL OREL "Nature 2" -- ShadowMachineMonica Kennedy -- EL TIGRE -- NickelodeonEric Towner -- ROBOT CHICKEN -- ShadowMachine

Character Design in an Animated Feature ProductionSylvain Deboissy -- SURF'S UP -- Sony Pictures AnimationCarter Goodrich -- RATATOUILLE -- Pixar Animation Studios

Character Design in an Animated Television ProductionJorge R. Gutierrez -- EL TIGRE "Fistful of Collars" -- Nickelodeon

Directing in an Animated Feature ProductionBrad Bird -- RATATOUILLE -- Pixar Animation StudiosAsh Brannon & Chris Buck -- SURF'S UP -- Sony Pictures AnimationChris Miller & Raman Hui -- SHREK THE THIRD -- DreamWorks AnimationVincent Paronnaud & Marjane Satrapi -- PERSEPOLIS -- Sony Pictures ClassicsDavid Silverman -- THE SIMPSONS MOVIE -- Twentieth Century Fox

Directing in an Animated Television ProductionSeth Green -- ROBOT CHICKEN STAR WARS -- ShadowMachineDavid Hartman -- TIGGER & POOH "Turtles Need for Speed" -- Walt Disney Television AnimationRaymie Muzquiz -- SQUIRREL BOY "Gumfight at the S'Okay Corral" -- Cartoon Network StudiosHowy Parkins -- THE EMPEROR'S NEW SCHOOL "Emperor's New Musical" -- Walt Disney Television AnimationGary Trousdale -- SHREK THE HALLS -- DreamWorks Animation

Music in an Animated Feature ProductionOlivier Bernet -- PERSEPOLIS -- Sony Pictures ClassicsDanny Elfman, Rufus Wainwright & Rob Thomas -- MEET THE ROBINSONS -- Walt Disney Feature AnimationMichael Giacchino -- RATATOUILLE -- Pixar Animation StudiosRupert Gregson-Williams -- BEE MOVIE -- DreamWorks AnimationAmy Powers, Russ DeSalvo & Jeff Danna -- DISNEY PRINCESS ENCHANTED TALES -- DisneyToon Studios/Walt Disney Video/Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Music in an Animated Television ProductionAlf Clausen & Michael Price -- THE SIMPSONS "Yokel Chords" -- Gracie Films in association with 20th Century FoxEvan Lurie, Robert Scull & Steven Bernstein -- THE BACKYARDIGANS "International Super Spy" -- NickelodeonDrew Neumann & Gregory Hinde -- BILLY & MANDY'S BIG BOOGEY ADVENTURE -- Cartoon Network StudiosShawn Patterson -- EL TIGRE "Yellow Pantera" -- NickelodeonJames L. Venable & Jennifer Kes Remington -- FOSTER'S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS "The Bloo Superdude and the Magic Potato Power" -- Cartoon Network Studios

Production Design in an Animated Feature ProductionDoug Chiang -- BEOWULF -- Paramount PicturesHarley Jessup -- RATATOUILLE -- Pixar Animation StudiosMarcelo Vignali -- SURF'S UP -- Sony Pictures Animation

Production Design in an Animated Television ProductionNONE

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature ProductionDon Hall -- MEET THE ROBINSONS -- Walt Disney Feature AnimationDenise Koyama -- SURF'S UP -- Sony Pictures AnimationTed Mathot -- RATATOUILLE -- Pixar Animation StudiosSean Song -- TMNT -- IMAGI Animation StudiosNassos Vakalis -- BEE MOVIE -- DreamWorks Animation

Storyboarding in an Animated Television ProductionBen Balistreri -- DANNY PHANTOM "Torrent of Terror" -- NickelodeonAldin Baroza -- THE REPLACEMENTS "London Calling" -- Walt Disney Television AnimationDave Bennett -- TOM AND JERRY TALES -- Warner Bros. AnimationSteve Fonti -- FAMILY GUY "No Chris Left Behind" -- Fox TV Animation/Fuzzy Door Prods.Roy Meurin -- MY FRIENDS TIGGER AND POOH "Good Night to Pooh" -- Walt Disney Television Animation

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature ProductionJaneane Garofalo -- Voice of Collette -- RATATOUILLE -- Pixar Animation StudiosIan Holm -- Voice of Skinner -- RATATOUILLE -- Pixar Animation StudiosJulie Kavner -- Voice of Marge Simpson -- THE SIMPSONS MOVIE -- Twentieth Century FoxPatton Oswalt -- Voice of Remy -- RATATOUILLE -- Pixar Animation StudiosPatrick Warburton -- Voice of Ken -- BEE MOVIE -- DreamWorks Animation

Voice Acting in an Animated Television ProductionScott Adsit -- Voice of Clay Puppington -- MORAL OREL -- ShadowMachineMadison Davenport -- Voice of Sophianna -- CHRISTMAS IS HERE AGAIN! -- Easy To Dream Ent.Tom Kenny -- Voice of SpongeBob -- SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS "Spy Buddies" -- NickelodeonEartha Kitt -- Voice of Yzma -- THE EMPEROR'S NEW SCHOOL "Emperor's New Musical" -- Walt Disney Television AnimationEddie Murphy -- Voice of Donkey -- SHREK THE HALLS -- DreamWorks Animation

Writing in an Animated Feature ProductionBrad Bird -- RATATOUILLE -- Pixar Animation StudiosJames L. Brooks, Matt Groening, Al Jean, Ian Maxtone-Graham, George Meyer, David, Mirkin, Mike Reiss, Mike Scully, Matt Selman, John Swartzwelder & Jon Vitti -- THE SIMPSONS MOVIE -- Twentieth Century FoxDon Rhymer and Ash Brannon & Chris Buck & Christopher Jenkins -- SURF'S UP -- Sony Pictures AnimationMarjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud -- PERSEPOLIS -- Sony Pictures Classics

Writing in an Animated Television ProductionC.H. Greenblatt & William Reiss -- CHOWDER "Burple Nurples" -- Cartoon Network StudiosGene Grillo -- BACK AT THE BARNYARD "Cowman and Ratboy" -- NickelodeonIan Maxtone-Graham & Billy Kimball -- THE SIMPSONS "24 Minutes" -- Gracie FilmsChristopher Painter -- SQUIRREL BOY "I Only Have Eye For You" -- Cartoon Network StudiosTom Sheppard -- MY GYM PARTNER'S A MONKEY "The Butt of the Jake" -- Cartoon Network Studios

The 35th Annual Annie Awards will be held Feb. 8, 2008 at UCLA's Royce Hall, in Los Angeles. The black-tie ceremony will feature a lively mix of animation luminaries, celebrity presenters and comedic talent to celebrate this year's best of the best.

A pre-reception begins at 5:00 pm with the awards ceremony following at 7:00 pm. A post-show celebration immediately follows at the Royce Hall.

More than 1,500 entertainment industry insiders are expected to attend the annual Annie Awards. Tickets will be available to the general public online at www.annieawards.org, after January 1, 2008, space permitting.

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Rick DeMott
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