Blur Studios 2005 Oscar-nominated short film, GOPHER BROKE, will screen before the CG-animated feature film, DOOGAL, opening today, Feb. 24, 2006, in more than 2,200 theaters in North America.
GOPHER BROKE, written and directed by Jeff Fowler and exec produced by Blur Studio co-founder Tim Miller will be screened ahead of the feature released by the Weinstein Co. with a special introduction from Academy Award-winning actress Judi Dench.
On the heels of last year's Academy Award nomination and this years Sundance Film Festival, we are delighted that GOPHER BROKE will now be available for national audiences to enjoy, said Miller. We are pleased to be associated with the Weinsteins and have our short film open for DOOGAL. It's a great opportunity for Blur.
DOOGAL, rated G, features the voices of Jimmy Fallon, Jon Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, William H. Macy, Chevy Chase and Daniel Tay.
Led by the candy-loving mutt Doogal (Tay), friends Dylan (Fallon), Brian (Macy) and Ermintrude (Goldberg) all embark on an epic adventure to save the world. In order to find the diamonds before the evil Zeebad (Stewart), they must climb icy mountains, navigate fiery pits of molten lava, sail across vast oceans and pass through a booby-trapped temple guarded by an army of ninja skeleton warriors. Along the way they learn that the most powerful weapon is their friendship.
GOPHER BROKE is in development as a full-length feature film, expanding the endearing story about a hungry gopher who devises a scheme that he hopes will provide him with a tasty snack. The short was one of six animated short films accepted to be screened at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival from a total of 4,327 submissions and can be viewed now through June 19, 2006, during The Sundance Film Festival Online (www.sundance.org).
Venice, California-based Blur Studio (www.blur.com) is a state-of-the-art visual effects and animation studio built on a solid foundation of artistic talent and client relationships. Over the past 11 years, the company has developed its ability to tell riveting stories with memorable characters, working toward it goal to produce compelling feature films. The company has produced numerous projects spanning a wide range of media short films, large format films, commercials, concept art, feature effects, music videos and game cinematics. Notable recent projects include more than 40 minutes of CG for DISNEYS TWICE UPON A CHRISTMAS DVD; photoreal effects in James Camerons latest 3D stereoscopic IMAX film, ALIENS OF THE DEEP; cinematic THQs WARHAMMER 40,000: DAWN OF WAR and the theatrical promotions for Paramount and Nickelodeon's feature films, CHARLOTTE'S WEB and BARNYARD.
All four of Blur's original short films have been short-listed for an Academy Award nomination and have gained much recognition internationally in countless film festivals. Also included under the Blur banner is a broadcast design division dedicated to creating innovative motion graphics for television and film with clients, including ABC, NBC, CBS, WB and E! Ent.
The Weinstein Co. (www. weinsteinco.com) was created by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films Corp. in 1979. TWC is a multi-media company that officially launched on Oct. 1, 2005. Dimension Films, the genre label that was founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, is also included under the TWC banner.
