With HOLLOW MAN claiming strong debuts in Germany and Italy, WHAT LIES BENEATH and X-MEN hold on tight to other tops spots around the world. In first place, HOLLOW MAN scored big in its German premiere with a gross of US$3.78 million. SCARY MOVIE came in right behind with a gross of $3.47 million, raising its German cume to $8.84 million. WHAT LIES BENEATH sunk to third with a gross of $1.37 million, lifting its German cume to $7.11 million. In seventh, FINAL DESTINATION piled up $487,846, bringing its German cume to $6.66 million.

Chennai, India-based Pentamedia Graphics, Ltd., formerly known as Pentafour Software and Exports, Ltd., and Film Roman, Inc. have announced a letter of intent pursuant to which Pentamedia will purchase a 51% stake in Film Roman. The deal was a US$15 million cash deal, which is aimed to close by January after regulatory and board approvals. In regards to the deal, Film Roman CEO and president John Hyde told AWN, "I think it allows us to execute our very specific five-year plan.

3Dup.com and DeEspona Infografica have started distributing free 3D models over the Internet. The agreement between the Web portal for 3D artists, 3Dup.com, and DeEspona Infografica, a 3D modeling company, has started the free distribution of quality three-dimensional models for special effects in movies and advertising spots. DeEspona Infografica, a European company whose 3D models are used by DreamWorks (GLADIATOR) and RezN8 (spots on CBS, NBC and ABC), are among the best in the market due to the realism and finish. The models are available at http://3dup.com/highmodels.

* Thursday, April 5 – Monday, April 9, 2001. Positano (Amalfi Coast), Italy.


Entry Deadline: January 21, 2001

Portland, Maine's Sputnik Animation, a small studio developing animated content for broadcast and the Web, is looking for 2D CHARACTER ANIMATORS. Computer experience a plus. . . Greensburg, Pennsylvania's DreamForge Entertainment Inc., an established computer game development studio, is looking for 3D LEVEL MODELERS for an original action/adventure game being developed as a first next generation Xbox title and a prominent PC license for one of the biggest game publishers in the U.S. . .

Award-winning former Disney animator and educator Larry Lauria has fourteen animation workshops scheduled between now and the beginning of July 2001. The events range from the LEAF and Moondance festivals to workshops in Tampa, Phoenix, Long Island, St. Louis area, Long Beach, Tuscany (Italy) and more. They cover the gambit from animation fundamentals and character design to writing for animation and storyboarding and range from beginning to advanced levels. For more information, email Larry at lanimate@piasanet.com.

Spontaneous Combustion, a digital studio specializing in the creation of visual effects and design, has completed the CGI effects and compositing for three 30-second spots for AT&T's "Boundless" campaign. The campaign plays on AT&T's logo as it touts its broadband technology and ends with typography that transitions from either "broadband" or "wireless" into "boundless," followed by "att.com." In "Push Pin," blue pushpins fly, hitting a white wall – forming the AT&T globe logo.

Toronto-based TOPIX/Mad Dog, a computer graphics and animation facility, has signed New York-based Richard Fink and The Richard Fink Agency to head East Coast sales. Specialists in character animation, special effects, film titling, type and broadcast design, TOPIX creates photo-realistic, computer-generated animation for the advertising, feature film, broadcast and music video industries. At the same time TOPIX's post-production arm, Mad Dog, is one of Canada's leaders in the high-end post industry, using inferno* and flame*.

As part of DIC Entertainment's plan to restructure is international arm, the company has appointed Patricia Ryan as executive vice president of international sales and Dan White as vice president of international sales. Ryan will handle Western Europe and Canadian broadcast and video sales, head up property acquisitions and help oversee international co-productions. Waite will handle sales for Latin America, Asia and Eastern Europe. Previously, Ryan headed DIC's international sales as vice president before the 1996 acquisition by Disney.

Italian animation studio Mondo TV released second-quarter revenue reports, which were up 250% to 6.7 billion lire (US$2.94 million). This report is the first since going public on the Milan stock exchange in June. In the quarter, Mondo TV's gross operating margin inflated 484% to 5.3 billion lire ($2.32 million). The big gains are attributed to the firm's increasing presence in Asia and its new co-production deal with Seoul-based Hahn Shin Corporation. Mondo TV is the owner of Italy's largest library of domestic and imported television cartoons.

With WHAT LIES BENEATH slowly sinking, THE X-MEN have claimed debut victories around the globe. In Spain, the mighty mutants premiered in first with a gross of US$2.02 million. In its second week in Spain, THE CELL fell to third, grossing $997,797 thus elevating its cume to $2.02 million. Dropping 46%, HOLLOW MAN placed sixth with a gross of $381,275, lifting its Spanish cume to $8.86 million. In eighth, NUTTY PROFESSOR II: THE KLUMPS fell a humongous 52%, grossing $315,201 and raising its Spanish cume to $1.65 million.

* Wednesday, October 25, 2000. Washington, D.C., U.S.A.





Yuri Norstein is coming to Georgetown University. Norstein will talk about his life and work, in a program called "Animation & Me." The event is being sponsored by the Center for Eurasian, Russian and East European Studies. The event is free to the public and will take place from noon to 2 pm. For information call Astrik Teni at Georgetown University (202) 687-5576.

* Saturday, November 4 – Monday, November 6, 2000. Marburg (Frankfurt), Germany.

The 5th edition of Castelli Animati took place in Genzano Di Roma, Italy, October 4-8, 2000. An international jury comprised of Massimo Bucchi (Italy), Paul Driessen (Netherlands), Julian Nott (UK), Furio Scarpelli (Italy) and Wendy Tilby (Canada) chose the winners. The Grand Prize (ex-aequo) went to "Flying Nansen" by Igor Kovalyov, USA, and "Village Of Idiots" by Eugene Fedorenko & Rose Newlove, Canada.

Seven films in Cinanima's international competition program are also in competition for the FNAC Prize for Best Portuguese Script and the Cartoon Portugal Prize for Best Portuguese Film. The films are: "Clandestino" by Abi Feijó, "Cof-Cof" by José Pedro Cavalheiro, "Fragmentos de Sal" by Cristina Teixeira, "Avanca 2000" by Vítor Lopes, "Miragem" by Ana Carina Dias and "Inverno" and "Racismo," which were created by collectives. All the films in the International Competition are eligible for the Prize for the Best Original Soundtrack.

ANIMutATIONS, the 6th Cartoombria International Animation Festival, will happen in Perugia, Italy, November 23-25, 2000. The artistic committee of the festival has put together a number of computer animation, Web animation and games-related retrospectives, exhibits, workshops, screenings, premieres and artist tributes. The festival will open with the presentation of "Life From Pluto," a video installation by artist and animator Saul Saguatti, and a videoconference with the European Gathering of Young Digital Creation (youngcreation.net).

Take a tour of Italy where you will draw the sights and receive personal instruction from world class life drawing master Glenn Vilppu. Participants will go to places where most tourists never dream of going! When traveling through the cities of Umbria & Tuscany, Glenn will lecture on the local art. Everyone is promised a lot of instruction, food and fun with great company. Everyone is welcome; it isn't necessary to be an artist. The 14-day tour is scheduled June 16-29, 2001. The registration fee, airfare not included, is $3,295.

* Tuesday, February 20 – Saturday, March 3, 2001. Brussels, Belgium.


Entry Deadline: November 1, 2000.

* Monday, November 6 – Sunday, November 12, 2000. Esphino, Portugal.

The I Castelli Animati Festival has split its grand prize between Igor Kovalyov’s FLYING NANSEN and Eugene Fedorenko and Rose Newlove’s VILLAGE OF IDIOTS. The event took place in Genzano, Italy from Wednesday, October 4 – Sunday, October 8, 2000. This year’s international competition jury was composed of Furio Scarpelli, Julian Nott, Massimo Bucchi, Paul Driessen and Wendy Tilby.