Crater Software, a Spanish-Canadian software development collaboration, announced plans to launch a series of "satellite" versions of CTP, the company's 2D animation software, at this years' Siggraph. The launch of four CTP Satellites - Paint, Scan, Render and the already-released Pencil-test - will coincide with the release of CTP Version 1.3, also being showcased at the show.

REALAX introduces new modules and features of its powerful 3D-realtime tool RXscene.


The widely recognized and extremely easy to use 3D-tool allows the quick and
simple creation of 3D-realtime simulation. Existing 3D construction data can be
imported in RXscene, combined with computation data using the RXscript-API,
and simulated in realtime. The virtual test environment is ideally suited for
Digital Prototyping and Digital Mockup (DMU). Different camera positions

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events include Cartoombria
International Animation Festival in Italy, and the San Francisco
Independent Film Festival. The Calendar of Upcoming Events is a
constantly changing reference source for what's happening around the
World of Animation. Use it to stay abreast of animation related
activities across the globe. If you know of animation related events
that we don't have listed, send an email with the pertinent facts to
annick@awn.com. We'd love to publish your event information for free!

The fifth annual Anima Mundi festival has had its run July 9-18 in Rio de
Janeiro, Brazil. At this festival the audience is the jury, and they have
chosen:


Best Brazilian Film - DE JANELA PARA O CINEMA (RAINBOW'S END) by Quiá
Rodrigues.


Best Film of the Official Selection - GOGWANA by Deiniol Morris, UK.


Second Best Film of the Official Selection - AU BOUT DU MONDE (AT THE ENDS
OF THE EARTH) by Konstantin Bronzit, France.


Third Best Film of the Official Selection - RECI, RECI, RECI (WORDS, WORDS,

Toronto-based NELVANA has hired Cathy Laughton as managing director of its
London-based operations. Laughton will be responsible for the overall
management of the UK office. Her responsibilities include the acquisition
of new properties for production/licensing development, sales to the UK,
Germany, Scandinavia, and Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxemborg),
and securing co-production opportunities. Laughton joins Nelvana from the
Jim Henson Company where she served as director of international television
distribution.

Walt Disney International Europe and Buena Vista Internet Group (BVIG) have
promoted Andrew Barron to executive vice president of new media and
business development for Walt Disney International Europe; and Chafic Najia
to senior vice president and managing director of Buena Vista Internet
Group Europe. Barron joined WDTV-I in 1995 as director of business
development. Since then he has been responsible for identifying and
negotiating several Disney Channel agreements, as well as equity

On September 14, Kid Rhino will release the soundtrack album for the upcoming feature length Scooby-Doo video, SCOOBY-DOO! AND THE WITCH'S GHOST, which is scheduled for release on October 5. In SCOOBY-DOO! AND THE WITCH'S GHOST, Scooby and Mystery Inc. travel to a small New England town to learn why it's being spooked by witches' ghosts. Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Machine will appear in the flesh at the Rhino Retrofest, August 13 to 15, at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, California, USA. Suggested retail price for the CD is US$13.98 and US$9.98 for the cassette.

The July '99 issue of "Storyboard," the Newsletter for the French Animation
Producers' Union, is now available [in French], featuring the most recent
European industry news.


SPFA July Issue

The Action Young Independent Talent Award is an annual contest organized by
Films Action Inc., in partnership with Ina-Imagina. This 3D contest's goal
is to promote new 3D computer artists talents. Prizes include hardware and
software packages. The best animation will be transferred to 35 mm. Entry
deadline is October 10, 1999. The festival takes place in Paris, France
January 28-February 3, 2000. For more information contact Films Action,
Laurent Rodon, 25 rue Le Peletier, 75009 Paris, France; Tel: +33 1 47 70 45

DEPTH is a project of Village Arts (Animha Productions). DEPTH is looking
for challenging contemporary Puppet or 3D Model animation of any genre.
DEPTH accepts films from around the world in any of the following
categories: Experimental, Professional, and Student & Non-Professional. All
films submitted will be considered equally for screening. Provisional entry
deadline is July 30, 1999. For more information contact DEPTH, Village
Arts, Stable House, Water Lane, Loftus, Saltburn, TS13 4JT, England; Tel:

The Annual Society for Animation Studies (SAS) Conference will be hosted by
Griffith University and will feature papers by Maureen Furniss on motion
capture, Chris Robinson on Estonian animation, Richard Leskosky on
animating between the lines, Jean-Paul Goergen on hand-drawn sound in
Germany in the 1930s, Suzanne R. Williams on the aesthetics of computer
games, Marilyn Carney on Australian women animators, Bryan Barker on the
impact of CinemaScope on animation production, Cathyrn Vasseleu on "Time

Hollywood-based Super 78 used Adobe After Effects 4.0 to design the 2D
graphics for a :30 spot, "Wanna Bet?," for YouBet.com, a new thoroughbred
horseracing on-line wagering service.

Animation filmmaker, teacher, and author John Canemaker has been awarded a
Rockefeller Foundation residency grant in Bellagio, Italy. From July 27
through August 25, he will stay at the 16th century Villa Serbelloni on
Lake Como, where he will work on a storyboard for a personal animated film.
From August 31 through September 5, he will be a guest of FANTOCHE, the
Swiss Animation Festival in Baden, where he will present two
lecture/screenings on Animated Surrealism and Jazztoons: Jazz and Animation.

The ASIFA Italy web site has been updated. Read the most recent issue of the ASIFA Italy Newsletter, NOTIZIE ASIFA ITALIA, featuring: "Japanimation At The Annecy Festival;" "Luigi Liberio Pensuti, Italian Animation Pioneer;" an interview with Terry Brian by Italian model-maker Francesca Ferrario;" Bendazzi on European animation in the book "The World History Of Cinema;” plus, a list of upcoming Italian events. Available in Italian only.


www.awn.com/asifa-italia

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events includes ten new animation-related events, including: The BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards in London, the Ourense Independent Film Festival in Spain, and Cinequest San Jose Film Festival 2000 in California.

Once again, Bill Plympton has updated his appearances page. This month, "I Married a Strange Person" will be appearing in various festivals and other events in Canada, Germany, Finland and Ukraine. "Mondo Plympton" will be screened in the US, Brazil and Germany. Bill will also be attending the events in Canada, Brazil and Germany.


www.awn.com/plympton/appearances.html

CARTOON has announced this year's nominees for the coveted Cartoon d'Or.
Making the list for best European animated short films are: L'ARME DU
CROCODILE by Eric Blesin (Belgium), EL CARMINANTE by Debra Smith (UK),
JOLLY ROGER by Mark Baker (UK), MIGRATION by Constantin Chamski (France),
LE CYCLOPE DE LA MER by Philippe Julien (France), and SALTKVERNEN by Pjotr
Sapegin (Norway). The annual Cartoon Forum, where the Cartoon d'Or is
awarded, is organized by AEFA Cartoon, the European Association for

The Walt Disney Company has named four executives to new positions. ETIENNE DE VILLIERS has been named president and managing director, Walt Disney International Europe; MICHAEL O. JOHNSON has been named president and managing director, Walt Disney International Asia; DIEGO LERNER has been named president and managing director, Walt Disney International Latin America; and PAUL SALEH has been named senior vice president and chief financial officer, Walt Disney International.

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events includes nine new animation-related events, including the Brussels and Annecy festivals' 2000 editions, and the Animated Castles festival in Italy this October. The Calendar of Upcoming Events is a constantly changing reference source for what's happening around the World of Animation. Use it to stay abreast of animation related activities across the globe. If you know of animation related events that we don't have listed, send an email with the pertinent facts to annick@awn.com.

* ARTWORK: LIMITED EDITION AUTOGRAPHED PRINTS FROM YURI NORSTEIN's "Tales of Tales" and "Hedgehog in the Fog." Each print, made in Russia from the drawings Norstein used to develop his characters, is hand signed by Norstein. Most of the proceeds from sales will go to help finance the ongoing production of "Overcoat," Yuri Norstein's famous work in progress, which he began after completing "Tale of Tales" in 1978, and is based on a famous story by Nikolai Gogol. This is a very limited offer, with the print value at $100.00.