DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg will be the first recipient of the newly established "Tex Avery Animation Award" at the 2002 Hollywood Film Festival, to be held in October in Hollywood, California. The award is named for legendary animator Tex Avery, who began his animation career in 1932 at Walter Lantz and went on to work at Warner Bros., MGM and Hanna Barbera. The award will be presented annually to honor an individual or group who have nurtured and advanced the art form of animation through outstanding contributions in the creative and/or technical arenas. The Hollywood Film Festival's Advisory Board announced that it selected Katzenberg to be the first recipient of the award, citing his long-standing commitment to the genre. Hollywood Film Festival founder and executive director Carlos de Abreu stated: "We are proud to honor Jeffrey Katzenberg with the Hollywood Film Festival's inaugural Tex Avery Animation Award. Jeffrey's well-known passion for animation is almost unparalleled in the film industry. As a studio executive, as a producer and as an unabashed fan, he has made invaluable contributions to the art form on every level, as recently evidenced in this year's Oscar winner SHREK. We can think of no one more deserving of this award." The Tex Avery Animation Award will be presented to Katzenberg during a gala black-tie ceremony, to be held on Monday, October 7, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The 2002 Hollywood Film Festival will take place from October 2 to 8, 2002. This year's festival incorporates the Hollywood Film Conference, Hollywood Humanitarian Symposium, Hollywood Film Screenings and Hollywood Movie Awards.
