Vampire Hunter D Now Showing in Los Angeles: Friday, December 21 - Thursday, December 27, 2001, Los Angeles, California USA, 5:30 pm; 7:30 pm; 9:30 pm, Set in a supernatural world that's equal parts Sergio Leone and BLADE, this astonishing, adrenaline-stoked animated film follows the enigmatic "D" as he slices and dices his way through snake-headed bloodsuckers, shadow creatures, bigoted humans and more, while attempting to stop the Romeo and Juliet romance of a beautiful young woman and a dashing vampire count. English language. (Spielberg Theatre inside the Egyptian Theatre).

The first commercial project from the newly-opened London branch of Wild Brain, Inc. has been completed. Created for Parfum du Coeur's Body Fantasies fragrance line, the "Just For Me" :15 and :30 ads began airing on November 30 in major markets across the United States. Produced out of Wild Brain UK, LLC conceptualized by WSAA, Inc. and directed by Mike Smith, the "Just For Me" campaign is animated using traditional 2D animation techniques, painted and rendered by hand. The images were then re-worked with digital effects and composited in AfterEffects, Flame and Edit Box.

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events include:

Battle of the Planets Screening: Sunday, December 16, 2001, Los Angeles, California USA . . . Women In Animation Writers' Seminar Group: Thursday, January 10, 2002, Los Angeles, California USA . . . California SUN International Animation Festival: Thursday, April 04 - Saturday, April 06, 2002, Northridge, California USA.

Monster Distributes has just completed a deal with Discovery Kids UK to broadcast its educational animated series WHY? The series, which is scheduled to begin airing January 1, 2002, was also recently sold to Mediapark for Pay TV in Spain. A Pay TV deal in Brazil is currently in negotiation. The 24 x 2 minute pre-school series was animated by Irish animation company Brown Bag Films, and explains how things work.

Houston International Film/Video Festival — 35th Annual WorldFest

Houston, Texas, USA. Friday, April 5 - Sunday, April 14, 2002.

Entry Deadline: Tuesday, January 15, 2002.

The 35th Annual WorldFest is one of the oldest film and video festivals in America and the world. The festival selects 60 new features and 100 new shorts, documentaries, student and experimental films. For more information email: entry@worldfest.org. Or visit: http://www.worldfest.org

Graduate Portfolio Show: Thursday, December 13, 2001, Portland, Oregon USA. The Art Institute of Portland presents our Graduate Portfolio Show. Thursday, December 13, 2001, 4:00-8:00pm. The Portfolio Show will feature work done by our Fall 2001 graduates from Media Arts & Animation, Multimedia & Web Design, Graphic Design and Interior Design. Please come to: Be a mentor to new graduates * Network with other leaders from Portland's top creative businesses * Learn more about The Art Institute of Portland. Refreshments will be provided. This event is brought to you free of charge!!

Canadian Tales for Children: Saturday, December 29, 2001, Richmond, Virginia USA. The best in animated films for children created by our northern neighbors in Canada, including Oscar winning shorts from The National Film Board. The Children's Museum of Richmond 2626 West Broad St., Richmond, Virginia at 11:00 am. For more information, contact: Janet Scagnelli at The Richmond Moving Image Co-op, PO Box 7469, Richmond, VA 23221, USA; Tel.: 804-355-1383; Email: flicker@vcu.org; Web: http://www.rmicweb.org.

An Evening Of Remembrance: Saturday, January 26, 2002, Hollywood, California USA. Entry Deadline: Friday, January 04, 2002. M. P. S. C. Local 839 IATSE, ASIFA Hollywood and Women In Animation present AN EVENING OF REMEMBRANCE a non-denominational celebration of departed friends from our animation community. Food and refreshments at 6 pm, Eulogies begin at 7 pm. The evening is free of charge and is open to all; no RSVPs necessary.

The Knitting Independent Film Series: Tuesday, January 29, 2002 - Monday, December 31, 2525, Los Angeles, California USA. The Knitting Factory in Hollywood presents The Knitting Independent Film Series. The Knitting Factory -- home of great jazz, alternative and world music -- presents a bi-weekly film series to showcase independent filmmakers from around the world. Located on Hollywood Blvd., the Knitting Factory is one block from the red carpet of the Kodak Theater and the Academy Awards ceremony.

Flashbang 4: Thursday, February 21, 2002, Atlanta, Georgia USA. Entry Deadline: Friday, January 25, 2002. Attention all designers, animators and digital film enthusiasts! An installation and screening of cinematic and interactive Flash films. This is the largest event of its kind held in the southeast and will feature cinematic Flash films on the big screen and also feature kiosks allowing attendees to explore interactive Flash media up close and personal. Submissions are now being taken for cinematic Flash films and interactive Flash works.

35th Annual WorldFest-Houston International Film/Video Festival: Friday, April 05 - Sunday, April 14, 2002, Houston, Texas USA. Entry Deadline: Tuesday, January 15, 2002. The 35th Annual WorldFest is one of the oldest film & video festivals in America and the world. WorldFest gave first honors to Spielberg, Lucas, David Lynch, Randall Kleiser, Oliver Stone, Ridley Scott, The Coen Brothers, Ang Lee, Michael Cimino and hundreds of others. WorldFest offers more than $25,000 in cash and equipment awards, including the $2500 Kodak Raw Stock Award.

The December issue of the ASIFA-SF newsletter is now online. For the latest animation news from the Bay Area and beyond go to http://www.awn.com/asifa-sf.

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events include:

There's a little something for everyone this month, from another installment in the LAND BEFORE TIME series, to classic Disney, to dinosaurs running amok. Check out selected highlights of the new animation and DVD releases for the month of December 2001.

December 4, 2001

WALT DISNEY TREASURES

The 8th Annual Bradford Animation Festival (BAF), held at the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford, Yorkshire, November 16-18, 2001 attracted over 200 animation professionals and students from all over the U.K., and received more than 300 entries for the BAF Awards. In addition to traditional and computer animation demonstrations, there were seminars and screenings, capped off by the awards presentation, which saw Michael Dudok de Wit take home yet another award for his Oscar winning short father and daughter.

Distribution outfit Oasis Pictures has picked up international distribution on Mischief City, a new series that Canada's Shaftesbury Films is developing. It takes place in a rule-bending world where kids escape when things go wrong and they are blamed for things they just know they did not do.

Sitting Ducks Productions, in association with The Disney Channel, Nelvana and Film Roman, will premiere its CGI animated holiday special The Santa Claus Brothers on the Disney Channel in December 2001. The show follows the misadventures of Santa's three bumbling sons as they try to prove that they are worthy of taking over the reins of the big sleigh. Additionally, Sitting Ducks is developing the CGI animated feature film Noah's Blimp with Sony Pictures Family Entertainment with scribe Tab Murphy (Tarzan, Atlantis, The Hunchback of Notre Dame) attached to write the script.

This Week: Black Nights Film Festival: Wednesday, November 28 - Sunday, December 09, 2001, Tallin, Nafta Estonia . . . Reg Hartt's Sex & Violence Cartoon Festival: Saturday, December 01, 2001 - Saturday, December 28, 2002, Toronto, Ontario Canada . . . ASIFA-Hollywood Christmas Party: Thursday, December 06, 2001, Burbank, California USA . . . 9th Annual New York Digital Salon: Monday, December 17, 2001 - Wednesday, January 16, 2002, New York, New York USA.

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events include:

Illustrator and cartoonist Gray Morrow (born Dwight Graydon Morrow, 1934) passed away at his home in central Pennsylvania on Tuesday, November 6, 2001. Although he had suffered with health problems the last few years, his death was unexpected. "Gray was both a participant in and a witness to comics history," said Insight Studios Group's Mark Wheatley, who edited GRAY MORROW VISIONARY, published last summer. "He was a master illustrator who had the respect and friendship of his peers.