Exploding into the top spot at the box office this Memorial Day weekend was Buena Vista’s PEARL HARBOR, which made a triumphant nationwide debut, grossing $75.1 million. The 3-hour, action-packed movie is set during the time of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, where two friends (Ben Affleck and Josh Hartnett) are caught up in the events that draw the United States into World War II. DreamWorks' CG-animated film SHREK more than withstood the heavy bombardment, slipping down one notch from first to second with $54.2 million during its second weekend.

Hoping to ride the coattails of the popular CBS television series, CBS Consumer Products and Infogrames have announced SURVIVOR: THE AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK INTERACTIVE GAME for the PC. Slated for a Fall 2001 release, the game is currently under development by Magic Lantern Playware, a creative business unit of Gold Creek Technology. The game features the real-life cast from the SURVIVOR television series, in-depth character interaction, immunity challenges, tribal councils and other elements from the show.

The 34th annual WorldFest, The Houston International Film Festival, concluded on April 28, 2001. This year, the festival received more than 4,300 total entries, with all animation categories receiving over 30 entries each. Ray Pointer, president of Inkwell Images, Inc., received the Gold Award in the entertainment category for his documentary, MAX FLEISCHER'S FAMOUS OUT OF THE INKWELL. This is Pointer's third win in a row, having won the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards for producing the successful KEN SOUTHWORTH ANIMATION INSTRUCTION series.

Gerry Legros has been appointed vice-president / head of production at Calibre Digital Pictures. After earning a television broadcasting degree from Mohawk College, Gerry became floor director and cameraman for CityTV's weekend news team. He juggled this dual role with a position at Magnetic North as a videotape operator for two years before a brief stint at Command Post. He then spent six years at Dome Productions as supervisor of the central equipment room, wrangling gear for a variety of departments.

The submission deadline for the next International Student Animation
Festival of Ottawa (SAFO) is July 1, 2001. Entry forms, including an
on-line version that can be sent directly by e-mail, are available on
the festival Website. SAFO 2001 will be held October 18-21, 2001. The
official competition is divided into five categories: High School
Student Films; Undergraduate Student Films (Post-Secondary); Graduate
Student Films (Post-Secondary); First Film (e.g.

The Society of Animation Studies (SAS) 2001 conference will take
place in Montreal, Canada. The conference is timed to coincide with
the Student Animation Film Festival (SAFO) (October 18-21, 2001)
where SAFO will present a seminar on animation study programs. All
SAS members are invited to participate to the seminar, scheduled on
October 18, 2001. The theme of the 13th SAS annual conference is
Animation, Economics and Politics. Abstracts for papers on this or

* Friday, June 29 – Wednesday, July 4, 2001. Washington, DC, U.S.A.

* Friday, September 14 – Monday, September 17, 2001, Pasadena, California, U.S.A.

* Friday, October 5 – Sunday, October 7, 2001, Hope, New Jersey, U.S.A.



Entry Deadline: June 30, 2001

* Thursday, August 2 – Monday, August 6, 2001, Hollywood, California, U.S.A.



Extended Entry Deadline: May 30, 2001

* Wednesday, August 1 – Wednesday, August 8, 2001, 2001, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.



Entry Deadline: June 1, 2001

* Thursday, September 27 – Sunday, September 30, 2001, San Diego, California, U.S.A.



Entry Deadline: July 15, 2001

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events includes:
ASIFA-Hollywood Presents: DePatie-Freleng - The Early Films,
Wednesday, May 23, 2001, Burbank, California, U.S.A.; ASIFA-Hollywood
Presents: Hollywood Cartoons In Technicolor!, Wednesday, May 30,
2001, Burbank, California, U.S.A.; ASIFA-Hollywood Presents: Sex Wars
In Animation, 1926 - 1950, Friday, June 1, 2001, Burbank, California,
U.S.A.; ChildArt And Creativity Festival, Friday, June 29 -
Wednesday, July 4, 2001, Washington, DC, U.S.A.; Sentiero Corto

The first Tough Eye Animated Film Festival, held in Turku, Finland, May 15 - 20, 2001, has announced its winners. The international jury for the Timeless Competition was composed of: Mette Peters, Netherlands; Jayne Pilling, UK; Edwin Carels, Belgium; and Stanislav Ulver, Czech Republic. This year's co-winners for the Grand Prize are: HEN, HIS WIFE, Igor Kovalyov, Russia 1990, and IN ABSENTIA, Quay Brothers, UK, 2000. Both films were awarded a FIM 15.000,00 cash prize.

DreamWorks Pictures' new CG animated feature "Shrek" will be projected digitally in eleven theatres in the U.S. and Canada. This marks the first time a DreamWorks film will be shown in the digital format. In making the announcement, DreamWorks head of distribution Jim Tharp stated, “SHREK represents the state-of-the-art in computer animation, so it is only fitting that it be the first DreamWorks film to be seen in this state-of-the-art format.

* Thursday, June 21, 2001. Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.

* Thursday, July 19, 2001. Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.

* Thursday, August 16, 2001. Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.

* Thursday, November 15, 2001. Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.

* Monday, October 22 – Wednesday, October 24, 2001. Montreal, Canada.


Submission Deadline: August 15, 2001