Walt Disney has decided to release their new animated feature THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE in 16 Los Angeles theaters dubbed in Spanish. The experiment is part of Disney's plan to attract Latino buying power, which is estimated to reach US$452 billion nationwide next year. For years Disney has released Spanish dubbed or subtitled prints of their films to theaters that have requested them. However, most of those films were on their third run after they had been released in Mexico and other Spanish speaking countries.

Collideascope Digital Productions has signed a deal with Teletoon to create the first television and online convergence program produced in Flash. OLLIE'S UNDER THE BED ADVENTURES will be a half-hour special consisting of ten 2-minute episodes targeted to children aged 5-10. The show will chronicle the imaginary tales of Ollie, a young hyperactive boy who invents a world of his own underneath his bed where he embarks on wild adventures. The show will also air at OllieLand.com, which will include an interactive environment where viewers can journey into Ollie's crazy world.

* Thursday, February 15 – Saturday, February 17, 2001. Los Angeles and Santa Monica, California, U.S.A.

* Thursday, February 8, 2001. Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

* Thursday, February 8, 2001. Westwood, California, U.S.A.





The Women In Animation Writers' Group Seminar Series meets at Saban Entertainment, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood at 7:30 pm. Learn how to write and sell your animation premise to a story editor. Fee is US$5. RSVP is required to Jean Ann Wright at: Tel: (818) 360-8321 or E-mail: jjwright@gte.net.

* Friday, February 9 – Sunday, February 11, 2001. Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.





The Phoenix Film Festival is a celebration of the movie image. The event features many screenings, seminars, tributes and answer and question discussions. For more information contact the festival at: 200 W. Washington St., 10th Floor, Phoenix, Arizona 85003, U.S.A.; Tel.: (602) 495-0992 or (877) 358-1574; Fax: (800) 293-7936; E-mail: director@phxfilm.com; or Web: http://www.phoenixfilmfestival.com/.

* Friday, February 2 – Sunday, February 11, 2001. Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

* Friday, February 2 – Sunday, February 11, 2001. New York, New York, U.S.A.

Sesame Workshop and Sony Pictures Family Entertainment have inked two big licensing deals for their PBS series DRAGON TALES. Kellogg USA has renewed its sponsorship of the series. Kellogg will be a strong presence in the advertising and marketing of the show, including positioning in the English and Spanish editions of SESAME STREET magazine and a link swap between Kellogg, Sesame Workshop and PBS' DRAGON TALES Websites.

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS and DINOSAUR picked up steam at the international box office as former champ CHARLIE'S ANGELS faded a bit. In Mexico, THE GRINCH made its debut in first with a gross of US$2.29 million. BEDAZZLED fell to second with a ticket take of $1.51 million, raising its Mexican cume to $3.51 million. In fourth, CHARLIE'S ANGELS flew in another $645,425, elevating its Mexican cume to $3.91 million. Rounding out the Mexican top ten, THE CELL captured $48,406 to push its cume to $2.36 million.

* Wednesday, April 4 – Sunday, April 8, 2001. Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.A.


Entry Deadline: January 10, 2001.





The fifth annual KC Filmmakers Jubilee is a celebration of independent filmmaking. All experimental and animation entries must be 30 minutes or less. A US$1000 prize will be awarded in each category. For more information contact: Tel.: (913) 649-0244; E-mail: kcjub@kcjubilee.org; or Web: http://www.kcjubilee.org/.

* Monday, April 30, 2001. Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.A.


Entry Deadline: January 8, 2001.

* Saturday, January 6, 2001. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

* Thursday, January 11, 2001. Westwood, California, U.S.A.





The Women In Animation Writers' Group starts up their new Seminar Series at Saban Entertainment, 10960 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood at 7:30 pm. Find out the differences between writing for animation and live-action. Learn comedy and gag writing techniques. Fee is US$5. RSVP is required to Jean Ann Wright at: Tel: (818) 360-8321 or E-mail: jjwright@gte.net.

Vancouver, B.C., Canada's a.k.a. Cartoon, Inc., producers of a television series currently airing on Cartoon Network, is looking for a STORYBOARD SUPERVISOR to supervise an in-house staff of storyboard artists. . . Santa Maria, California's BSR Entertainment Group, a movie production company, is looking for EXPERIENCED LIGHTWAVE ANIMATORS with strong character animation skills. . . Fenton, Michigan's Creative Reign has immediate openings for several ANIMATORS and MODELERS to work on a 3D animated children's movie set for release in 2002. . .

Tais, the Toronto Animated Image Society, presents its winter 2001 schedule. Mark these dates in your calendars:

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events includes the Noam Markus Mime Workshop in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, January 6, 2001; the Australian Effects & Animation Festival in Sydney, Australia, February 26-28, 2001; Culture2Culture at the "Tricky Women" event Vienna, Austria, March 2-8, 2001; and BroadCast WorldWide Market and Conference in Busan, Korea, June 5-8, 2001.

CHARLIE'S ANGELS is still kicking at the international box office, but HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS and DINOSAUR are knocking on the door. The premiere of ANGELS in Germany knocked THE GRINCH out of the top spot with a gross of $4.1 million. THE GRINCH fell to second with a ticket take of $1.98 million, elevating its German cume to $4.58 million. In its third week in Germany, DINOSAUR slipped to third with gross of $1.7 million, advancing its cume to $9.52 million. In fourth, THE CELL captured another $1.58 million, pushing its German cume to $4.52 million.

Sucker Punch Productions, developers of character-based games, is looking for 3D MODELERS. . . Stony Brook, New York's Inky Dinky Animation Studios is looking for 3D MODELERS, 2D ARTISTS and ANIMATORS. . . Ste Catherine, Canada's Wack Animation Limited, is looking for ANIMATORS for animated television series. . . Burbank, California-based Nickelodeon's Nick Digital Lab West, is looking for an ANIMATOR/MODELER for a cel-shaded production. . .

Around the world, moviegoers are being swept up in the sexy, high-kicking, MATRIX-like action of CHARLIE'S ANGELS. The television redux made its nod in the U.K. with an outstanding gross of US$6.74 million. In its sixth week in Britain, WHAT LIES BENEATH sunk to second, grossing $1.12 million, thus escalating its cume to $17.41 million. In fourth, BEDAZZLED possessed another $680,873, lifting its U.K. cume to $4.21 million. PITCH BLACK turned up in fifth, grossing $572,299, thereby pushing its U.K. cume to $3.64 million.