HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE earned $104 million in its first day of release worldwide, making it the best first 24 hours for franchise to date. The sixth POTTER film made $58.2 million in the U.S. alone.

Nearly 40% of HALF-BLOOD's first day receipt came via its record breaking $22.2 million earned during midnight showings.

This weekend the film will expand to 4,275 theaters in the U.S., making its worldwide theater count near 15,000 in 64 markets.

Hasbro, Inc. and Discovery Communications announced that children’s entertainment veteran Margaret Loesch has been named President and CEO of the companies’ multi-platform joint venture. The yet-to-be-named network is expected to premiere in Fall 2010 reaching approximately 60 million U.S. households on what is currently Discovery Kids channel. Loesch will assume her new position on August 17th and will be based in Los Angeles.

Press Release from Animation Collective

New York, NY -- July 15, 2009 -- Animation Collective, a leading U.S. provider of content to the children's entertainment market, announces today a new broadcast sale of the modern-day superhero tale, "Three Delivery". The 26 x 22 minute animated action-comedy series has been acquired by Canal Once in Mexico and is slated to begin airing in September of 2009.

Press Release from Walt Disney Family Foundation Films

Acclaimed documentary WALT & EL GRUPO, a festival favorite in Rome, Rio, San Francisco, Palm Springs and Seattle, is set to begin its theatrical run with limited releases in Los Angeles and New York on September 11, 2009. The film, from writer/director Theodore Thomas ("Frank and Ollie") and producer Kuniko Okubo, is also scheduled to run for a week in Seattle starting September 25th and will debut in additional markets soon after.

Home video releases for July 14 include season 1.1 of G.I. JOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO on DVD, BOB THE BUILDER, THE WIGGLES and THOMAS & FRIENDS DVD releases, plus the Blu-ray debut of a CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON / CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER / HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS trilogy set plus the DVD/Blu-ray bow of THE HAUNTING IN CONNECTICUT.

BOB THE BUILDER: BUILT FOR FUN on DVD

Press Release from DECODE Enterprises

Toronto, 14 July 2009. Leading kids and family entertainment specialist DECODE Enterprises, the distribution subsidiary of DHX Media Ltd., is bringing the award-winning, literacy-based series Super WHY! to new preschool audiences across Asia and Australia, signing deals Tooniverse in Korea, TV 12 Singapore, Astro TVIQ for Malaysia and Indonesia, Thailand's True Visions and Nickelodeon Australia.

Press Release from MPC

Risky Business Blog reports that REMO WILLIAMS will be returning to the big screen. THE DARK KNIGHT producer Charles Roven and TRANSPORTER producer Steve Chasman will develop the project titled, THE DESTROYER, at Columbia. Charley and Vlas Parlapanides (WAR OF GODS) are writing the script based on the first book in the series.

Fantastic Planet Film Festival 2009
Sydney, Australia
Deadline: July 31, 2009
Withoutabox Deadline: August 14, 2009

Fantastic Planet: Sydney's Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival reminds filmmakers and screenwriters to submit their film or script soon.

Press Release from Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation

Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation have tapped Raja Gosnell (BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA, SCOOBY-DOO) to direct SMURFS, the live-action/animated film based on the legendary blue characters created by Peyo, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, presidents of Columbia Pictures, Bob Osher, president of digital production for Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Hannah Minghella, president of production for Sony Pictures Animation.

Press Release from 4Kids Entertainment, Inc.

NEW YORK (July 7, 2009) -- 4Kids Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: KDE), the diversified children's entertainment and media organization, has reached agreements to license the television broadcast rights to the popular animated series "Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's" in a number of key territories, it was announced today by Brian Lacey, Executive Vice President, International, 4Kids Entertainment.

Press Release from Breakthrough Entertainment

TORONTO (July 7, 2009) -- Breakthrough Entertainment has licensed television broadcast rights for JIMMY TWO-SHOES to Walt Disney Television International Japan. Twenty-six half-hour episodes are scheduled to premiere Fall 2009.

"The international response to JIMMY TWO-SHOES has been very gratifying," said Nat Abraham, Head of Distribution. "The fun and humor in the series continue to spread across all regions. We are delighted to have Disney Channel in Japan as part of the Jimmy family."

Press Release from Toei Animation

LOS ANGELES -- July 7, 2009 -- Toei Animation has secured a number of Latin America-based licensees for DRAGON BALL Z, ONE PIECE and SAINT SEIYA, it was announced today by Eduardo Lucio, sales manager, Latin America.

Press Release from The Foundry

London, July 6th, 2009 -- Leading visual effects software developer, The Foundry (www.thefoundry.co.uk), today announced that Weta Digital, New Zealand's premier multi-award winning VFX studio, has purchased a site licence of Nuke to enhance its in-house pipeline.

Weta Digital was formed in 1993 by a group of young New Zealand filmmakers including Peter Jackson to create effects for his HEAVENLY CREATURES project.

FIAE -- 4th International Festival of Erotic Animation
Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil
Deadline: August 31, 2009
November 2009

Our online submission form is now available, so submit your film! The Regulation and the answers to all your questions can be found via our submissions page. The deadline for submitting your online form is August 31st, 2009, and we must receive your DVD by September 15th, 2009.

Press Release from The Gnomon Workshop

Press Release from Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network, the number one kids' channel in Asia Pacific, has partnered with HP to launch the inaugural Toon Creator Awards, an online animation contest for children, in July 2009. Open to kids aged 6-14, the contest provides a regional platform for young talent from Australia, India, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore to showcase their creativity through technology.

Press Release from DECODE Enterprises

Toronto, London 6 July 2009. DECODE Enterprises, the distribution subsidiary of DHX Media Ltd., today announces agreements with two major distribution and licensing partners that are expected to build on the UK success of Adastra Creative's GRANDPA IN MY POCKET. Warner Home Video UK has been appointed as DVD partner for the show's first season, and Brandzoo will now act as the live-action comedy brand's licensing agent.

Press Release from Target Entertainment Group

London: Target Entertainment Group, the international production and rights management company, has sold series one and two of the pre-school animation series FLUFFY GARDENS to GMTV/CiTV in the UK.

The broadcaster will air the series within its Fluffy Club block, which broadcasts at weekends on GMTV 6am to 7.25am. The Fluffy Club also broadcasts on The CiTV Channel and ITV4 during term time weekdays from 8.40am to 9.25am.

Press Release from StudioGPU

Los Angeles, CA -- June 30, 2009 -- StudioGPU announced today the immediate availability of MachStudio Pro, a professional 3D workflow and rendering package created by artists for artists. MachStudio Pro offers a seamless way to create and interact with cinematic quality 3D objects and environments in a non-linear workspace by leveraging the horsepower of off-the-shelf professional graphics processing units (GPUs) to deliver real-time and near real-time workflow performance on a desktop workstation.