Twelve new events have been added to the Calendar of Events, including: Cal Arts' "The One Second Film" March 8, Valencia, California, U.S.A.; VEAF Digital Media Trade Show, April 4-6, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Stuttgart Luwigsburg Filmfest, June 6-12, Stuttgart, Germany; and the 8th Bradford Animation Festival, November 16-18, Bradford, U.K. With multiple search capabilities, AWN's new calendar of events gives you a customized way to look through the upcoming events - by Name, Location, Entry Deadline, Category, Event Type and more.

While HANNIBAL took a strong hold around the international box office, Disney's THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE danced its way to number one in Sweden. In Italy, HANNIBAL reclaimed the top spot with a gross of $3.47 million, elevating its cume to $9.12 million. At #5 in Italy, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON floated another $820,649, pushing its total to $1.97 million. In Australia, HANNIBAL retained the #1 slot, grossing $3.29 million, thus escalating its cume to $3.54 million. At #2, CAST AWAY foraged $755,639, lifting its Australian cume to $10.39 million.

Gillian Samuels has joined Digital Pictures as marketing director and executive producer. In the new role, Samuels will oversee the development of the firm's brand, capitalize on new and existing markets and help expand their design and high-end visual effects capabilities in both television and film. Previously, as director of marketing and client services at Garner MacLennan Design, Samuels was responsible for the marketing and developing of the Broadcast Design division.

With it already grossing out audiences in the States, HANNIBAL has begun to take a slice out of the international box office. In Italy, the blood-thirsty thriller claimed the top spot with a gross of $5.65 million. In fifth, CAST AWAY floated an additional $679,996, raising its Italian cume to $12.78 million. CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON descended into sixth with a ticket-take of $529,624, lifting its Italian total to $1.14 million. In eighth, 102 DALMATIANS barked up another $284,555, bringing its Italian cume to $4.48 million.

Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada's Electronic Arts, a leading independent interactive software company, is looking for an ANIMATOR for a new project that relies on their ability to sell the concept of emotion and personality in their characters, and an experienced ART TECHNICIAN/PROGRAMMER to work on graphics and animation for games. . .

The 3rd World Summit On Media For Children will happen March 23-26, 2001 in Thessaloniki, Greece. The Summit aims to create an audiovisual policy supporting the rights of children around the world. Organized by the European Children's Television Centre, the event strives to bring many people, including teachers, researchers and academics, together to investigate the relationship of children's television and new media.

Curious Pictures has announced it has signed Noble Jones as a live-action/special effects director. Noble is renowned for his work directing commercials in far off places like South Africa and Switzerland for such clients as AT&T, Coca-Cola, MTV and Toyota. His music video for Wide Mouth Mason won awards for Best Cinematography at the Much Music Awards. "We have been aware of Noble for years," said Richard Winkler, executive producer, Curious Pictures. "His work took a quantum leap in the last year or so and the timing was right for both of us.

CAST AWAY is still holding strong at the international box office. In Germany, the desert island adventure rounded up another $3.73 million, escalating its cume to $21.46 million. VERTICAL LIMIT climbed into second with a gross of $1.84 million, raising its German cume to $4.34 million. In third, BEDAZZLED seduced $1.4 million, bringing its German cume to $4.49 million. THE LEGEND OF BAGGER VANCE made its German nod in fourth with a gross of $663,408. At #8, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON collected $477,415, pushing its German cume to $2.35 million.

TV-Loonland AG and AAC KIDS, Canadian media giant Alliance Atlantis’ kids label, have announced their acquisition of Neptuno Films’ new animated preschool series, CONNIE THE COW. The three firms will partner to transform the property into a global franchise, complete with TV, home video, DVD, merchandising, publishing and Internet projects. Created and directed by Josep Viciana, this series follows restless and curious Connie who lives on a farm with her nurturing mother, who always has now handy advice, and her father, a very strong yet tranquil bull.

* Tuesday, March 13, 2001. Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.

Around the globe, CAST AWAY remains at the top of the international box office. In Germany, CAST AWAY claimed the top spot with a gross of $4.99 million, lifting its three-week total to $17.74 million. In second, VERTICAL LIMIT made its German debut with a gross of $2.51 million. BEDAZZLED bewitched third place, grossing $1.88 million, raising its German cume to $3.09 million. In fifth, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON amazed audiences to the tune of $624,096, elevating its German cume to $1.88 million. At #6, UNBREAKABLE secured another $570,085, bringing its German cume to $12.52 million.

* Friday, July 13 – Monday, July 23, 2001. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Wednesday, July 25 – Sunday, July 29, 2001. São Paulo, Brazil.

Entry Form Deadline: April 15, 2001

Films & Videos Deadline: June 1, 2001

Sci-fi/horror entertainment Website Distant Corners has signed a deal to manage the online and licensing rights for the CREATURE FEATURES franchise. FEATURES is an upcoming HBO and Cinemax series, which will modernize versions of Samuel Z. Arkoff's 1950s classic monster movies. The first two films in the series will be THE DAY THE WORLD ENDED and WAR OF THE COLOSSAL BEAST. The series is being produced by Lou Arkoff, Colleen Camp and Stan Winston, whose Stan Winston Studios will handle the visual effects.

The Brussels Animation and Cartoon Festival (February 21-March 3, 2001) has concocted an exceptional program for its 20th anniversary. 575 films were submitted for selection, a record number of entries. 113 of them have been selected, representing 19 countries. Belgium is well represented, with 24 entries. The complete list of selected films is now available on the festival Website.

* Tuesday, May 29 – Sunday, June 10, 2001. Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

Entry Deadline: March 23, 2001

DreamWorks is backing out of GameWorks, a string of location-based entertainment centers, which it helped found five years ago. DreamWorks' spokeswoman Vivian Mayer said, "Our commitment was a creative input. We fulfilled our commitment." Steven Spielberg was one of the original initiators of the company and oversaw the design of many of the coin-operated arcade versions of his films, like JURASSIC PARK. GameWorks has reported that same store sales are up an average of 10% in the past six months and overall revenue is up US$10 million from last year.

CAST AWAY continues to sail atop the international box office, with VERTICAL LIMIT making a climb upward. In Germany, CAST AWAY maintained its #1 finish with a gross of US$5.74 million, escalating its cume to $12.74 million. In second, BEDAZZLED bounced in $1.2 million in its German debut. UNBREAKABLE crash-landed in third with a gross of $954,843, pushing its German cume to $11.95 million. In seventh, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON collected $561,558, raising its German cume to $1.25 million. POKEMON 2000 grabbed another $420,338, lifting its German cume to $6.65 million.

This week's updates to the Calendar of Events includes the "Little Prince And The 8 Headed Dragon" screening, January 31, Burbank, California, U.S.A.; FlashBang 2, February 19, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A.; The Animation Business Marketplace, March 1-2, Hollywood. California, U.S.A.; eStreaming World, March 6-8, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.; The Canadian Film Centre's Worldwide Short Film Festival, June 6-10, Toronto, Canada; and Anima Mundi, July 13-29, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, Brazil.

With high-grossing nods around the globe, Tom Hanks' CAST AWAY easily floated to the top of the international box office. In Germany, CAST AWAY unseated UNBREAKABLE with an amazing ticket take of US$7.01 million. UNBREAKABLE crashed to second with a gross of $1.84 million, lifting its German cume to $11 million. In fourth, URBAN LEGENDS: FINAL CUT slashed in another $837,915, raising its German cume to $2.6 million. At #6, POKEMON 2000 collected $700,338, growing its German cume to $6.23 million.

Government officials in Australia are threatening a lawsuit against WebWank.net for posting a political satire Web game, which pokes fun at the country's treatment of its aboriginal people. Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Herron feels that the use of his likeness in the game, JOHN HERRON'S STOLEN CHILDREN GAME, is a defamation of character. In the game, players must capture all ten of John Herron's children then place them in non-white families.