Press Release from Rushes

Los Angeles, Calif.-June 29, 2009 -- Rushes Soho Shorts Festival, hosted by the Ascent Media Group-owned post house Rushes, London, has announced the Official Selections for its 11th Year. United States filmmakers will be represented by two films, two broadcast designs and a music video.

Press Release from ZDF Enterprises

ZDF Enterprises and Jonathan M. Shiff Productions (JMSP) have prolonged the agreement they signed in 2002 for further 6 years. The creative collaboration between the companies has already proven its winning partnership in various internationally successful live action series such as "The Elephant Princess", "Wicked Science" and "H2O - Just Add Water". Under the terms of this agreement ZDF Enterprises will co-produce JMSP productions and taking charge of worldwide sales of all associated rights outside Australia and New Zealand.

ComingSoon.net reports that Columbia Pictures' THE SMURFS, a hybrid of live-action and CGI, will be produced in 3-D. The film is set for a December 17, 2010 release.

David Stem and David Weiss wrote the script to be directed by Colin Brady.

The film will be based on characters first created by Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford in 1958.

Columbia Pictures is developing a feature film based on the videogame UNCHARTED: DRAKE'S FORTUNE, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Kyle Ward, who just recently was hired to pen the HITMAN sequel, will write DRAKE'S. Avi Arad, Charles Roven, Ari Arad and Alex Gartner are producing.

MIPCOM 2009 is introducing a new program of events designed specifically for international television producers. Titled "Rethinking the Production Business," the initiative will include a series of keynote addresses and conferences devoted to production, content screenings and a wide range of business-based matchmaking opportunities.

Press Release from MySpace

LOS ANGELES -- MySpace today announced its intent to restructure its international operations and refocus personnel around a smaller number of territories, while retaining a robust global consumer presence.

Summer may just be officially starting, but it seems already half-over, thanks to the early movie season. So far, it's been "VFX on Steroids," what with WOLVERINE, STAR TREK, TERMINATOR SALVATION, ANGELS & DEMONS, LAND OF THE LOST and BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN aggressively raising the bar with high octane advancements across the board.

Press Release from JimJam

London, Monday 22 June 2009: Global pre-school channel JimJam, a joint venture between HIT Entertainment and Chellomedia, today announced a deal with Air New Zealand to provide an exclusive bespoke pre-school children's channel for young air travellers.

Press Release from NANDO@BENT

International award-winning Creative/Director Nando Costa, founder of top industry leading design and animation studio Nervo, has teamed with Portland-based Bent Image Lab to form, NANDO@BENT. Costa brings his entire Nervo shop to BENT, including creative partner Linn Olofsdotter. Costa, age 30, will become the fourth partner of BENT which includes: Co-Founder/EP Ray Di Carlo, Co-Founder/Director Chel White, and Co-Founder/Director David Daniels.

Press Release form HIT Entertainment

19 June 2009, London -- HIT Entertainment, one of the world's leading independent children's entertainment producers and rights owners has licensed the iconic preschool property Bob the Builder to Mastertronic to create the first Nintendo Wii Bob the Builder game. BOB THE BUILDER: FESTIVAL OF FUN targets young Bob fans and is designed to encourage interactive play between parent and child. Launched earlier this month, BOB THE BUILDER: FESTIVAL OF FUN on Wii is now selling out across retailers in the UK.

Press Release from Electronic Arts Inc.

Press Release from CAKE Entertainment

CAKE Entertainment is marking its strategic move into producing live-action with today's announcement of a live-action/CG hybrid tween comedy pilot for a series called CARTOON GENE (26 x 30"), co-produced with Galakids and TELETOON Canada. The move sees CAKE build on their existing experiences in this area, and reinforce their established position as a meeting place for a growing family of producers of high-end children's content.

Press Release from Aardman Rights

Bristol, 17 June 2009. Leading independent distributor Aardman Rights is delighted to announce the hugely successful debut of its preschool property TIMMY TIME on CBeebies.

Press Release from Sesame Workshop

(MIAMI, FL and NEW YORK, NY; June 16, 2009) -- PLAZA SESAMO's beloved new friend Abby Cadabby is spreading her fairy wings and flying over to 3, 2, 1 VAMOS!, an original half-hour preschool program premiering on June 22 on Discovery Kids Latin America. 321 VAMOS will feature segments from beloved children's shows PLAY WITH ME SESAME and GLOBAL GROVER and introduce children in Latin America to BERT AND ERNIE'S GREAT ADVENTURES, Sesame Workshop's first all claymation series.

Disneynature has acquired the North American and Mexican distribution rights to the exciting new underwater film "OceanWorld 3D," the first feature-length nature documentary ever filmed and released in 3D, it was announced today by Jean-Francois Camilleri, executive vice president and general manager for Disneynature, and Francois Mantello, chairman of 3D Entertainment.

Press Release from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Press Release from Animation Collective

THUMB WRESTLING FEDERATION: TWF, the wildly popular kids' TV series, continues to wrestle its way through Latin America, announcing today that it has picked up a new team of broadcasters. TWF will be hitting the airwaves on Cadena Tres in Mexico, RedeTV! in Brazil, Telemundo in Puerto Rico, America TV in Peru, Televisora Hondurena in Honduras, Red Uno in Bolivia, and Ecuavisa in Ecuador. TWF has already found success in Latin America on Cartoon Network, where it will continue to air.

Press Release from Breakthrough Entertainment

TORONTO (June 10, 2009) -- Toronto-based distribution company, Breakthrough Entertainment has brought in Kate Blank as its new sales executive. The announcement was made today by Nat Abraham, Head of Distribution.

Ms. Blank will be responsible for sales in the Asia Pacific region, the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, and Africa.

Press Release from Chocolate Liberation Front

Melbourne, June 10 -- Award-winning Australian and Canadian producers form cutting-edge independent production company, Chocolate Liberation Front, which will create and produce high-quality and innovative multiplatform projects for the international marketplace.

Press Release from Autodesk, Inc.

San Rafael, June 9, 2009 - Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK) has announced that its new Autodesk Flare visual effects software -- launched just one month ago -- has been licensed by five post-production companies across three continents. Flare is a creative companion to Autodesk Flame and Autodesk Inferno visual effects and compositing software.