* ARTWORK: LIMITED EDITION AUTOGRAPHED PRINTS FROM YURI NORSTEIN's "Tales of Tales" and "Hedgehog in the Fog." Each print, made in Russia from the drawings Norstein used to develop his characters, is hand signed by Norstein. Most of the proceeds from sales will go to help finance the ongoing production of "Overcoat," Yuri Norstein's famous work in progress, which he began after completing "Tale of Tales" in 1978, and is based on a famous story by Nikolai Gogol. This is a very limited offer, with the print value at $100.00.

DreamWorks SKG, the Hollywood film studio co-founded in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen, pulled out of a deal to build a new $250 million studio on July 1, 1999 because it could not reach a financing agreement. DreamWorks said it was unable to reach a financing deal that "makes good business sense." The closely held company also cited rising construction costs and tougher financing terms due to the rebound in the Los Angeles real estate market. Last year DreamWorks signed a deal with developer Playa Capital Co.

The Walt Disney Co. and former Disney head executive Jeffrey Katzenberg have settled a lawsuit for undisclosed terms, thus ending a months long public trial. Since it began in April, the trial has produced many headlines as Katzenberg sought to secure from Disney two percent of future income derived from all movies, TV shows and merchandise made while he was studio boss from 1984 to 1994. Katzenberg estimated his share of the bonus, which was part of his employment contract with Disney, to be anywhere between $382 million and $580 million in court filings.

Despite poor reviews, Warner Bros.' newly released James Bond/Western genre
mix, WILD WILD WEST, with visual effects by ILM, took in an estimated $36.8
million over the weekend for a total of $50.1 million to finish first in
the Independence Day holiday weekend US boxoffice race. Disney's TARZAN
finished third, taking in $19.2 million for a total of $110.8 million; the
risqué SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER & UNCUT, directed by Trey Parker,
finished fourth with a weekend gross of $14.8 million for a total of $23.1

Women in Animation L.A. showcases short animated films and works by WIA
members at every WIA General Meeting. Have your film screened in front of
several hundred of Los Angeles' animation leaders! If you have a film, or
can suggest a film to be screened, contact Wendy Jackson at (213) 441-9340;
or e-mail animationist@geocities.com.

Los Angeles and Denmark-based ITE (Interactive Television Entertainment)
has launched a webstore at Throutandneck.com, a website for the series
THROUT AND NECK which currently airs on the Game Show Network. While
interactive television has been popular all over the world, THROUT AND NECK
is the first real-time animated action series to be broadcast on American
television. Throutandneck.com features interactive games that can be played
online, colorful graphics, clips from Behind the Scenes of the series,

PG Studio is a production management tool that helps production houses
produce cost effective computer animation. Among its features are script
and storyboard breakdown into scenes, shots, and frames; organization of
production documents according to script structure; identification of
production tasks from the script; allocation of production tasks to
creative and technical staff; establishment of total task time within the
schedule; compilation of a running production budget including staff and

Houston, Texas-based ADV Films is releasing GALAXY FRAULEIN YUNA RETURNS on
July 13 and QUEEN EMERALDAS on July 27 in the US. Both ADV Films titles
will be available in subtitled and dubbed versions. For more information
visit www.advfilms.com. New York City-based Central Park Media is releasing
RECORD OF LODOSS WAR: CHRONICLES OF THE HEROIC KNIGHT - A NEW LEGEND
BEGINS, MIDNIGHT PANTHER: GENERAL RELEASE VERSION, and THE SLAYERS NEXT:
THE FORBIDDEN DANCE? on August 8 in the US, and RECORD OF LODOSS WAR:

Washington, D.C.-based Interface Media Group did the 3D animation for
"Warning Label." Developed through Washington, D.C.-based Ogilvy Public
Relations Worldwide for the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta,
Georgia, the spots use two 3D characters, Carson and Noma, to help stress
the need for protection from ultra-violet sunrays to avoid skin cancer.
Carol Hilliard was art director and 3D animator. Live-action footage was
produced by Washington, D.C.-based ThinkFilm. Joe Becker directed and
Stephanie Antosca Boright produced for ThinkFilm.

QUIET MAN did the CGI effects for "Limo," a spot for Denny's new All-Star
Slams line of breakfast combos. A follow-up to last summer's "Rooster,"
"Limo" features a studish rooster wooing a barnyard of lovesick hens to the
beat of The Commodore's "Love Machine." Michael Schrom directed for
production company Michael Schrom & Company; Marie Lenz was executive
producer, and Philana Dias was Flame/effects artist for Quiet Man.

New York City-based BLACK LOGIC and AFCG have created Cinnaburst gum's
"Snowboarder" spot for agency Bates USA. The spot features a bouncing CG
created piece of gum in a snowboarding environment. Floyd Gillis directed
the CGI for AFCG, Michel Suissa directed the visual effects for Black
Logic, and Geoff McGann directed the spot for Manifesto which combines
live-action with CGI.

The 6th Bradford Animation Festival, which took place June 19-24 in
Bradford, England, has announced the following winners. The Bradford
Animation Festival is a project of the newly-renovated National Museum of
Photography, Film and Television in England.


Non-Professional, Under 16: MILAN by Animation Station and Young Asian
Girls Group


Experimental: HIT PARADE by Animation Films Vienna


Adults, Non-Professional: NIGHT WATCH by James Hall


Digital: BUNNY by Chris Wedge

The winners of the 13th Prix Ars Electronica '99 have been announced. Held
in Linz, Austria, Prix Ars Electronica is a competition for works in the
categories of Computer Animation/Visual Effects; Interactive Art; Internet;
and Digital Music. There were 2119 entries. The Prix Ars Electronica '99
awards presentation will be held in conjunction with the Ars Electronica
Festival on Monday, September 6, 1999 at the ORF Upper Austrian Regional
Studio. The best works from each category will be shown in an exhibition at

The graduates of the University of Wales College Newport's animation
program will be presenting a screening of their work on Friday, July 2nd
1999 at 6 pm. The screening will be held at De Lane Lea, Dean Street,
London, England in the college's newly refurbished preview cinema. The
films are a mixture of techniques and styles, from an abstract musical
collaboration with renowned percussionist Evelyn Glennie working directly
on film, to a cel-based narrative piece that makes SOUTH PARK look tame.

The team that created Fox's ANASTASIA, director Don Bluth, partner and
producer Gary Goldman, and the Fox Animation Studio have finished a sequel
called BARTOK THE MAGNIFICENT which will be released on video and DVD on
November 16. The wisecracking bat, voiced by Hank Azaria, is promoted to
headline the music-filled sequel, with Kelsey Grammer, Jennifer Tilly, Tim
Curry and Catherine O'Hara taking on other voice roles. BARTOK is the first
major Fox direct-to-video title produced in-house at their Phoenix facility

Film Roman has joined Los Angeles-based Latino production company Sí TV to
produce a half-hour, English language animated pilot entitled STUCK IN THE
MIDDLE which is intended for prime time. Written and co-created by Sí TV
co-chairman Jeff Valdez, the pilot will feature the vocal talent of
co-creator and executive producer Cheech Marin (comedy team Cheech & Chong;
NASH BRIDGES), who also serves on the advisory board of Sí TV. STUCK IN THE
MIDDLE is about a twelve-year old whose home life in The Barrio contrasts

The inaugural Vancouver Effects & Animation Festival (VEAF) will exhibit
animation and effects works created by people from around the world and
will present awards in 22 categories. The festival takes place Monday, July
13-18 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. For more information call
(604) 874-5590; or visit www.veaf.com.

Erik St. Anthony has been appointed Director of Multimedia at Interactive
Television Entertainment (ITE)-USA. St. Anthony will be responsible for
developing and implementing retail, on-line and ancillary distribution of
the company's CD-ROM, PlayStation, and Game Boy formats in North America.
St. Anthony founded Adventure Media Group and Trinidad Entertainment, which
together acquire DVD rights, create interactive formats on DVD and DVD-ROM,
and distribute programming. ITE's library includes HUGO SAVES CHRISTMAS,

Clive Jenkins has joined Atlanta-based Crawford Communications, Inc. as a
3D animator. Jenkins previously worked for Crawford from 1989 to 1994, but
left to join Varitel in San Francisco where he launched that company's
design and 3D department. Most recently, he worked for Video Navigation
Company in Atlanta as a 3D animator and compositor.

Catapult Productions' Kim Davidson and Arnie Zipursky, executive producers
of MONSTER BY MISTAKE, have promoted Rob Smith and Mark Mayerson to
producers for the second season of the computer animated TV series. Smith
and Mayerson will join Julie Stall, who was the first season producer.
Mayerson, who created the series, and Smith each directed five episodes of
the first season. Smith will continue to direct while Mayerson will be more
involved in stories and scripts. MONSTER BY MISTAKE began as a Halloween TV