AWN Headline News

* Monday, November 9 - Saturday, November 28. New York City, New York.

The School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents the sixth annual New York Digital Salon, an international juried showcase of computer-generated artwork. Computer animation screenings will be shown at the SVA Amphitheatre and the exhibit takes place in the School's Visual Arts Museum, both located at 209 East 23rd Street, where a reception is scheduled for November 9 from 6 to 8 p.m. For information and to view work on-line, visit www.sva.edu/salon.* Tuesday, November 3. New York City, New York, U.S.A.

* Friday, November 6 - Saturday, November 14. Siena, Italy.

The third Siena International Short Film Festival and Market boasts one of the two international competitions dedicated solely to animated films. For information call (39) 6-4745585.

Spumco, the studio that brought us the first web cartoon series, The G@*&!$ George Liquor Show, has teamed up with Electric Communities to present the Internets first 3D cartoon chat event. The chat, scheduled to kick off at 5:30 p.m. on November 6, and run through November 9, 1998, will take place on the web site cartoonsforum.com port 9994.

On November 17, DreamWorks will release three albums based on its forthcoming animated feature film, Prince of Egypt. The album releases come a full month before the films December 18 theatrical opening. The Prince of Egypt: Music from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack features performances by Boyz II Men, Amy Grant and the duo of Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, singing together for the first time, as well as songs performed by actors who voice characters in the film, Ralph Fiennes, Michelle Pfeiffer and Steve Martin.

The 65th Milan International Film, TV and Multimedia Market (MIFED) kicks off this week with a strong focus on animation, in collaboration with the European MEDIA II program. The six-day event, November 1 -6, will include a designated animation market and even an Animation Day on November 3.

* Tuesday, November 3. Vancouver, Canada.

VanArts presents Before and After Independence: 40 Years of Estonian Animation, a retrospective put together for the Ottawa International Animation festival, which is now touring North America. The show takes place at the Pacific Cinemateque, 1131 Howe Street, at 7:30 p.m The show is made possible by the Ottawa International Animation Festival and the Canadian Consulate in Estonia.

CBS/Fox, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment and DIC Entertainment are producing a direct-to-video title based on the life of Martin Luther King Jr., called Our Friend, Martin. The one-hour film will combine new animation with live-action archival footage of the late civil rights activist. Several celebrities are lending their voices to the production, including Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, James Earl Jones, Susan Sarandon, John Travolta, Jaleel White and Oprah Winfrey.

The animation union, the Motion Picture Screen Cartoonists (M.P.S.C.) and Affiliated Optical Electronic and Graphic Arts, Local 839 IATSE has completed its voting process and announced the new Executive Board of the organization. Re-elected to office were incumbents Bronwen Barry, Dave Brain, Pat Connolly-Sito, Earl Kress, Craig Littell-Herrick, Enrique May, Ann Sullivan and Stephan Zupkas. Also elected were newcomers Bob Foster, Warren Greenwood and Karen Nugent, replacing Board members Sheila Brown, Tom Ray and Dave Zaboski who did not run for reelection.

On October 27, Walt Disney Home Video releases "The Lion King II: Simba's Pride," a direct-to-video animated feature sequel to the 1995 blockbuster theatrical feature, "The Lion King." Disney hopes to achieve similar success to that of the film's predecessor, which has made history as both the number one animated movie and best-selling video of all time.

The Castelli Animati (Animated Castles) International Animated Film Festival held its second edition, October 15 - 17, 1998 in Rome, Italy. The prize winners were selected by an international jury: painter Carla Accardi (Italy), cartoonist and director Oscar Grillo (Argentina), director Daniele Luchetti (Italy), cartoonist and director Sergio Staino and director Pal Toth (Hungary).

Grand Prize and Audience Prize: Geris Game by Jan Pinkava (U.S.A.)

First Film Prize: Sientje by Christa Moesker (Netherlands).