Quest3D Version 3.5 CompetitionWorld Wide WebJune 12, 2006Deadline: June 12, 2006
Act-3D is hosting a competition to celebrate the release of Quest3D 3.5. The contest has no specific theme. Entries will be judged on graphics, animation, interaction, originality and fun factor. The final judgment will be based on the entry as a whole and how it displays the entrees skills. For more information, visit www.quest3d.com.
FIKE 2006 6th Évora International Short Film FestivalÉvora, PortugalNovember 17-25, 2006Deadline: July 1, 2006
FIKE 2006 is an independent film festival, organized by University of Évora Film Society and SOIR Joaquim Antonio de Aguiar, two non-profit cultural associations that promote cinema as an art form and a unique cultural expression. The event promotes social and cultural improvement and through culture the economical development of the town and region. Please check out www.fikeonline.net for more information.
fmx/06, the 11th International Conference on Animation, Effects, Realtime and Content from May 3-6, 2006 in Stuttgart, Germany, announces its prizes. With more than 5,000 international visitors 40% more than last year fmx/06 included 350 speakers from all over the world presented more than 300 lectures, demos, workshops and screenings about creation, production and distribution in all forms of digital content.
Philip Flynn, chief executive of the Digital Hub Development Agency, said that Irish and international animation companies should take advantage of Irelands highly skilled workforce that has experience in producing digital animation from primary school, reports THE IRISH EXAMINER.
Flynn made his comments at the debut of the Liberties Claymation Festival in the Digital Hub in Dublin. The festival, which is running over three days, will feature more than 30 animation films produced and directed by children 8-16-from schools based in the Liberties.
Cenega Publishing, a central European publisher presents its titles for E3.
EL MATADOR, a third person action game developed by Plastic Reality Technologies, puts players in South America and lets them experience the Drug Enforcement Agencys war on drugs. Given the role of a special DEA agent, codename Matador, players will be given an task to crush a strong drug cartel operating in Colombia. With some 30 weapons to choose from, the title is supported by the latest technologies.
SNK Playmore USA Corp., the U.S. publishing arm of the SNK Playmore Corp., announced that they will premiere five new games for the Wii, PlayStation 2, PSP, Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance at E3, to be held May 10-12, 2006, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. SNK will showcase its titles in the Concourse, Suite #153A.
Debuting at this year's E3 are THE KING OF FIGHTERS 2006 for the PlayStation 2, METAL SLUG ANTHOLOGY for the Wii and PSP, METAL SLUG for the Game Boy Advance and SNK VS CAPCOM CARD FIGHTERS DS for the Nintendo DS.
Test your skills and challenge your brain with AWN's Animation Trivia Quiz.
This week in AWN's Forums, members debate the question is A SCANNER DARKLY really an animated movie?
Hollywood's legendary El Capitan Theatre kicks off its 80th anniversary with a special two-week engagement of Disney's Oscar-winning animated classic, DUMBO, from May 25 - June 7. DUMBO is celebrating its 65th birthday this year, and a new deluxe BIG TOP EDITION DVD release of the film is scheduled for June 6th.
Paramounts MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III (with vfx by ILM) debuted with a less than stellar $47.7M, but still managed to lead the box office for the period ended May 7, 2006. Sonys RV, last weeks leader, slipped to second place with $11M and a two-week cume of $30.9M. Freestyles AN AMERICAN HAUNTING bowed in third with $5.7M. Buena Vistas STICK IT followed in fourth with $5.4M and a two-week cume of $17.9M. Universals UNITED 93 (with vfx from Double Negative) fell 53% in its second week to fifth place with $5.3M and a $20.1M tally.
Troika Design Group and its live-action production division recently collaborated with longtime client HGTV to conceive, design, direct, animate and finish an effects-intensive spot for HGTVs Big Backyard Splash sweepstakes. The sweepstakes gives one lucky HGTV viewer the chance to win $100,000 to transform their backyard into a splashy setting built for outdoor entertaining, as well as the opportunity to win a tropical vacation for two. The :30 promo broke May 1, 2006.
Comedy Central has ordered 10 episodes of Augenblick Studios' GOLDEN AGE, the first adult animated series to be produced by a major television network for broadband. The series premiered May 8, 2006 and will show weekly on its broadband channel, Motherload (www.comedycentral.com/motherload).
This animated dark comedy reveals the shocking true stories of the worlds strangest cartoon characters. Each episode uses a blend of mixed media to satirize classic cartoons from the past.
Universal Studios Consumer Products Group has formed a moble entertainment division to be run from a day-to-day perspective by Universal veteran Jeremy Laws, who has been promoted to svp. Laws will oversee all aspects of licensing and promotions in the wireless arena, as well as actively pursue and manage licenses from creation to consumption. He will lead a team of sales executives based around the world, including major media markets as Los Angeles, London and Tokyo.
MGM Interactive and EON Productions Ltd. have awarded Activision Inc. the rights to develop and publish interactive entertainment games based on the James Bond license through 2014.
Since the initial release of DR. NO in 1962, JAMES BOND films have grossed more than $3.6 billion theatrically worldwide and approximately 30 million units of videogames based on the world of James Bond have been sold to date.
Learn more about Scotland's thriving gaming industry by visiting the Scottish Development International Pavilion, West 2400, at E3, May 10-12, 2006. Demo the latest games from top developers, such as Genuine Games and OuterLight and meet with key industry players from this part of the world, including execs from Real Time Worlds, F4G Software, and TPLD.
After dropping out as director of the adaptation of Philip Pullman's sci-fi novel THE GOLDEN COMPASS, AMERICAN PIE director Chris Weitz is again taking the helm of the film as Anand Tucker (SHOPGIRL) steps down, reports VARIETY. Weitz stepped down from the first installment in the HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy due to his concern with never having dealt with daunting technical effects challenges. New Line states that Tucker has left the project due to "differences in creative direction."
The film is still set to lens this fall in the U.K. and hit theaters in November 2007.
Stephen Rea (THE CRYING GAME), Ron Perlman (HELLBOY) and German actor Benno Furmann (JOYEUX NOEL) are joining Thomas Jane and John Malkovich in the sci-fi action thriller THE MUTANT CHRONICLES, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Director Simon Hunter plans to begin shooting this summer.
Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film wound up its 2006 event on May 2, with the awarding of its coveted prizes. OVERTIME from Oury Atlan, Damien Ferrié and Thibault Berland took home the International Promotion Award and the Best Student Film prize. Other big winners included Aardmans ANGRY KID and OLIS CHANCE by Johannes Weiland and Saschka Unseld.
Twentieth Century Fox has signed Japanese producer Taka Ichise (THE GRUDGE) to a new three-year, first-look deal. The pact, which covers English-language projects, is Taka's first American overall studio deal. The pact will enable Fox to tap his formidable talents as one of the leading figures in the Japanese horror genre.
The deal will also allow for Fox to finance specific Japanese-language projects through Taka's Tokyo-based production company, OZ Co., Ltd. Taka also operates L.A.-based OZLA Pictures Inc.
The Securities and Exchange Commission's L.A. office recommended on May 4, 2006, that a probe into DreamWorks Animation cease with no enforcement action, according to various business reports.
With the recommendation, the SEC will most likely rule not to sanction DWA for failing to warn investors, before first-quarter earnings were announced last year, that returns on the SHREK 2 DVD were running much higher than anticipated, causing the company to miss guidance.
However, there are still several shareholder lawsuits still pending over the matter.
Director Christopher Nolan (BATMAN BEGINS) is well into development on his next project, a supernatural period film called THE PRESTIGE, reports SCI FI WIRE.
"It's a film about two magicians in turn-of-the-century London," Nolan said. "And they enter into a deadly rivalry. And it's the story of how the two of them essentially try and sabotage each other's careers over the years."
The 49th San Francisco International Film Festival wrapped up its 2006 event on May 4, 2006, with presentation of its Golden Gate Awards. In the animated short category, Canadian Bruce Alcocks AT THE QUINTE HOTEL won the prize. The filmmaker will receive a $1,500 cash prize. For more information on other winners, visit www.sfiff.org/festival.
Finalists in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' 33rd annual Student Academy Awards competition include 34 students from 19 colleges and universities.
Gold, silver and bronze medals, along with accompanying cash prizes of $5000, $3000 and $2000, may be awarded in each of the four categories. Winning filmmakers will participate in a week of industry-related and social activities, culminating in the presentation ceremony on June 10, 2006.
The animation finalists are (listed alphabetically by film title within category):
Animation
Eidos Interactive, one of the world's leading publishers and developers of entertainment software, and TT Games, the makers of LEGO STAR WARS, announced a new LEGO adventure, BIONICLE HEROES, will be released in fall 2006 on PlayStation 2, PC, Nintendo Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and NINTENDO GAMECUBE (NTSC only).
Fans of Sony Online Entertainment's highly acclaimed Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games EVERQUEST, EVERQUEST II and PLANETSIDE, will now be able to share their online experiences with fellow guild members and friends by creating personalized digital comicbooks starring their online avatars using the SOE Comic Book Creator.
