AWN Headline News

One of the first signs that things will change at Disney under Pixars Ed Catmull and John Lasseter, Lasseter informed Walt Disney Feature Animation employees that TOY STORY 3 would cease production immediately, reports the ASSOCIATED PRESS.

AtomFilms unveiled the winners of the Intel Indies Film Contest (intel.atomfilms.com ) at an Intel-sponsored event at the Sundance Film Festival. An experienced panel of film industry judges culled through hundreds of entries from 40 different states to determine the winning films. The grand prize-winner, Nicholas Worthey, received $25,000 in cash, $20,000 in Intel Viiv technology-based digital home equipment and an original content development deal with AtomFilms Studio.

At the Sundance Film Festival, Blur Studio announced that it will develop its 2005 Academy Award-nominated short film GOPHER BROKE into a feature film. The short screened as part of the Animation Spotlight at Sundance. The film went on to win prizes at the Animago Festival in Munich and the Imagina Awards in France.

The film, written and directed by Jeff Fowler, follows an increasingly frustrated gopher as his attempts at snagging a snack from passing vegetable truck ends in what can be described as you get what you wish for.

Devil's Due has announced a FAMILY GUY comic mini-series, set from release in April, reports ICv2.com. The bi-monthly series will be written by FAMILY GUY TV series writer Matt Fleckenstein, with art by Benjamin Phillips. The comic will be published in a 48-page, full color perfect-bound format. Each of the three volumes of the series will focus on one of the star characters, featuring one-on-one advice on life from the featured character woven throughout the stories.

Cartoon Network has pre-bought Marathons forthcoming animated series, TEAM GALAXY. The two-season package (52x26) is budgeted at $16-17 million, making it one of the most expensive productions outside a major studio. Set to start airing in the fall, the series has also been picked up by France 3, Italys RAI, Jetix and Canada's YTV.

"It is a huge sign of confidence in us that Cartoon Network has chosen the project without having seen a single episode," said Marathon president Vincent Chalvon Demersay.

Anima Mundi 2006Rio de Janeiro & São Paulo, BrazilJuly 14-30, 2006Deadline: March 27, 2006

Anima Mundi is the International Animation Festival of Brazil, which brings to the Brazilian audience the best selection of films and videos from around the world. It is a variety specially designed for the adults and the children. The event runs in Rio de Janeiro from July 14-23 then moves to São Paulo from July 26-30. For more information, visit www.animamundi.com.br.