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AWN Headline News

Animation Headline News

Fire Ball & Kung Fu Hustle Win Chinese-Lingo “Oscars”

Taiwan's 42nd Golden Horse Awards considered the Chinese-language equivalent of the Oscars awarded this years prizes on Nov. 13, 2005. THE FIRE BALL, produced by Wang Film Prod. Co. Ltd., was awarded the Best Animation prize. KUNG FU HUSTLE was named Best Movie with the films helmer Stephen Chou named Best Director. The other films nominated for Best Animation were DRAGONBLADE, released by DCDC (HK) Ltd., and VEN. YIN SHUN, from Da-Ai Television. The ceremony was held in Keelung.

Awards Headline News

Taiwanese Film Wins China’s National Film Awards

At the 25th Golden Rooster Awards, the national film awards in China, Taiwans THE BUTTERFLY LOVERS won the Best Animation award. The surprise winner was released last year by Central Motion Pictures Corp. of Taiwan. The other animation nominees included GELANTE CHUANZHANG DE NURE (CAPTAIN GRAND'S DAUGHTER), HE (LOTUS) and MOBISI HUAN (THRU THE MOEBIUS STRIP). The awards were held on Nov. 12, 2005, in Sanya on the southern island of Hainan. For the first time, the Golden Rooster Awards were open to ethnic Chinese cast and crew members in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Disney Headline News

Barry Blumberg Resigns President’s Post at Walt Disney TV Animation

After 11 years overseeing Walt Disney Television Animation (WDTVA), ultimately as president, Barry Blumberg announced his resignation from the group. He will remain with the company through the end of January to aid in the integration of the WDTVA Group into Disney Channel Worldwide. An announcement concerning the restructuring of Walt Disney Television Animation and its integration into Disney Channel Worldwide will be forthcoming.

Series Headline News

AOL and Warner Bros. to Launch New Broadband Network In2TV On AOL.com

AOL and Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution are collaborating to form a new broadband network in early 2006. The network, called In2TV (on AOL.com), will give consumers access to thousands of episodes from popular TV series to stream on demand for free on the Web, including full-length episodes from favorite series such as WELCOME BACK KOTTER, SISTERS, BEETLEJUICE, LOIS & CLARK, LA FEMME NIKITA and GROWING PAINS. Along with full-length episodes, In2TV will also include interactive features such as games, quizzes, polls, trivia contests and more.

Films Headline News

Innamation Films Signs “Fleming” Scribe For Christmas Rescue Rewrite

Innamation Films has hired Damian Stevenson to pen a screenplay re-write for THE CHRISTMAS RESCUE, the Los Angeles animation companys first full-length, direct-to-video feature.

Stevenson recently made headlines for selling his screenplay FLEMING, a biopic on James Bond creator Ian Fleming, to Warner Bros. for an undisclosed sum.

Effects Headline News

Pixar’s Jim Morris to Receive VES Board of Directors Award

Pixar producer and former ILM senior exec Jim Morris, currently overseeing an Andrew Stanton (FINDING NEMO) feature to be released in summer 08, will receive the Board of Directors Award from the Visual Effects Society. This award will be presented at the 4th Annual VES Awards on Feb.15, 2005, at the Hollywood Palladium, and follows last weeks VES announcement that Pixar founder John Lasseter will receive the 2005 Georges Melies Award for artistic excellence and lifetime achievement.

Headline News

SpongeBob Sets Off on Snail Trail for Lost Pet in Primetime Special

SpongeBob inadvertedly causes his beloved pet snail Gary to crawl away and sets off in a desperate search to bring him home in Wheres Gary, a half-hour SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS special premiering on Nickelodeon Friday, Nov. 11, 2005, at 8:00 pm.

Animation Headline News

China Gets Game

A ceremony was held earlier this week in Shanghai to launch a state-level base for the development of the fledging online game animation industry in China, reports ASIA PULSE.

Located in the Zhangjiang High-tech Zone in east Chinas Shanghai municipality, this is the third such kind of 3D industrial base for online game animation in the country following those set up in Sichuan and Guangdong provinces.

Studios Headline News

Amberwood Acquires Two Properties From Australia's Mini Studios

Amberwood Ent. has licensed exclusive rights to produce two of Mini Studios pre-school properties -- ROB THE ROBOT and DEBRA THE ZEBRA.

Spotted at MIP-TV 2005, Ottawa-based Amberwood immediately followed up with Melbourne-based Mini Studios (www.ministudios.com.au) to secure both series for production. Jonathan Wiseman, director of sales & marketing at Amberwood said, "The innovative concepts and fresh look of Mini Studio's properties will most certainly catch the eyes of many broadcasters worldwide. We are excited to have partnered with this talented company."

Mattel Headline News

VIZ Media Names Mattel As Master Toy Licensee For Zatch Bell!

VIZ Media announced that it has named Mattel as master toy licensee for ZATCH BELL! by Makoto Raiku. The announcement is the most recent development for ZATCH BELL! since VIZ Media was granted the North and South American broadcast and licensing rights in June 2004. Additionally, the company has entered into partnerships with Cartoon Network (where ZATCH BELL! premiered in March 2005 on the Toonami block) and Bandai for videogames and collectible card games in the past year.

Headline News

Bioncle Scribe Sells Another Sci-Fi Script

BIONICLE: THE FEATURE scribe Brett Matthews has sold another sci-fi spec script this time to Warner Bros. Pictures, according to VARIETY. Titled MAINLINE, the story is being kept under close wraps. Dylan Sellers Prods. vp of production Jesse Ehrman along with Dylan Sellers brought the project to Warners creative exec Geoff Shaevitz, who will shepherd the film for the studio.

Kids Headline News

Backyardigans Headed to Home Vid, Discovered in Latin America

Nelvana has announced two new deals for its property THE BACKYARDIGANS one with Paramount Home Ent. Intl and the other with Discovery Kids in Latin America.

The agreement with Paramount Home Ent. Intl is for the video release of THE BACKYARDIGANS in the U.K., Latin America, Spain, Germany, Italy, France and Scandinavia.

Productions Headline News

Cary Silver Upped to Production VP at Mike Young Prods.

Cary Silver has been promoted to vp of production at Mike Young Productions (MYP), one of the largest animation studios in North America. He will continue in his role as producer on hit shows such as PET ALIEN and JAKERS! THE ADVENTURES OF PIGGLEY WINKS, among others. Additionally, he will work alongside and report to MYP/Taffy principals Mike Young, Bill Schultz and Liz Young about in-house productions as well as the continued development of international co-productions.

Animation Headline News

Ready Hankies for ka-chew! Animation on NBC Soap Opera

Well, theres nothing really to cry about concerning the Flash animation ka-chew! director Sean Nadeau and team has created for several short scenes to air in NBCs hit daytime soap, PASSIONS on Nov. 11, 14 and 15, 2005. Maybe tears of joy that animation is breaking into a new adult genre of TV programming that certainly is not for kids. The daytime drama depicts scenes where the central characters have magically found themselves in a fairytale and are transformed magically into animation.

Headline News

Disney Offers DuckTales and Chip ‘n Dale on DVD

Two of Disneys most popular TV animation series from the 80s, DUCKTALES and CHIP N DALE RESCUE RANGERS are now available on DVD (Buena Vista Home Ent., $34.99). In DUCKTALES VOLUME ONE (1987), cantankerous Scrooge McDuck and Huey, Dewey & Louie find themselves in all kinds of wacky adventures. Alan Young voiced McDuck and David Block and Steve Clark served as directors.

Digital Headline News

Thomson Secures Hollywood Studio Support for Digital Cinema Rollout

Christie Digital Systems now has a competitor, as Thomsons Services division has reached digital cinema usage agreements with DreamWorks, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros. to accelerate the deployment of digital cinema systems in North America. In addition, the company is in late stage negotiations with Twentieth Century Fox, New Line Cinema, and The Weinstein Co., and expects these studios to be part of the initial deployment.

Headline News

Digital-Tutors Releases Flash 8 Training

Digital-Tutors announced the availability of INTRODUCTION TO MACROMEDIA FLASH 8 training kit, a comprehensive training tool for Flash 8 and the latest release in a growing library of popular training resources for emerging digital artists. INTRODUCTION TO FLASH 8 provides more than hours of project-driven training and guides you step-by-step through the industrys most advanced authoring environment for creating interactive websites, digital experiences and mobile content.

Animation Headline News

China and South Korea Agree to Bolster Animation Festivals

China and South Korea have signed an agreement to help each other promote and develop China's Changsha Cartoon Art Festival (CCAF) and the Seoul International Cartoon & Animation Festival (SICAF) into the largest animation festivals in China and South Korea, according to CHINA KNOWLEDGE PRESS.

The agreement was signed Nov. 10, 2005, at the fourth Changsha Cartoon Art Festival (CCAF) in Hunan province.

Effects Headline News

Look Effects Relocates to El Capitan Theatre

Look Effects, the Hollywood-based visual effects company whose credits include THE LIFE AQUATIC, THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST, INTO THE BLUE, MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE and CSI: NY, is expanding and relocating to state-of-the-art facilities inside Hollywoods historic El Capitan Theatre: 6834 Hollywood Blvd., Suite 300 Hollywood, California, 90028.

Universal Headline News

Universal Home Ent. Family Prods. Ups Patti Jackson and Ellen Cockrill

To build and enhance its production efforts, Universal Studios Home Ent. Family Prods. (USHEFP) has promoted Ellen Cockrill to svp, animation production and Patti Jackson to svp, live action production.

Jackson will continue to oversee the development and production of live-action family fare, while Cockrill will supervise all animated series and movies for the group. They both report to Glenn Ross, gm/evp, USHEFP and will be based at the studioâs Universal City headquarters.

Directors Headline News

Time to Make 3rd Director's Cut Contest

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, November 10, 2005 at 12:00am

3rd Director's Cut Contest New York, New York, USADecember 12, 2005Deadline: November 25, 2005

The 3rd Director's Cut contest will be screening the 10 entrants to a panel of established directors, film critics, agents and celebrity guests. Attendees will get to network with the panel. It will be hosted at The Gallery, 7 East 27th Street New York, New York. Please RSVP as numbers are limited. Admission fee is $10.

Animation Headline News

Anim!Arte 2005 Wants the Best in Student Animation

By Rick DeMott | Thursday, November 10, 2005 at 12:00am

Anim!Arte 2005 Brazilian Student Animation FestivalRio de Janeiro, Brazil December 5-10, 2005 Deadline: December 2, 2005

Anim!Arte 2005 celebrates the best in student animation from around the world. The best international animation done by a student (outside Brazil) will win the original Animarte´s Tropical Trophy. For more information, visit www.vouanimarte.com.br.

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