AWN Headline News

Headline News

Lions Gate Acquires More Than 300 Titles From Modern Ent.

Lions Gate Ent. Toronto announced that it has closed its asset purchase agreement to acquire substantially all of the Modern Ent. Ltd. library, effective today, Aug. 17, 2005. The acquisition had been previously announced.

The acquisition includes the rights held by Modern to leading titles from Vestron, Dino DeLaurentiis and other libraries within the Modern Ent. family, including CONAN THE BARBARIAN, HALLOWEEN II and III, RAGTIME, DEAD ZONE, AND GOD CREATED WOMAN, AMITYVILLE II, EIGHT MILLION WAYS TO DIE, HERCULES IN NEW YORK and EARTH GIRLS ARE EASY.

In Business, Visual Effects, Business, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia, Europe

Channel Headline News

ITV Set to Launch Kids Network

Five years in the making leading U.K. commercial broadcaster ITV is now set to launch of a kids network, reports VARIETY.

The digital channel will be available on all platforms including Freeview, the free-to-air digital service backed by the BBC and BSkyB. Debuting within the next six months, the channel will offer a combination of existing programming, new commissions and acquisitions.

In Business, Business | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Headline News

Inuyasha 3 To Screen at Wal-Marts

INUYASHA THE MOVIE 3: SWORDS OF AN HONORABLE RULER is being given a highly visible and very unique send-off to retail. It will launch as a theatrical title before going to DVD on September 6 with screenings at 15 Wal-Marts across the U.S.

In Anime, Event, Anime, Event | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia

Headline News

Kelly Flock To Drive THQ Global Product Strategy, Sales, Marketing

Kelly Flock is joining THQ Inc. in the newly created position of evp of worldwide publishing, overseeing product strategy, marketing and sales.

Flock has more than two decades of publishing, sales, marketing and licensing experience in the videogame industry, having served as president/ceo of Sony Online Ent., president of 989 Studios and president of Sony Interactive Studios America. Flock also was gm of LucasArts Ent. Co. where he managed the game division of Lucasfilm Ltd.

In People, People | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia, Europe

Comics Headline News

Cairo-Based Comic Book Creator/Publisher Opens L.A. Office

Cairo-based AK Comics has established a Los Angeles area office to promote in the U.S. market its line of Middle East-themed superhero comic books, animated series based on the comic titles and extensive licensing program surrounding the companys array of brands.

Jordan L. Udko will head the office in Santa Monica, California, as vp business development for AK Comics. Udko was a distribution account exec Paramount Pictures.

In Business, Business | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Award Headline News

Hollywood Film Fest Honors Howl’s, War of the Worlds Batman, Sin City

The Hollywood Film Festival's Board of Advisors announced that this year's festival will honor Warner Bros.' BATMAN BEGINS with the Hollywood Sound of the Year Award, Disney's HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE with the Hollywood Animation of the Year Award," Dimension's SIN CITY with the Hollywood Make-Up of the Year Award and Paramount's WAR OF THE WORLDS with its "Hollywood Visual Effects of the Year Award.

The awards will be bestowed upon the honorees as part of the Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony on Oct. 24, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

In Awards, Awards | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Film Headline News

Fox/Marvel Withdraw Suit Against Sony/Revolution’s Zoom

Fox and Marvel have withdrawn a case filed in June against Sony and Revolution film ZOOM, reports VARIETY. The suit claimed the Tim Allen comedy is too similar to the X-MEN franchise and that its release two weeks prior to X3 was an attempt to ride the promotion of the third X-MEN film.

In Business, Visual Effects, Business, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Marvel Headline News

Konami Signs Deal With Marvel, Set to Release 2 New Sports Games

Konami Digital Ent. Inc. announced a multi-year agreement with Marvel Enterprises Inc. and Upper Deck Ent. that gives Konami exclusive worldwide interactive rights to develop games for current and next-generation videogame systems based on Upper Decks best-selling Marvel Trading Card Game. This is the latest addition to Konamis collection of interactive trading card based properties, which also includes the tremendously successful YU-GI-OH! series.

In Interactive, Games, Interactive | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Europe

Visual Headline News

TV Academy Stirs Up Its Own VFX Bake-Off

Taking its cue from the Motion Picture Academy, which holds a special visual effects nominees screening event shortly before Oscar ballots are due, The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Title Design & Special Visual Effects Peer Group will host a Bake-Off" showcase of Emmy Award nominees and its Nominee Reception together, on Friday, Sept. 9, 2005, at 6:30 pm at the Television Academy's Leonard H. Goldenson Theater in North Hollywood, California.

In Awards, Visual Effects, Awards, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Story Headline News

Pixar Story Man Joe Ranft Killed In Car Crash

Pixar story man extraordinaire and voice actor Joe Ranft was killed in an automobile accident Aug. 16, 2005, near Mendocino, California, at the age of 45.

Ranft was head of story on the original story teams for Pixars first two films, TOY STORY and A BUGS LIFE, and was a story artist on MONSTERS, INC. He was most recently working as head of story on John Lasseters next film, CARS.

In In Passing, In Passing | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Technology Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

Even though SIGGRAPH 2005 has come and gone, the VFXWORLD focus remains this month on new technology. Alias Maya 7 started shipping, so later in the week Fred Galpern explores the latest features. This newest Maya capitalizes on the Alias MotionBuilder full-body IK technology and makes animating characters faster, easier and more accurate. Plus there is new polygonal modeling and some new vfx tools, too, including a new Toon Shader and advanced render layering technology.

In Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All

Headline News

Batman Begins Bound for DVD on Oct. 18

Warner Home Video has announced that BATMAN BEGINS will released on DVD Oct. 18 in both a single-disc ($28.98) and two-disc Deluxe Edition ($30.97), with the movie in anamorphic widescreen (2.40:1) and English and French Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, DIGITAL BITS reports. The Chris Nolan-directed feature, which set an IMAX record for 2D DMR presentation, boasts vfx from The Moving Picture Co., Double Negative, Rising Sun, BUF and The Senate Visual Effects Ltd.

In Home Entertainment, Visual Effects, Home Entertainment, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Animation Headline News

Curious Pictures Expands VFX Department

Curious Pictures visual effects department in New York has selected seven new computer graphics and vfx specialists for Curious ever-growing slate of branded entertainment projects. The new talent roster includes animators Seth Lippman of PDI/DreamWorks, Weta Digital and Sony Pictures Imageworks, who worked on SHREK 2, THE LORD OF THE RINGS and ANTZ, and Dr. John Alex, a former software engineer and technical director for Pixar, who led animation teams for TOY STORY 2, MONSTERS, INC. and FINDING NEMO, and wrote software applications for THE INCREDIBLES.

In Anime, People, Visual Effects, Anime, People, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Europe, North America, South America

Animation Headline News

NaturalMotion Announces endorphin 2.5

NaturalMotion announced the forthcoming release of endorphin 2.5, the newest version of the companys award-winning 3D character animation software. endorphin 2.5s powerful new transitioning, blending and behavior features, combined with enhancements to asset repurposing tools and improved FBX support, allow animators to create realistic, fully interactive 3D character animation faster and easier than traditional keyframe or motion capture techniques.

In Technology, Technology | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Europe

Cartoon Headline News

TV Academy Announces Individual Achievement in Animation Emmy Award Winners

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences announced today (Aug. 17, 2005), the Emmy Award winners in Individual Achievement in Animation, as well as Outstanding Voice-Over Performance for the 57th Annual Emmy Awards. Juried awards do not have nominations and are selected by members of ATAS' animation peer group, which may choose more than one winner in a category or none.

The winners will be presented with their Emmys at the 2005 Creative Arts Awards on Sunday, September 11, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.

In Awards, Awards | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Festival Headline News

Nicktoons Premieres Its 2nd Annual Film Festival Nextoons

Nicktoons will present NEXTOONS: THE NICKTOONS FILM FESTIVAL, a week-long festival of shorts submitted by animators worldwide. The festival will kick off on Sunday, Aug. 21, at midnight (ET)/9:00 pm (PT) and will air nightly at midnight (ET)/9:00 pm (PT), leading up to the final episode on Sunday, Aug. 28. Created in partnership with Frederator Studios, NEXTOONS: THE NICKTOONS FILM FESTIVAL is the first on-air festival of its kind, and the only, on-air festival dedicated to showcasing the diversity of independent cartoon filmmaking by animators from around the globe.

In Television, Television | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia

Friends Headline News

TELETOON Sneaks Peeks Throughout August

Highlighting the month of September on TELETOON will be a host of sneak peeks at new fall series as well as world and Canadian premieres.

In Television, Television | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Game Headline News

Independent Games Fest Calls for Entries

Independent Games Festival 2006San Jose, California, USAMarch 20-24, 2006Deadline: September 6, 2005

The Independent Games Festival (IGF) honors innovation in videogames created by independent game developers and students. This year's festival will feature a $20,000 Grand Prize for the best game, a new modding competition and the student showcase competition. The deadline for the main IGF Competition is Sept. 6, 2005; the modding competition submissions are due Oct. 10, 2005; and student showcase submissions are due Nov. 15, 2005.

In Call for Entries, Call for Entries | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, North America

Short Headline News

Paris Int’l Short Film Fest Wants Your Toons

Paris International Short Film FestivalParis, FranceJanuary 9-17, 2006Deadline: September 15, 2005

Paris International Short Film Festival is open to filmmakers from all countries entering a recent short work (less than 60 minutes), of all kinds (fiction, documentary, animation, experimental). Films are selected to one of the following sections: French-speaking competition, International panorama, First European films and Night UFO. For more information, visit www.paristoutcourt.org/.

In Call for Entries, Call for Entries | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Europe

Film Headline News

Enter Deep Ellum Film Fest & Help Cure Cancer

Deep Ellum Film Festival Dallas, Texas, USANovember 17-20, 2005Deadline: September 23, 2005

In Call for Entries, Call for Entries | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, North America

Festival Headline News

Corpse Bride Premiere & Miyazaki Headline Venice Fest

Tim Burton's stop-motion animation CORPSE BRIDE is among many features that will have their world premieres at the upcoming 62nd Venice Intl. Film Festival where animation film director Hayao Miyazaki will become the first Japanese to receive an honorary Golden Lion award for his career achievements.

Festival Director Marco Muller said Miyazaki's style expressed romanticism and humanism in spectacular narratives while the fictitious worlds the director depicts always contain something eye-opening to catch the imagination of adults, awakening their inner child.

In Event, Event | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Europe

Animation Headline News

VES Hosts Artistic Pitching For Animation

Visual Effects Societys Education Committee has developed an exciting two-part event on Animation, coordinated by Janet Muswell and Susan Zwerman.

In Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Short Headline News

Ryan on Rhino DVD

Chris Landreths Oscar-winning animated short, RYAN, has landed on DVD (Rhino, $19.95) in a special edition that puts the spotlight on both director and subject, the once successful but now homeless Canadian animator, Ryan Larkin. RYAN is presented in anamorphic widescreen in both stereo and a 5.1 mix. An hour-long doc supplements the celebrated 14-minute short about Larkins volatile and tragic life and career.

In Home Entertainment, Home Entertainment | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Trailers Abound In The Theatrical Release Database

This week in the AWNs Theatrical Release Database, we have a host of new trailers and bunch of date changes.

In Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Home Headline News

Sin City Debuts on DVD

SIN CITY, Robert Rodriguezs ambitiously stylized adaptation of Frank Millers graphic novel (with vfx divided between Hybride, CaféFX and The Orphanage, along with crucial assistance from the directors Austin, Texas-based Troublemaker Studios), lands on DVD Aug. 16, 2005 (Buena Vista Home Ent., $29.99).

In Home Entertainment, Visual Effects, Home Entertainment, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

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