AWN Headline News

Adams Media Research has reported the top 10 direct-to-video titled for the first quarter of 2005. Leading the pack in total units sold and rental revenue was Disneys MULAN II with 56.8 million. In a distant second was Lions Gates BARBIE: FAIRYTOPIA garnering $17.4 million. Following that was Universals BALTO III: WINGS OF CHANGE, rounding up $14. 2 million. The rest of the top included Warner Bros. SCOOBY-DOO: ALOHA SCOOBY-DOO!

IMAGINA 2006Monte Carlo, MonacoFebruary 1-3, 2006Deadline: November 30, 2005

According to leading marketing information provider, Sonys GRAN TURISMO 4 for the PlayStation 2 ranked top in sales for the first half of 2005. The NPD Group also reported retail sales of U.S. console and portable videogames hardware, software and accessories saw an increase of 21% during the first half of 2005 (January June), compared to the same time period last year. The videogames industry saw sales figures rise to more than $4.1 billion in the first half of the year compared to $3.4 billion in the first half of 2004.

Jeff Bridges will lead a cast that includes, Shia LaBeouf, Zooey Deschanel, James Woods, Jane Krakowski, Jon Heder, Mario Cantone, Brian Benben and Michael McKean for Sony Pictures Animations upcoming CGI feature SURFS UP.

it was announced today by Penney Finkelman Cox and Sandra Rabins, executive vice presidents of Sony Pictures Animation.

Animation Block Party - Summer EditionBrooklyn, New York USASeptember 15, 2005Deadline: August 24, 2005

Animation Block Partys End of Summer Festival is still taking entries. Where its last festival had a special (love) theme, this time around the event has no required theme for the content just the intention to exhibit the most well-rounded and diverse work it can find for one evening of animation excellence.

Prize categories include:* best in show* audience award* original design* music video

SHARK TALE co-director Eric Bibo Bergeron has set up a new animation studio in Marseilles, France. After spending eight years at DreamWorks, where he also made THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, Bergeron is returning to France to produce and direct his latest projects.

The first 3D film, A MONSTER IN PARIS, will be co-written by Bergeron and Ramzy, the two French comedians on whom the designs for the main characters are based and who will provide the French voiceovers. The film will be entirely produced in France at the new European studio.

FanTasia, a festival showcasing contemporary international genre cinema with an emphasis on unveiling films very rarely seen in North America, wrapped up on July 25, 2005, in Montreal, awarding Yuasa Masaakis MIND GAME the prize for best animated film. The film also took home the silver prize in the most groundbreaking film category as well.

For its ninth edition, FanTasia jury was of the following members:* Érik Canuel (creator of films LA LOI DU COCHON, LE DERNIER TUNNEL and LE SURVENANT)

New firm Mind The Gap Inc. has been contracted by Laika Ent. to develop an asset and production tracking system. With an in-depth understanding of Laika Ent.'s production and technical needs, Mind The Gap is supporting the company's animated feature film initiatives by strengthening it's workflow with integrated systems to track production resources, assets, rendering, and disk space.

Next week, AWN and VFXWorld will be heading to SIGGRAPH. Editor Bill Desowitz will be attending the event and will have his take on the proceedings shortly after. As well Mary Ann Skweres will be unveiling info on the SIGGRAPH Art Gallery tomorrow, which coincides with the July theme of Digital Art. In August, she will also be covering the SIGGRAPH Electronic Theater presentation for us.

Closing out the big films for July, Skweres will chronicle the heroics of SKY HIGH while Alain Bielik reports back on Rob Cohens jet-paced action flick, STEALTH.