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AWN Headline News

Series Headline News

ABC Kids Sets Fall Saturday Morning Lineup

ABC Kids, the Saturday morning childrens programming block on the ABC Television Network, is holding to its slate over the season, with only one addition, a new live-action show, PHIL OF THE FUTURE, in fall 2004. The comedy series, which premieres on Disney Channel in June, joins the lineup's other marquee kids programming from The Walt Disney Co.: LILO & STITCH: THE SERIES, THAT'S SO RAVEN, THE PROUD FAMILY, DISNEY'S FILLMORE, DISNEY'S KIM POSSIBLE, LIZZIE MCGUIRE and POWER RANGERS DINOTHUNDER.

Production Headline News

Peak Ent. Captures Faireez Rights

Peak Entertainment Holdings Inc. has acquired the exclusive worldwide rights to the new TV concept, FAIREEZ, from Moody Street Kids in Australia.

FAIREEZ is a new animated TV show (52x11) targeting kids 5-7 featuring four intrepid trainees Gabby, Polly, Tucker and Tim who do their best to foil the plans of the bad-tempered, feckless and wet-blanket-baddie: Jumpalina.

Entertainment Headline News

MIP-TV News: Foothill Entertainment To Kiz ‘N’ Tel At MIP 2004

Foothill Entertainment Inc. hopes MIP-TV buyers will want to KIZ N TEL its non-stop action, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants animation series starring 12-year-old Kiz and her friend, Tel. Kiz desperately wants to be a TV star.

Production Headline News

IDT Gets in 3D Game, Again, Buys DKP

DKP Effects Inc., a 3D animation and special effects production company, based in Toronto, is the latest acquisition for IDT Ent., joining Canadian 3D producer Mainframe in the rapidly-growing holdings of the subsidiary of IDT Corp., a multinational carrier, telephone and technology company.

Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

It's been a hectic last couple of days, what with the server being down, but we're finally up and running smoothly again, so now you can get caught up on our latest news and features. Lots of tech news with the Game Developers Conference coming up next week in San Jose.

Headline News

MIP-TV News: INSPIDEA Will Experiment With Young Scientist Series At MIP-TV

Malaysian animation studio INSPIDEA (combining inspiring and ideas) will participate in MIP-TV at stand 13.24 and is bringing JOHAN, THE YOUNG SCIENTIST, a new 26x12 animated series about a child whose inquisitive nature leads him to a great deal of scientific adventures and discoveries.

JOHAN, THE YOUNG SCIENTIST is designed to boost a childs awareness about simple scientific ideas in our everyday life, said Andrew KH, head of production & distribution at INSPIDEA.

Film Headline News

Image Unveils Galerians: Rion Anime Soundtrack

Image Entertainment Inc., in conjunction with Treadstone Records, unveiled the April 6, 2004 release of the soundtrack GALERIANS: RION featuring a fusion of American rock and cutting-edge Japanese anime. Featuring 14 tracks from artists such as Slipknot, Fear Factory, The Ataris, Sevendust and Adema, the soundtrack is part of a unique DVD package.

Disney Headline News

Disney Artist David Willardson's Pop Art Exhibit Opens

Disney artist David Willardson has opened his pop art exhibit, "Still Laughing" The showing opened on March 4, 2004 at SoHo's Animazing Gallery, located at 461 Broome Street (between Greene and Mercer Streets). The show will be in the gallery for a few months.

"I dont believe that my work should be considered Pop Art," said Willardson. "Its not just about bringing mass media into the art world in this case. Its about evoking memories of your childhood and bringing joy back to life in which we often forget as a society that is always on the move."

Games Headline News

Cartoon Network & AOL's 'Project Goldmaster' Offers Gaming Deal

Taking a page from Ben Affleck and Matt Damon's PROJECT GREENLIGHT, Cartoon Network and America Online have joined together to offer one up-and-coming game developer the opportunity to create an online game featuring a popular Cartoon Network character in the first 'Project Goldmaster' program. As part of the Independent Games Festival (IGF), 10 finalists will be selected to compete to win the top honor to develop an online game for CartoonNetwork.com's Power Play Games area.

Headline News

MGM Pictures Promotes Markoe

MGM Pictures, a division of MGM Studios Inc., has promoted Bruce Markoe to evp, feature post-production. He will report to Andy Davis, the evp of physical production.

"Bruce has become a vital part of MGM since he joined the company, and has been a great supporter of filmmakers here," said Davis. "This promotion is extremely well deserved."

Imax Headline News

The Passion and NASCAR 3D Break Records

In only its third weekend, Mel Gibson's THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST (with vfx by Keith Vanderlaan's Captive Audience Prods.) passed MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING as the all-time indie box office champ, ringing in $32.1M for a total gross of $264.5M for Newmarket. That puts it fourth on the list of best third weekend performers, behind SPIDER-MAN, TITANIC, STAR WARS: EPISODE I -THE PHANTOM MENACE.

Headline News

Dragon Booster Flies Onto ABC Family & CBC

Alliance Atlantis Entertainment Group announced its has secured a U.S. broadcast deal with ABC Family in addition to a Canadian broadcast deal with CBC for its new childrens CGI animated property, DRAGON BOOSTER. ABC Family will begin airing the series on Saturdays and Sundays as part of its Jetix block in January 2005. Also set to debut in January 2005, DRAGON BOOSTER will air in CBCs after school block during the weekday and on Saturday mornings. The company also confirmed that other key markets would be finalized prior to MIP-TV.

Online Headline News

Sony Celebrates EverQuest 5th Anniversary with New Book Deal

As part of its celebration of the massive multiplayer online game EVERQUEST, Sony Online Entertainment Inc. has announced a deal with CDS Books that will bring the EVERQUEST universe to print in a series of novels edited by NEW YORK TIMES bestselling novelist R.A. Salvatore. The novels will be published several times a year (beginning with summer 2004) using a selection of characters and settings from the award-winning game.

Headline News

Phillipe Druillet's Nosferatu Comic Becomes CG Feature

Wolfland Pictures is in production on a CG feature based on Phillipe Druillet's post-apocalyptic graphic novel NOSFERATU. The comedic tale safe to Earth on the brink of destruction and its only hope is a bumbling vampire. Druillet, best known as one of the founders of HEAVY METAL magazine, will supervise the production. Jean Rochefort (MAN ON THE TRAIN) will voice the lead character. Wolfland previously produced 14 episodes of ARZAK RHAPSODY, which was created by Jean "Moebius" Giraud. In 1991, an English version of NOSFERATU was published by Dark Horse Comics.

Headline News

Yoram Gross Teams Coote/Hayes Prods In New Firm

Australian animation veteran Yoram Gross has teamed with L.A.-based production firm Coote/Hayes Prods. to form YG USA, reported VARIETY. The new firm has already inked a domestic television and homevideo deal with Miramax on the series FLIPPER & LOPAKA, which is set for release in July. Greg Coote and Jeff Hayes head Coote/Hayes Prods., whose executive Edward Olson will serve as president of YG USA. Olson will oversee the development of new projects and properties as well as promoting Gross' animation library in North and Latin America.

Film Headline News

Cartoon Movie Salutes 3 Studios

The sixth annual Cartoon Movie in Potsdam, Germany, paid tribute March 13, 2004 to A. Film, Folimage and Pathé Europe for significantly contributing to the success of the European feature animation industry. The event, set up by Cartoon in partnership with the European Media programme as a movie version of its successful Cartoon Forum meeting for animated series, brought together some 420 participants to focus on the fast-growing sector for European animated feature films.

Entertainment Headline News

Simpsons Season 4 Comes to DVD in June

The highest selling TV series on DVD will be returning in June. THE SIMPSONS SEASON FOUR DVD COLLECTION will arrive in stores on June 15, 2004 from Fox Home Entertainment. The collection will feature all 22 episodes from the fourth season (1992-1993) and include exclusive bonus material such as commentary on each episode, an introduction by Matt Groening, a voiceover featurette with James L. Brooks, an Animation Showcase multi-angle feature, animatics, commercials, deleted scenes and more. The four-disc set will have a suggested retail price of $49.98.

Show Headline News

Israel Gets South Park-Like Spoof of Al Qaeda

Producer/broadcaster Keshet Formats and will be producing the animated series MILITARY BASE 22 for its Israeli network Bip Comedy Channel, reports C21 Media. The company greenlit 10 episodes of the adult toon with a budget of $2 million. Beginning its run on March 21, 2004, the show is set in a secret nuclear missile base, run by a bunch of "stupid, almost criminal soldiers." Illi Edry, vp of business development at Keshet Formats, said, "It's very dark comedy, very edgy, very SOUTH PARK." Israeli CGI animation and post-production house Short Cuts will be handling the animation.

Film Headline News

Legendary Animation Educator Moritz Passes Away

AWN is saddened to report that legendary animation educator and historian Bill Moritz passed away on March 12, 2004 after suffering a long illness.

Dr. William Moritz is a world-renowned expert on animation, experimental film and visual music, and has authored more than 100 articles, chapters and program notes. His forthcoming book OPTICAL POETRY is the culmination of his 34 years of research and work with the Fischinger Archive. OPTICAL POETRY reveals fully his passion for the Fischinger legacy, and fully details his decades of archival work on the films.

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