Manga Entertainment Inc. has signed an agreement with Starz for 13 of Manga's Anime films. The films will be featured on Starz's non-stop X-citement ACTION channel. The titles include GHOST IN THE SHELL, PATLABOR 1, PATLABOR 2, BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE, PERFECT BLUE, STREET FIGHTER IIV, BLACK MAGIC M-66, MACROSS II: LOVERS AGAIN, MACROSS PLUS, NEW DOMINION TANK POLICE, SHADOW SKILL and X.
Nokia and Electronic Arts (EA) announced that THE SIMS: BUSTIN' OUT is in development for the N-Gage game deck. THE SIMS fans will be able to create their own characters and take them anywhere, while on the move and interacting with the mobile community. THE SIMS: BUSTIN' OUT on the N-Gage platform will have exclusive objects, as well as unique "mini games" where players can earn extra Simoleons.
David Wollos, partner of Entertainment Media Consultants will be on hand at NATPE representing a number of properties, including the animation catalog for TeleImages in France.
TeleImages properties include: JULES VERNES AMAZING JOURNEYS, NORMAL NORMAL, THE ROKEN PUPPET, THE POISONED PRESENT, LOULOU, A GIFT FOR SELIM, THE MONEYBOX ANGEL and SEASIDE HTOEL.
Headlining the properties represented, are a number of popular childrens/young adult books including:
FX has hired former Jersey Television president and partner John Landgraf as president of entertainment. At FX, he will oversee of all development and production for original programming including series, films and new media.
Peter Liguori, president and ceo, FX Networks, said, "John Landgraf is the perfect fit for FX and a great addition to the network. I'm excited about working with someone of John's impeccable reputation and great programming instincts, and I'm confident that he will be an excellent creative partner."
Responding to growing demand for short-form post-production services in Hollywood, Encore Hollywood has brought on board Mike Cosola, a colorist with broad experience in commercials.
Mike Cosola is one of the industrys most experienced colorists in the commercial market, said Encore HollywoodÊ sales exec Griffin Guess. He helps to strengthen Encores position as a pillar in the commercial market.
Stargate Digital, the visual effects studio based in Pasadena, Californa, has opened a new facility, Stargate Digital UK, at London's historic Pinewood Studios.
The new high-speed, deep storage digital facility is modeled after Stargate's growing and groundbreaking Los Angeles and Vancouver studios. All three studios will be linked via a state-of-the art high-speed, high-resolution digital network and will be able to quickly and efficiently work on projects and pool talent.
Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 2004San Diego, California, USAJuly 23, 2004Deadline: March 12, 1004
HypeFest Screenplay CompetitionHollywood, California, USAJuly 2004Deadline: April 1, 2004
HypeFest has unveiled its Screenplay Competition. The festival is now accepting original short film screenplays (length 1-60 pages). Entrants must send a completed, signed entry form with each submission, which is available online at www.hypefest.com. Screenplays must not have been previously optioned, purchased, or produced. Prizes will be provided by The Writer's Store in Los Angeles. The entry fee is $25.
Dahlonega International Film Festival, DIFFDahlonega, Georgia, USASeptember 2-5, 2004 Deadline: May 15, 2004
The Dahlonega International Film Festival, the DIFF, is unique as it brings together the concept of a totally filmmaker-friendly festival. DIFF strives to be at the forefront in exhibiting works from emerging artisans who have been ignored by the more conventional exhibiting venues. For more information, visit www.diff.tv.
Following its very successful BIONICLE: MASK OF LIGHT release ($25M), Miramax Home Ent. has acquired the North American distribution rights to IN SEARCH OF SANTA, a new 3D-animated feature co-produced by Tundra Prods. and Colorland Animation Prods.
Turbo Squid's Stitch has been updated and renamed clothfx as a new Discreet-certified 3ds max plug-in. clothfx provides users with a multitude of advanced tools necessary to create realistic fabrics and tailor-made clothing for their characters and creatures.
TeamWorks Digital recently completed work on Warner Bros.' TORQUE, the hyper-real motorcycle racing film that opens Jan. 16. "TORQUE is a project that enabled us to provide constant input to the visual effects of the show," says TeamWorks Digital owner David Allen. "We contributed in such a way that translated the director's unique style and vision to the screen." TORQUE is directed by music video honcho Joseph Kahn, making his first feature film debut.
Final Draft, Inc., publisher of Final Draft, the top-selling scriptwriting software, and Entertainment Partners, publisher of the Movie Magic production software product line, will be previewing new software at Booth 1174 at the NATPE show from Jan. 18-20, 2004.
Final Draft will be previewing Tagger, which enables a user to break down a Final Draft script into its various elements (components). The tagged script can then be exported into Entertainment Partners' Movie Magic and EP Scheduling software. Final Draft and Final Draft AV software will also be demonstrated.
Buena Vista International Television has an original new animated show to sell at NATPE 2004, DISNEYS DAVE THE BARBARIAN, which debuts at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 23, 2004 on the Disney Channel. Produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, the 21x30 comedy series was created by Doug Langdale.
Reassured that major American studios are back at NATPE, TV France International (TVFI) will be at the market with 15 French production and distribution companies, including 21 foreign sales executives.
Grace Animation Studios ceo Christopher Turner is assembling a production team to produce 26 new animated half-hour series of the THE AVENGING APES OF AFRICA (AAoA) for worldwide distribution. Grace will be showing a promo and first episode of the series at NATPE.
THE AVENGING APES OF AFRICA is an exciting action/adventure series for kids 6-12, where five transmuted ape brothers, and their exploration friends span the globe protecting and defending all animals of the world from the dreaded Mr. Harry B. Richborne and his worldwide band of pitiless poachers.
GDC Entertainment Ltd. will be showcasing, at booth 1271, its recently completed CGI feature, THRU THE MOEBIUS STRIP, funded and produced entirely in China.
Exec producer and ceo of GDC (Global Digital Creations) Raymond Neoh will be on hand to take attendees from the MOEBIUS concept he optioned from renowned illustrator Jean Moebius Giraud only a few years ago through the production steps at GDC's IDMT studio in Shenzhen. The 74-minute movie is also being developed as a TV series.
ValCom Inc. is presenting the 3D animation series, NEW ZOO REVUE at NATPE 2004 at booth 473. The original people-in-suits series debuted in syndication in the U.S. in 1971 and reached more than 100 million viewers.
Vince Vellardita and Barbara Atlas are co-exec producing the project with Dotan Koskas serving as animation producer and co-producton partner O Atlas Enterprises. The musical show follows the adventures of Charlie the Owl, Henrietta Hippo, Freddie the Frog, Freeda the Frog and humans like Mr Dingle, Doug and Emmy-Jo.
ASTRO BOY has zoomed back into action in the U.S. on Kids WB! with 25 all new anime adventures that debuted Jan. 17, 2004 at 8:30 am ET and 7:30 am PT. The day also marked the fourth season of STATIC SHOCK (11:30 am ET and 10:30 am PT) with 13 new episodes. STATIC SHOCK is also part of the weekday lineup, airing in its new 3:30 pm slot.
Cybergraphix Animation recently announced its co-production agreement with Mumbai-based Animation Bridge and Padmalaya Telefilms for 26 half-hours of its action-adventure series GUARDIANS OF LUNA, which it will be bringing to NATPE.
Pixologic's ZBrush 1.5 software received GAME DEVELOPER magazine's sixth annual Front Line Award for Excellence and Innovation in Tools for Game Development. Selected by a panel of industry-leading game developers, ZBrush 1.5 receives this award in the art category based on criteria such as utility, innovation, value and ease of use.
The National Film Board of Canada will be at NATPE this year with NOËL NOËL, an animated Christmas special narrated by Leslie Nielsen, that revives the great tradition of children's fairy tales.
The title character in this whimsical half-hour is a misguided billionaire, who falls in love with Beatrice, a bespectacled fairy who prefers words of love to rivers of diamonds. Thanks to little Zoey, her dog Snooze and a blue-eyed reindeer, Noel Noël finally realizes that money doesn't bring happiness, and that to be happy, you have to listen to your heart.
In its debut as a NATPE exhibitor, Playhut Entertainment, the entertainment and programming subsidiary of toy manufacturer Playhut Inc., will introduce buyers to Chinamation, five new series featuring the distinctive artistic style of China's top independent animators and premiere the pilot episode of its first animated pre-school series, LITTLE SIGNZ.
Playhuts branded Chinamation properties are DECHENG, WAY OF THE WARRIORS, LITTLE MONK, MIGHTY BUNCH and BIRD ISLAND.
DIC Entertainment (DIC) will be bringing four new STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE specials, two SABRINA, THE TEENAGE WITCH series and a sneak peek at the new TV series STAN LEE'S SUPER 7 to NATPE at booth 1246.
