FILMS BY CHILDREN FOR CHILDREN, a production of Lola Kenya Screen, eastern Africa's first and only international audiovisual event for children and youth, beat 50 other films from 12 African nations to the trophy at the Fifth World Summit on Media and Children.
Activision Inc. has made GUITAR HERO II for the Xbox 360 available to retail stores nationwide.
During the past six months, more than 100 additional post-production facilities around the globe have adopted Autodesk Inc.'s film and television solutions running on the Linux operating system. The Autodesk Linux-based systems provide digital artists and editors with increased speed and interactivity.
Magma 2007Catania, Italy September 13-16, 2007Deadline: May 15, 2007
The winners of the 66th Annual Peabody Awards were announced by the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. The winners, chosen by the Peabody board as the best in electronic media for 2006, were named in a ceremony in the Peabody Gallery on the University of Georgia Campus.
Iridas announced the release of FrameCycler Professional 2007 and FrameCycler Digital Daily System 2007. Both applications are available on the Mac, Windows and Linux platforms. The new versions offer a more intuitive interface and numerous functionality enhancements. In addition, Iridas' DualStream stereoscopic technology is now available for all FrameCycler applications.
Sparrowhawk Media, DIC Ent. and Corus Ent. Inc.s Nelvana Enterprises have created a strategic joint venture to launch KidsCo, a multi-platform global television channel for children and families. The first launch of KidsCo is anticipated this fall in central and eastern Europe with subsequent premieres throughout 2008 and 2009 in approximately 40 territories across Europe, Latin America and Asia Pacific.
Continuing to accelerate its worldwide marketing and branding objectives across its multiple divisions, Donna Hardwick has joined PorchLight Ent. in the newly created post of vp, marketing and promotions. Hardwick is responsible for the marketing and branding strategies on a multileveled corporate, divisional and product platform, including the company's major children's brands, JAY JAY THE JET PLANE, TUTENSTEIN and ANIMALIA, scheduled to debut on public television next year.
NVIDIA has announced the launch of the NVIDIA Gelato Image Contest in India, a competition encouraging artists and animators in Bollywood to push the boundaries of 3D, animation and rendering with NVIDIA Gelato film rendering software.
Artists and designers living in India are welcome to compete by submitting images rendered with Gelato rendering software that reflect and highlight the distinct and unique culture, history and traditions of India.
Susan Sarandon and John Goodman are in talks to play the parents of the title character in SPEED RACER, which will be played by Emile Hirsch, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The live-action adaptation of the TV anime will be written and directed by THE MATRIX's Larry and Andy Wachowski.
Created by Tatsuo Yoshida, the series chronicles the exploits of young racecar driver, Speed (Hirsch) as he jets out in his gadget-filled Mach 5 vehicle. Goodman will play Pops, the builder of the Mach 5, while Sarandon will play the matriarchal leader of the racing team.
John Cusack has signed on to replace Christian Slater as the title character in Exodus Film Group's feature IGOR. Exodus also announced that WILL & GRACE's Emmy and SAG award winning actor Sean Hayes has also joined the cast as Igor's sidekick Brian The Brain.
"John and Sean are both terrific actors and ideally cast in their roles," said IGOR director, Tony Leondis. "We couldn't be more excited to have them join an already fantastic voice cast."
Universal Pictures Int'l Ent. has just bought the international DVD rights to the first 52-episode season of BERNARD. This deal for producer BRB Internacional represents the first time that the Spanish company has entered into such a wide-ranging alliance covering so many countries. Universal has also acquired mobile rights to BERNARD in the U.K.
Not so long ago, auto insurance company Geico and ad agency The Martin Agency approached animation and effects company Framestore NY to draw on the 3D talents behind such projects as WALKING WITH DINOSAURS, DINOTOPIA and HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE and "reinterpret" the already-beloved Geico Gecko mascot.
Elbert Tuganov, the father of Estonian animation, died on March 22, 2007. He was 87.
Tuganov was actually born in Baku, Azerbaijan (1920), and began his animation career in Germany. When Hitler took power, Tuganov returned to Estonia.
You can find the program for fmx/07, the 12th International conference on Animation, Effects, Realtime and Content, online at the website. The Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart will once again host the international digital community from May 1-4.
Highlights include:
Player X is now the exclusive distributor for Aardman Animations' premium mobile video content in North America. Player X will launch Aardman classic content, such as WALLACE & GROMIT, ANGRY KID and CREATURE COMFORTS on two of the U.S.'s major carrier networks for starters.
Canadian animation production and distribution studio, 9 Story Ent., has started production on two new children's animated properties, a comedy, BEST ED, and an action/comedy, FUTZ! In addition, the company will complete production on additional episodes of four critically-acclaimed animated series: PEEP AND THE BIG WIDE WORLD (Season 3), MAX AND RUBY (Season 3) POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER (Season 2) and SKYLAND (Season 1).
E. Natatcha Estebanez, series producer for PBS' POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER, passed away from the complications of a metastasized sarcoma on March 15, 2007, reports the Big Cartoon Database. She was 45. Previously, she survived battles with Hodgkin's disease and breast cancer.
In 2005 and 2006, she was part of the team nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards in the category of Outstanding Children's Series for POSTCARDS FROM BUSTER.
Angelina Jolie has been hired to star in Universal Pictures' bigscreen adaptation of the graphic novel, WANTED, reports VARIETY. James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman have already signed on and NIGHT WATCH director Timur Bekmambetov will helm.
McAvoy (LAST KING OF SCOTLAND) plays a young man who soon after learning his dad is an assassin, discovers that his father has been murdered. Jolie will take on the role of an assassin who educates the youth man in the ways of an assassin.
DEF JAM: ICON is among a host of new titles that have been recently release by Electronic Arts. Other new releases include: BATTLEFIELD 2142: NORTHERN STRIKE, MEDAL OF HONOR COLLECTION and three new sports titles.
J. D. Beaufils joins PorchLight Ent. as vp, international sales. Based in Los Angeles, he will work closely with Adam Wright, PorchLight's svp, international sales. His territories include key European and Asian territories.
"J.D. 's extensive experience in contracts and sales throughout the international marketplace makes him the right addition to the PorchLight sales team as we continue to grow its acquisition and distribution venues," Wright said.
ShoWest has named Chris Miller and Raman Hui ShoWest "Animation Directors of the Year." They will be presented with their award at ShoWest's closing night ceremony on March 15, 2007, at Bally's and Paris Las Vegas.
"With their innovative work on SHREK and SHREK 2, Chris Miller and Raman Hui have continually raised the bar for animated features and helped DreamWorks Animation become one of the leaders in animated comedy," said by Mitch Neuhauser, co-managing director of the event underway, March 12-15, in Las Vegas.
Eustace Lycett, a 43-year Disney veteran who won Academy Awards for his special photographic effects in MARY POPPINS and BEDKNOBS AND BROOMSTICKS, passed away on Nov. 16, 2006. He died of natural causes at Park Vista at Morningside Nursing Home in Fullerton, California. He was 91.
DORA THE EXPLORER is reaching for the stars as Nick Jr. premieres a new half-hour episode entitled, "Star Mountain" on March 12. 2007, at 9:00 am on Nick Jr. and will encore later in the week on Friday, March 16 at 9:00 am. The new episode offers viewers lessons on numbers and colors in Spanish, as they journey along with Dora, Boots and the Tres Estrellas Exploradoras (Three Explorer Stars). Nick Jr. Video offered an "instant replay" of the full episode at 2:00 pm on March 12.
NVIDIA Corp. announced the release of Gelato 2.1, the high-quality, GPU-accelerated rendering software, which now includes support for Joe Alter's Shave and a Haircut software for CG hair and fur effects. Other enhancements in this newest release of Gelato include support for Autodesk Maya 8.5 and 3ds Max 9.0, improved stereo rendering, fog lights and significant performance improvements.
