Europe

Milch & The District! Win Ottawa

The 2005 Ottawa International Animation Festival announced the winners of the official competition during its closing ceremonies held this evening at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. Following the award presentations, attendees enjoyed the Best of the Festival film screening that showcased the award winning films.

MERCURY FILMWORKS GRAND PRIZE FOR ANIMATED FEATURE THE DISTRICT! (NYOCKER!)/ Aron Gauder/ Hungary"for its visual innovation, energetic style, and fearless satire of contemporary culture and politics."

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Cartoon Headline News

JoJo in the Stars Wins 2005 Cartoon D'Or

The 2005 Cartoon d'Or has been awarded to Marc CRASTE of the U.K. for his short, JOJO IN THE STARS.

The Cartoon d'Or winner receives 15,000 euros from MEDIA as a pre-production aid to begin a more ambitious project like a feature film or a TV special. The prize was awarded on Sept. 24, 2005, at the closing night of the 16th Cartoon Forum held in Kolding, Denmark.

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Headline News

New X-Men & Spider-Man Games Arrive in Stores

Marvel Ent. and Activision have released the latest games based on the X-MEN and SPIDER-MAN comics.

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Film Headline News

Lion, Witch and Wardrobe to Premiere at Royal Albert Hall

The world premiere of Walt Disney Pictures/Walden Media's THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE will take place Dec. 7 at Londons Royal Albert Hall in the presence of TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. Chosen as the prestigious 2005 Royal Film Performance, the premiere is a fundraising event in aid of the Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund. The movie opens Dec. 9 in the U.S.

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Animation Headline News

e frontier and Bauhaus Software Form Distribution Partnership

e frontier America Inc., a leading publisher of multimedia software, and Bauhaus Software Inc., a leading provider of 2D animation and special effects tools, announced a wide-ranging distribution agreement for Bauhaus Mirage 2D animation system. Combining e frontiers distribution capacity with the strength of the Mirage animation platform will allow both companies to target a broader end-user base, reach new vertical markets, and deliver immense value to both freelancers and professional graphics studios.

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Film Headline News

Double Negative Does VFX for Pride & Prejudice

Jane Austens classic novel PRIDE & PREJUDICE, one of the greatest and most memorable battles of the sexes ever portrayed in literature, has been enhanced for its latest cinematic release by leading London visual effects house Double Negative.

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Series Headline News

Mike Young Prods. Dives Into Int’l Co-Prod. 3D CG-Animated Series

Mike Young Productions dives into intl co-production DIVE! OLLY! DIVE!, a 3D CGI 52x11 series targeted at kids 4-7. Indigenous versions of the show will be created for individual markets.

DIVE! OLLY! DIVE!, created by two U.K.-based Liverpudlians, Ian and Andrew Ross, the show will be a co-production of Mike Young Productions UK Ltd., Yoram Gross Australia, KIKA of Germany, Telegael of Ireland, Taffy Ent. and Moonscoop of France.

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Series Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

VFXWORLD continues its TV coverage with how 3ds Max was used creatively on IFCs new animated series, HOPELESS PICTURES. Barbara Robertsons informative Q&A with Kim Lee of World Away Prods. reveals how and why the animation team incorporated the popular Autodesk software. Meanwhile, Sharon Adcock just returned from IBC 2005 in Amsterdam and reports on how DI is exploding throughout Europe and how data-centric workflow has become the new mantra.

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Cartoon Headline News

Cartoon Forum Kolding Attracts Record Attendees

The 16th Cartoon Forum, which takes place Sept. 21-25, 2005, in Kolding, Denmark, has a record number of broadcasters and investors expected to attend 101 television buyers and co-producers and 147 investors, video distributors and financiers. This co-production forum, which is dedicated to the financing of European animation programs for television, was first held in 1990 in Lanzarote, Spain.

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Production Headline News

Bridgepoint to Merge with Marathon

European private equity firm Bridgepoint Capital has signed a merger deal with Marathon, which will create a major new production and distribution group in France, reports C21 and was confirmed by Bridgepoint Capital (which also owns production giant All3Media).

Bridgepoint's French division, Financière Héra (Finhera), has been pursuing Marathon. Finhera is lead by Eric Licoy, previously a top executive at Vivendi Universal when Jean-Marie Messier was ceo.

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Disney Headline News

Alison Homewood to Head HIT’s TV Distribution

Alison Homewood has joined HIT Entertainment as evp, worldwide television distribution. Based in the companys London office, her focus will be on global TV licensing and co-production of existing brands such as BOB THE BUILDER, THOMAS & FRIENDS, PINGU, BARNEY and ANGELINA BALLERINA, as well as the development of further TV content.

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Series Headline News

BRB Launches Khudayana at Cartoon Forum

BRB Internacional has launched its newest 3D toon-shaded animation project KHUDAYANA. The series was created in BRBs own Barcelona studios and will be presented for the first time at Cartoon Forum, which takes place on the Sept. 21-24, 2005, in Denmark. The series has already aroused the interest of major television networks around the world, with Jetix Spain supporting its launch.

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Headline News

McFarlane Toys to Haunt Toy Shelves With Corpse Bride Figures

McFarlane Toys will put a chill in the air this fall creating many products from TIM BURTON'S CORPSE BRIDE. The film honors the dark, romantic tradition of Burton's EDWARD SCISSORHANDS and THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS as it follows the path of Victor, a fidgeting groom who is taken from his own wedding and married to a Corpse Bride in the underworld.

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Film Headline News

Chomets' Studio Draws Animators to Scotland

French-born Sylvain Chomet and his producer wife Sallys studio in Edinburgh, Scotland is creating an influx of animators to the city, reports SCOTLAND ON SUNDAY. Django Films is set to hire up to 250 artists to work on the two feature projects.

The first film is THE ILLUSIONIST, a £10m animated being funded by Pathé Pictures. A second project is in the works with Universal for a computer-animated feature titled, THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX.

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Films Headline News

CG Pinky & Perky Goes Into Development

Lupus Films and Picture Production Co. (PPC) has started development on PINKY & PERKY, a new CGI series. The plot of the series will center on two Laurel & Hardy-liked brothers who are the hottest trotters in town. They have to overcome their differences once they are given their own live childrens TV show full of mad games, wild cartoons, gunge tanks and top celebrity guests.

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Series Headline News

Planet Nemo Pitches Bali Series at Cartoon Forum

Indie kids media company Planet Nemo has announced details of its first production. The company has teamed up with Canada-based Subsequence Ent. to co-produce a new preschool series called BALI, which will be pitched at Cartoon Forum Kolding, Sept. 21-24, 2005.

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Festival Headline News

Animation Block Party Awards Prizes

On Sept. 15, 2005, Animation Block Party ended the sweltering NYC summer with a festival that featured more than 60 short films in three September screenings at BAM Rose Cinemas in Brooklyn. Animations from Canada, Australia and Europe meshed well with the top festival films from the U.S. The genres featured were diverse, ranging from stop-motion to experimental films, personal narrative work, music videos and gross-out humor.

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Production Headline News

Gene-Fusion Animated Feature Gets Underway in Ireland

Pre-production has begun on the animated action/adventure feature, GENE-FUSION, it was announced today, Sept. 15, 2005, by producers Banjax Studios, pop 6, and Beckett Entertainment Inc. announced today. The film for TV/DVD and theatrical release in selected territories will be delivered in late 2006 with a 26x30 series to following 2007.

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Game Headline News

Activision Releases Poker, Hunting & Pool Games

Activision has a host of sporting games with WORLD SERIES OF POKER, CABELA'S OUTDOOR ADVENTURES and THE HUSTLE: DETROIT STREETS.

WORLD SERIES OF POKER is the official videogame of the World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournament. Set around the main table at the Rio Casino in Las Vegas, the game authentically captures all of the high-stakes action from the likeness and play styles of renowned pros like Chris "Jesus" Ferguson and 14 other top poker players to the accurate recreation of the WSOP poker room, down to the carpet and the wallpaper.

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Animation Headline News

Chinese Cartoon Festival Invites U.S. Participation

The Changsha Cartoon Art Festival, which serves as the Academy Awards for Chinese animation, and a growing annual gathering of international animation companies and festivals, is welcoming American participation.

Sander K. Johnson, president of International Television for Asia (ITA) and American Television in China (ATC), has been authorized by the Organizing Committee of the Changsha Cartoon Art Festival to help facilitate North American participation in the festival taking place Nov. 5-7, 2005, in Changsha, China.

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Licensing Headline News

Alliance Atlantis Taps Int’l Licensing Agents for Lunar Jim

Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. has appointed BBC Worldwide (U.K.), m4e (Germany) and ABC (Australia) licensing agents for new children's stop-motion animated property, LUNAR JIM. Each of the licensing agents, working alongside master toy licensee, Fisher-Price, will oversee the licensing program, including securing new licenses and managing product launches, in their respective territories.

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International Headline News

Children’s TV Highlighted at Prix Jeunesse International 2006

Prix Jeunesse International 2006 Munich, GermanyMay 510, 2006 Deadline: December 12, 2005

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Games Headline News

King Kong, Zelda & NintenDogs Win at GC

GC, a leading gaming event in Leipzig, Germany, wrapped up with its Best of GC awards. The jury of experts reviewed 102 nominated games and chose the best brand-new game of the fair in nine categories (eight platforms plus the most innovative product). The following games were awarded the Best of GC seal, which they can use from now on for their own publicity:

PC - F.E.A.R. (Vivendi Universal Games Deutschland GmbH)GameBoy - FIRE EMBLEM SACRED STONES (Nintendo)Nintendo DS - NINTENDOGS (Nintendo)

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Festival Headline News

VES Announces eDIT 8. Festival Highlights

The Visual Effects Society (VES) announced the schedule of events for eDIT 8. The Filmmakers Festival, taking place in Frankfurt, Germany, from Oct. 911, 2005. Focusing on storytelling in the digital age, eDIT 8 will feature more than 40 different presentations covering a wide range of production aspects, including editing, writing, digital cinema, sound design, producing, visual effects in commercials, television design and much more.

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Festival Headline News

Roma Independent Film Fest Calls for Entries

2006 Roma Independent Film FestivalRome, ItalyMarch 24-31, 2006Deadline: December 15, 2005,

After the success of the fourth edition, the Roma Independent Film Festival with the support of the Directorate for Cultural Policies of the City of Rome and with the contribution of the Ministry for Cultural Activities (DGC) and of the Lazio Region is becoming an important appointment for independent cinema, on a national and international level.

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