Geographical Region: South America

NEMO is swimming up the stream of nominees for the 2003 Hollywood Movie of the Year Awards to be held Oct. 20, 2003 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills. The Hollywood Film Festival's board of advisors announced the nominations in all categories, which are available at www.hollywoodfilmfestival.com.

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) continues to expand its global cable and satellite networks portfolio with the launch next month of AXN in six European countries -- Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria. As part of that expansion, Tom Davidson has been named new network's gm, based in Budapest, according to Darren Childs, svp of international networks, Sony Pictures Television International (SPTI).

KING OF THE HILL has shown it is one of the top cats of primetime animation, receiving an early pickup from Fox Broadcasting Co. for a ninth season, guaranteeing the Texas toon a run through May 2005. The series, which airs Sundays in the U.S. at 7:30 pm on FOX, is in production on the 2003-2004 season, which premieres later this fall.

SplutterFish, a high-end 3D rendering software solutions provider, has appointed Gary Meyer to the new position of director of worldwide sales and marketing. Meyer will handle SplutterFish's sales and marketing efforts in the company's core film, broadcast and visualization markets. His responsibilities will also include the expansion and development of the company's reseller and channel networks as well as direct sales for the company's award-winning Brazil Rendering System and other software products.

Family programming veteran Bob Higgins has been appointed svp, programming and development for Cartoon Network's kids businesses. The former Sony Pictures Family Entertainment exec will manage Cartoon Network's development, production and programming departments, plus oversee new original animated series, shorts, features and specials created in the network's Burbank studio and with various external production partners. He will also supervise acquisitions of off-net kids' programming, including anime and theatricals from domestic and international sources for Cartoon Network, U.S.