Get your entries in now for the Film Expo Texas to be held June 21, 2003 at the Courtyard By Marriott in Houston, Texas. The Expo will feature contests, seminars, exhibitors, screenings and awards plus Hollywood insiders and film industry veterans and authors signing autographs. Deadline in Jun 7, 2003 for the following categories:
THE SCREENPLAY COMPETITION: Must be between 90-120 pages.Entry fee: $20.
Based on the popular comic strip, ASTERIX AND THE VIKINGS will boast a $25 million budget, making it the most expensive European animated feature in history, reported THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The film is an adaptation of a 1967 album, which has Vikings kidnapping little warrior Asterix, so they can learn fear, thus gaining the power to fly. The film will be completely financed by French firm M6 and Denmark's Stefan Fjeldmark (HELP, I'M A FISH) will helm the 75-minute film. Fjeldmark also co-wrote the script with Belgian Jean-Luc Goossens.
French studio Onyx Films has sold the U.S. distribution rights to its first animated feature, RENAISSANCE to Buena Vista Pictures, reported SCREEN DAILY. The film is an action/suspense flick with a mixture of CGI and re-worked black-and-white images. French firm Millimages will provide the animation for the $15 million production. Christian Volckman, who was nominated for an Oscar for his 1999 short, MAAZ, will direct the film. The film is still looking for further capital from the U.K., which is being negotiated at the Cannes Film Festival by Paris-based Arsan's Helene Sitbon. Independent producer Jake Eberts handled the deal with Disney. Pathe Distribution holds the French theatrical and video rights. Onyx is headed by Anton Soumache and is developing the live-action comedy LA JUNGLE and recently completed Djibril Glissant's urban live-action film LA BONNE ETOILE.
Go to camp, make a short film, is the mission of the upcoming Oregon3DSM Film Camp, August 17-29, 2003 in Portland, Oregon. Oregon3D Inc., The Center for Visualization Technologies, offers a two-week film school-style camp where the students create a short film as a group under the guidance of award-winning director Mike Wellins and Oregon3D's Discreet-certified flame compositor Phil Guzzo (both previously from Vinton Studios).
Newark, New Jersey-based IDT Media announced May 15, 2003 that its animation production unit, Digital Production Solutions (DPS), will acquire a 51% interest in Film Roman, Inc., a leading independent animation company, through the purchase of newly issued shares of Film Roman common stock. Film Roman produces the animation on the primetime hits THE SIMPSONS and KING OF THE HILL. IDT Media is a subsidiary of IDT Corp., a multinational carrier, telecommunications and technology company.
Following the success of the AEAF Awards in Sydney last December, organizers of the Australian Effects & Animation Festival (AEAF) have introduced a Short Film Festival to the Melbourne event (May 12-13) at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, Federation Square, Melbourne. The shorts festival will showcase some of the best digital and animated material submitted to the AEAF Awards 2002, as well as some new material that has been submitted solely for the purpose of screening in Melbourne.
The Visual Effects Society (VES) will hold a special one-day event, "Finding and Keeping a Job in Today's Visual Effects Industry," on May 17, 2003 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Los Angeles Film School in Hollywood. The day will feature four panel sessions to address employment issues specific to a particular segment of the visual effects industry:o Visual Effects for Feature Films hosted by Sony Pictures Imageworkso Computer Animated Feature Films hosted by DreamWorks o Visual Effects in the Game Industry hosted by Electronic Arts
Official Mail-By Deadline: February 15, 2003
CALL FOR ENTRIES 6th BROOKLYN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL http://www.brooklynfilmfestival.org April 28 - May 4, 2003 Competitive International film festival
Categories:- Feature - Experimental - Documentary - Short - Animation Awards: The overall festival winner will be awarded the "Grand Chameleon Award" (US$30,000 in services) Winners in each category will be awarded the "Chameleon" statuette Q&A sessions / Panel Discussions / Cybercast Venue: Brooklyn Museum of Art
The Swiss American Film Festival (SWISSAM)--Where Switzerland meets New Yorkis a celebration of emerging Swiss filmmakers that will make its New York debut this spring, April 25-27, 2003, at the Anthology Film Archives. SWISSAM intends to bring together the American and Swiss film communities, providing a platform for an open exchange of ideas and promoting business opportunities across the Atlantic.
Focusing exclusively on digital productions (no film allowed!) of six minutes or less, Six Minute Cinema opens the doors to thousands of aspiring screenwriters, actors, directors and producers who may not have access to the resources necessary to produce a feature film - but still have great stories to tell!
The World Health Organization's warning urging travelers to avoid unnecessary visits to Toronto because of the risk of contracting the SARS virus is having some adverse effects upon trade shows there. The Canadian Cable Television Assn. postponed its annual convention, which was to take place April 27-29, 2003. However, the SPROCKETS Toronto International Film Festival is still underway April 24-May 4, 2003. Publicity coordinator Susan Stafford reports general attendance is not down but the industry side was effected. "We have had a few calls from out-of-town visiting industry guests who are managing local travel restrictions and will not be able to join us. Sprockets events are very full and we are looking forward to another great festival for all the children and their families who love cinema," she said. SPROCKETS did have to cancel its Animation Master Class with Loyd Price from Aardman Animations.
Veteran Hollywood screenwriter Maurice Rapf who wrote DISNEY'S SONG OF THE SOUTH and co-founded the Writers Guild of America (WGA), died April 15, 2003 at the age of 88 in Hanover, New Hampshire. Rapf was the son of Harry Rapf, one of the MGM Studio pioneers. He appeared briefly as a child actor. While attending Dartmouth College he went on a summer trip to the USSR in 1934. He became active in politics and attended Communist Party functions. Rapf became a Hollywood writer of live-action features and later helped found the WGA.
An Annual Outdoor Film and Video Festival to celebrate the artistic and creative endeavors of individuals with different visions and levels of experience. There is no entery fee to enter and no applications to fill out. For complete details and a history of the festival visit: http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu/filmfest
Jon Hofferman reviews five short films fresh from the festival circuit: Autofoto by Avi Offer, The ErlKing by Ben Zelkowicz, Stefan Gruber's Leashlessness, Shh. by Adam Robb and Skin by Bobby de Groot. Includes QuickTime movie clips!
Roger Chouinard, owner and co-founder of Duck Soup Studios in Los Angeles, has renamed his studio DUCK to go with a new image and logo, as well as new developments in the creative and technical direction of the studio.
The Garden State Film Festival was founded to promote the art of filmmaking on all levels by providing a wide variety of film, video and animated works, as well as to provide educational programs in the creative arts to the public by industry leaders.
Deadline for entries is February 15, 2003 with categories: Feature Length, Documentary, animation in both short and feature length, student short, Music Video and commercials.
The event will take place April 11-13th at the Paramount Theater on the boardwalk in Asbury Park, NJ.
Method Fest Distribution & Acquisition PanelSunday, April 13 at 4:00 pm Burbank Media Center201 E. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank, CAmore info on www.methodfest.com
Sydney Levine (Film Finders) will moderate:
Joe Dickstein (VP Acquisitions for Mainline Releasing) Larry Greenberg (Dir. of Acq. for Showtime Kirk Harris (Dir. of Rogue Arts)Steve Rothenberg (Pres. Domestic Dist., Artisan) Tony Safford (Sr. VP Acquisitions for Fox Searchlight)
Karl F. Cohen continues his investigation into animation being used as a tool in the Cold War with this look at a selection of films produced in the 1950s.
The deadline for submissions to the AEAF Short Film Festival has been extended to April 22, 2003. The AEAF Short Film Festival will showcase a selection of films from Australia and around the world that show a high degree of innovation and mastery of digital film making techniques or computer-animation. To submit a film for consideration, please send a VHS tape (PAL) by end of business April 22 to The Festival Director, AEAF, PO Box 369, Strawberry Hills NSW 2012. The AEAF Short Film Festival will take place from 6:00pm on Monday, May 12 at the Australian Center for the Moving Image in Melbourne May 12-13, 2003. For more information and regulations, visit the Website at www.dmw.com.au or phone 61 2 9319 4277.
Celebrate the 15th anniversary of the groundbreaking live-action/animated classic WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT? by picking up the deluxe Vista Series 2-disc DVD set and an exclusive VHS bonus edition of the film available from Touchstone Home Ent. for the suggested retail price of $29.99 DVD and $19.99 VHS. Directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg, the landmark comedy mystery starred
ARIZONA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (April 3-13, 2003). the 12th edition of Arizona's premier film festival celebrates excellence and innovation in independent film and video. Festival 2003 is looking for new independent works from around the world to be a part of The Reel Frontier Film & Video Competition and the Indigenous Cinema showcase. Works must have been completed in 2002/2003 and be Arizona premieres. Categories include narrative features and shorts, documentary features and shorts, experimental and animation shorts.
One of the world's leading children's publishing events held each spring for publishers, authors and illustrators, literary agents, TV and film producers and many others involved in children's media. This year the show will again feature a TV/Film Rights Center with a website for password-holders only to check a continualhy-updated list of film rights available from the fair's exhibitors. Registered TV and film producers may alo add their properties to the site.
Create TV & Film Ltd., the newly-established independent production company formed earlier this year out of LEGO Media Internationals TV and film division, has defined its new management team and structure. Vanessa Chapman has become managing director of Create, as well as global controller, TV, film & strategy. Michael Carrington is now head of television and new media, responsible for providing creative, editorial and managerial leadership across the company's television and new media activities.
The North Sydney, Australia-based Kapow Pictures is taking its first animated series YAKKITY YAK the brainchild of KPs founder Mark Gravas to MIP-TV. The co-production with Canadas Studio B for kids 8-12 is already airing on Canada's TELETOON and has been sold to sold to TF1 (France) and Channel 10 (Australia). KP partner and executive producer Sandra Walters is presenting the 52x11 series at MIP. "Its a character-driven series, and its quirky by nature, she said. "That gives us license to reference reality, but to really push the boundaries," she said. Kapow (www.kapowpictures.com) has built its six-year-old reputation doing commercials for Kellogg's, Optus and Bonds, as well as pilots EGO FROM MARS and AGENT GREEN, which aired on Nickelodeon. The outfit made a big impact with its animated short film SHOW AND TELL, which was nominated for an AFI in 2002, and was named best short film at the Telluride Indie Fest and Most Popular Animated Film at Ausfest 2002. It followed on the heels of Kapows first short film, WYATT EARP, which won Best Animated Short in the Vancouver animation festival in 2000. WYATT EARP has since screened at more than 20 festivals, while Australian television rights have been bought by SBS.
Those who missed seeing SPIRITED AWAY in its brief, limited theatrical release in the U.S. have a new chance to see the Oscar-winning animated masterpiece by Hayao Miyazaki starting Friday, March 28, 2003. Buena Vista Pictures is releasing it to roughly 700 theaters (a Disney spokesperson said a final count will be available Thursday), leading up to its release on VHS and DVD on April 15. Dick Cook, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, said in a statement, " The film is far and away the most successful film to ever play in Japan and it has always been our desire to share this film with the widest possible audience here in the U.S. With this important Oscar recognition, the film will have the additional awareness and appeal needed to find a welcome reception. All of us at Disney are extremely proud to have had three of this year's nominees in the Best Animated Feature category and to have played a part in bringing the award-winning SPIRITED AWAY to moviegoers." SPIRITED AWAY, one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2002 and was selected by many leading journalists as one of their top 10 films of last year. Japan's biggest box office hit to date and the only Japanese film to win an Academy Award in full-length film category, the film has received the Annie Award from ASIFA-Hollywood and the Golden Bear Award from the Berlin Film Festival. It was also named best animated film by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the National Board of Review. The fantasy/adventure tale animated by Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli follows the quest of 10-year-old Chihiro, who must fend for herself as she encounters strange spirits, assorted creatures and a grumpy sorceress who seeks to prevent her from returning to the human world. Miyazaki is one of the most highly regarded directors/animators/comic artists in Japan and by U.S. filmmakers. Some of his other films include LAPUTA: CASTLE IN THE SKY (1986), MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (1988), KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE (1989), PORCO ROSSO (1992) and PRINCESS MONONOKE (1997).
