Category: Awards

AIFF artistic director Buzz Schwall announced the winners of the audience awards and director Meni Tsirbas THE FREAK was presented with the best short film prize. This marks the 18th such honor for the CGI short, which also won awards at the Palm Springs Film Festival and the 2003 Sundance Film Festival.

THE FREAK is in pre-production as a feature with The Hatchery. Tsirbas follow up effort, TERRA, has collected 12 awards including Best Animation at the USA Film Festival.

More information is available at www.menithings.com.

Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced his annual selection of 25 motion pictures to be added to the National Film Registry. This group of titles brings the total number of films placed on the registry to 400.

Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television handed out its Gemini awards for television on Dec. 13, 2004. DOODLEZ took home the Best Animated Series prize. Producer Gretha Rose was present the award,

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the seven films being considered for Achievement in Visual Effects for the 77th Academy Awards.

The films in consideration are listed below in alphabetical order:

* THE AVIATOR* THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW* HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN

The 2005 Slamdance Film Festival (Jan. 21-28, 2005 in Park City, Utah) announced its lineup of short films, including a new animation jury competition and a short filmmaking challenge.

The Mystery Inc. gang has entered the Guinness Book of World Records with the most cartoon comedy episodes aired on television. A total of 349 episodes of SCOOBY-DOO have aired in 160 different countries worldwide since its debut Sept. 13, 1969. The series will be listed in Guinness' 2006 edition.

The series has spawned a number of different cartoon series, including: SCOOBY AND SCRAPPY DOO (1979); THE NEW SCOOBY-DOO MYSTERIES (1984); THE 13 GHOSTS OF SCOOBY DOO (1985); A PUP NAMED SCOOBY DOO (1988) and the current WHAT'S NEW SCOOBY-DOO? (2002).

Several American film critics groups picked Brad Birds THE INCREDIBLES and Zhang Yimous HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS as their top flicks of 2004.

The L.A. Film Critics awarded the Pixar powerhouse Best Animation and Best Music Score, which went to Michael Giacchino. On the visual effects front, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS knifed Best Foreign-Language Film and received a runner-up nod for Huo Tingxiaos cinematography.

On Dec, 6, 2004, the Sundance Institute announced its lineup of short films for 2005. Out of 3,887 submissions, 82 flicks were chosen 10 of which are animated.

The animated shorts include:

9 (Director: Shane Acker)A BUCK'S WORTH (Director: Tatia Rosenthal)THE MEANING OF LIFE (Director: Don Hertzfeldt)MOTEL (Director: Thor Freudenthal)THE BIRTHDAY / Finland (Director: Kari Juusonen)FALLEN ART / Poland (Director: Tomek Baginski)IT'S LIKE THAT / Australia (Director: Southern Ladies Animation Group)