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Headline News

UTV Signs $65M Toon Deal With Funbag

India-based UTV Toons, a division of UTV Group a media and entertainment company, has signed a US$65 million deal with Ottawa-based Funbag Animation to produce nine animated series. Funbag will produce 26-episodes of each program over the next 3 years. Both companies will own all global merchandising rights. "This deal clearly puts India on the global map for animation," said UTV Group chairman Ronnie Screwvala. Recently, UTV produced JASON AND THE HEROES OF MOUNT OLYMPUS for Fox/Saban, co-produced KONG with BKN and co-produced FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE with Funbag.

Channel Headline News

Lycos Launches Three Toon Net-works

Lycos becomes the first major Internet portal to launch a programmed video network with tv.lycos.com. Three of the twelve channels will feature animated content. The first of the channels presents Mondo Media's Webtoons LIKE, NEWS and THUGS ON FILM. The second channel presents Animation Express' Net series WENCHELL BOGUM, BULBO, MR. MAN, SEX SLAVE and FATMAN, which is produced by Honkworm International. The final channel broadcasts Animation Express shorts like SLEEP ELUSIVE and THE BUS STOP. Lycos plans to launch more Webcasters in the upcoming months.

Events Headline News

More Additions To AWN's Calendar Of Events

This week's updates to the Calendar

of Events is massive! AWN is now

listing over 70 international events, from major festivals to lesser

known events such as the 10th Annual Sensual & Erotic Art Exhibition

(USA), The 7th Annual Chicago Underground Film Festival (USA) and the

10th International Symposium on Electronic Art (France). With

multiple search capabilities, AWN's new calendar of events gives you

Internet Headline News

Millimages Moves To The Net

Millimages, a France-based animation production house, has opened a new Internet production division. The Flash produced products will be targeting a teen and adult audience. The company will create a minimum of fifty 20 second to 2 minute episodes per season. The animation firm with locations in London and Paris hopes to create content that converges television and the Web. Millimages is currently working on the development of 12 original Net series, some of which are co-productions with companies such as Magma Films (Ireland) and Happylife (Sweden).

Headline News

Fox Family Needs New Head

Fox Family Channel will be shopping for a new head now that president

and CEO Rich Cronin has stepped down from his post. Awaiting the

announcement of Cronin's replacement, programming and marketing

decisions will go through exec VP and Fox Kids general manager

Maureen Smith. Before coming to Fox Family from Viacom, Cronin was

locked up in a breach of contract suit with his former employers.

Once clear of his Viacom commitment, Cronin took Fox Family's reins

Disney Headline News

Disney's Toysmart Newest Site To Go Offline

On Monday, May 22, 2000, The Walt Disney Co. announced that its majority-owned Toysmart.com has gone off-line. Disney purchased 60% of the e-commerce site for educational toys in August for an estimated US$50 million. Disney execs, which made up 3/5s of the board, decided to shut down operations after a new round of financing was denied. One hundred-ten of the remaining employees were laid off. In April, 205,000 Web surfers visited the site compared to 1.3 million for Toysrus.com and 1 million for EToys said Media Metrix.

Animation Headline News

ASTERISK* Animation Arrives In Australia

Phillip Bowman and Malcolm McGookin have formed a new animation house in Brisbane, Australia called ASTERISK* Animation. Bowman will serve as executive producer and McGookin as producer and director. Bowman has vast experience in both live-action production and animated television series. His credits include ABC network's LIZZIE'S LIBRARY and KITU AND WOOF. McGookin first started his animation career on the Cosgrove Hall shows COUNT DUCKULA and DANGERMOUSE. Afterwards, McGookin moved on to writing and directing AVENGER PENGUINS and TABALUGA in the U.K and Australia.

Animation Headline News

Axis Animation New CGI Lab In The UK

Four of the U.K.'s leading CGI artists, Richard Scott, Graham McKenna, Stuart Aitken and Dana Dorian, together with Scottish new media group VIS Interactive PLC, have launched Axis Animation, a high-end 3D and digital post-production facility based in Glasgow, Scotland. Axis' focus will target the advertising, broadcast, film and computer game markets for animation and visual effects. The four founders were the core team at award-winning digital content creators Digimania.

Entertainment Headline News

Web's 7th Portal Rides At Amusement Parks

Paramount Parks and Stan Lee Media, Inc., in association with Blur Studio, have teamed up to create "Stan Lee's 7th Portal 3D Simulation Experience." This deal marks the first time an Internet property has been turned into a location-based entertainment experience. The project is scheduled to debut at all U.S.-based Paramount Parks in spring 2001. Under the pact, Paramount will sell branded merchandise and provide links between its own Web sites and those of Stan Lee Media. The attraction will also be distributed to a worldwide network of simulation theaters by Iwerks Entertainment.

Film Headline News

Mill Film Lands Tomb Raider Visual Effects

London-based feature film visual effects company Mill Film has been assigned the principal visual effects for the highly anticipated Paramount Pictures' TOMB RAIDER. Directed by Simon West (CON AIR, THE GENERAL'S DAUGHTER), the live-action feature film is inspired by the popular interactive video game of the same name. Principal photography is scheduled to start at Pinewood Studios this summer.

Headline News

ASIFA-Hollywood Life-Drawing Workshops

* Wednesdays from May 24 - December 13, 2000. Glendale, California, U.S.A.

ASIFA-Hollywood and Glendale Community College are offering life-drawing workshops. The workshop offers live models in pose from one to fifteen minutes in duration, about forty poses per session. Professional assistance is available from the workshop supervisor. The classes run from 7 to 10 pm. The price is US$10 for the public and $7 for ASIFA-Hollywood members. For more information contact ASIFA-Hollywood at Tel.: (818) 842-8330.

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