Search form

All AWN Content

Headline News

New ASIFA Italy news!

The ASIFA Italy web site has been updated. Read the most recent issue of the ASIFA Italy Newsletter, NOTIZIE ASIFA ITALIA, featuring: "Japanimation At The Annecy Festival;" "Luigi Liberio Pensuti, Italian Animation Pioneer;" an interview with Terry Brian by Italian model-maker Francesca Ferrario;" Bendazzi on European animation in the book "The World History Of Cinema; plus, a list of upcoming Italian events. Available in Italian only.

www.awn.com/asifa-italia

Headline News

Bill Plympton has updated his special appearance schedule!

Once again, Bill Plympton has updated his appearances page. This month, "I Married a Strange Person" will be appearing in various festivals and other events in Canada, Germany, Finland and Ukraine. "Mondo Plympton" will be screened in the US, Brazil and Germany. Bill will also be attending the events in Canada, Brazil and Germany.

www.awn.com/plympton/appearances.html

Cartoon Headline News

CARTOON announces the 1999 Cartoon d'Or nominees

CARTOON has announced this year's nominees for the coveted Cartoon d'Or.Making the list for best European animated short films are: L'ARME DUCROCODILE by Eric Blesin (Belgium), EL CARMINANTE by Debra Smith (UK),JOLLY ROGER by Mark Baker (UK), MIGRATION by Constantin Chamski (France),LE CYCLOPE DE LA MER by Philippe Julien (France), and SALTKVERNEN by PjotrSapegin (Norway). The annual Cartoon Forum, where the Cartoon d'Or isawarded, is organized by AEFA Cartoon, the European Association for

Television Headline News

Touchstone TV merges with ABC

Walt Disney-owned companies Touchstone Television Productions and ABCTelevision Group are merging to form ABC Entertainment Television Group.According to ABC Television Group president Pat Fili-Krushel, "The goal inconsolidation is to produce creative results that result in more Disneyproduct on ABC and also allow us to achieve economies of scale." In otherwords, this consolidation will likely result in more Disney-producedtelevision programming appearing on ABC (Touchstone currently has only two

Animation Headline News

Mercury Filmworks adds 3D

One year old Vancouver-based Mercury Filmworks, a fully equipped digitalanimation facility, has added 3D production to its list of in-houseservices. Currently, the 3D animation department at Mercury is working onthe television series D'MYNA LEAGUES, which has been created and developedby Vancouver-based animation house Studio B, and is slated to air onCanada's CTV/VTV in January 2000. With the addition of the new 3Ddepartment, Mercury is now unique in its ability to take not just a single

Headline News

Cartoon Network offers "Shorties"

"Shorties" is a series of two-minute animated shorts that re-interpret someof Hanna-Barbera's lesser known, but fondly-remembered characters such asAtom Ant, Jabberjaw, and Wally Gator. The shorts began to air in Junethroughout the day on Cartoon Network during breaks from regularlyscheduled programming. They feature original plots and different animationtechniques for each short, and aim to update these characters with anironic, post-modern twist. Techniques include cel animation, cut-outs,

Ralph Headline News

Silver Fox to produce ANGELMOUSE

Children's BBC has commissioned newly formed London-based Silver Fox Filmsto produce ANGELMOUSE, a 26-part series for the BBC. The series is about alittle mouse who has been sent down from heaven to help out. He's not verygood at his job, however, and whenever a good deed backfires, as oftenhappens, his halo dims or disappears. Graham Ralph is directing the serieswhich is slated to debut later this year. Graham Ralph recently formedSliver Fox after relinquishing his stake in London-based Hibbert Ralph

Series Headline News

CBS announces Saturday morning schedule

The CBS Television Network's 1999-2000 Saturday Morning schedule, whichbegins on October 2, includes three returning shows and three new ones, allproduced by Toronto-based Nelvana. The new series are RESCUE HEROES,BLASTER'S UNIVERSE, and NEW TALES FROM THE CRYPT. RESCUES HEROES is about ateam of international emergency response professionals, and is designed tointroduce young viewers to preparedness and safety techniques. BLASTER'SUNIVERSE is based on a series of CD-ROMs from Knowledge Adventure. Set in

Disney Headline News

Disney promotes Stephen De Kanter

Disney Consumer Products has named Stephen De Kanter, a 10-year veteran ofDisney Consumer Products, president of Global Licensing, a new organizationthat will oversee Disney's worldwide merchandise-licensing operations. DeKanter has led Disney Consumer Products Latin America since 1989. In hisnew role, de Kanter will be responsible for planning, strategy, andlicensee management for all Disney licensing activities. Walt DisneyInternational has responsibility for the performance of The Walt Disney Co.

Series Headline News

Sirius Thinking hires Sharon Lerner

Sirius Thinking, Ltd. has hired Sharon Lerner as senior vice-president ofcreative development and animation producer for the new series BETWEEN THELINES, a series for children that is scheduled to premiere on PBS in April2000. Lerner was one of the first ten people hired by Children's TelevisionWorkshop to create SESAME STREET, and was, until recently, thevice-president and publisher of the Random House Children's Media Division.

Music Headline News

Rhino/Turner release KING KONG soundtrack

The soundtrack for Willis O'Brien's stop-motion masterpiece, KING KONG, isbeing released by Turner Classic Movies Music/Rhino Movie Music. Composedby Max Steiner, the collection includes music cues from the 1933 RKO film'smost memorable moments, featuring a nearly 25-minute suite consisting ofpreviously unreleased material. The liner notes includes an introduction byDanny Elfman (of the band, Oingo Boingo, and composer of many soundtracks,including EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, BATMAN, and SLEEPY HOLLOW), and notes by

Cartoon Headline News

Trendmasters gets Cartoon Network license

Warner Bros. Consumer Products has awarded Trendmasters, Inc., a toydesigner and manufacturer, the master toy license for Cartoon Network'sanimated series including THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, DEXTER'S LABORATORY and COW& CHICKEN. In addition, Trendmasters has also secured the master toy rightsfor Cartoon Network's classic characters including Yogi Bear andSnagglepuss. Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, Trendmasters,Inc. has the rights to produce toy related merchandise including toy

Game Headline News

Infogrames releases Antz

Infogrames and DreamWorks will release ANTZ for Game Boy Color this fall inthe US. Based on the animated film, the game will star the famous ant Z, aninsecure little bug who has high hopes of finding Insectopia, a mysticalworld where food is plentiful and all insects live in peace. ANTZ allowskids to jump into the action. Ant-oriented hazards presented to theminiature heroes include acidic termites, out-of-control water droplets,gum-soled shoes and, the sun-filled, magnifying glass. Infogrames is a

Kids Headline News

Summer kids jam at Universal Studios

Beginning July 2, star characters from Nickelodeon's popular BLUE'S CLUESand RUGRATS shows, "character breakfasts" featuring Woody Woodpecker,Spiderman, and other world-famous cartoon stars are part of the fun plannedfor kids this summer at Universal Studios Hollywood. "Blue's Clues Live"follows the format of the children's television show. Guided by cluessupplied by "Blue," kids solve puzzles, play games, and sing songs alongwith Blue. "Woody Woodpecker's Clubhouse" features a themed playground

Million Headline News

TARZAN cracks top 100 all time North American grosses

Disney's TARZAN, based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs character, finishedfourth, grossing an estimated $11.3 million at the US weekend boxoffice tobring its total to $129.5 million. This puts it on the list of 100top-grossing films of all-time in North America. It has already surpassedDisney's previous animated feature, MULAN, which grossed $120.5 million.Warner Bros.' WILD WILD WEST, with digital effects by ILM, finished second,grossing an estimated $16.7 million for a total of $76.4 million; STAR WARS

Headline News

TARZAN 2 is in the works

Given the fact that TARZAN OF THE APES, Edgar Rice Burroughs' first Tarzannovel, has already spawned innumerable sequels in both print and movieform, it should be no surprise that Disney already has plans for a sequelto its very successful TARZAN. Decisions regarding whether the sequel willbe theatrical or direct-to-video, as well as who will direct it, have yetto be announced.

Headline News

Workout your character voices!

Workout your character voices July 10, and every second Saturday of themonth, at Aliso Creek Productions in Burbank, California, USA. Directed byMJ Lall, voice over actor, coach, and producer, you'll read scripts byWomen In Animation writers, and do voice-to-picture workouts for WIAartists. Voice over artists, writers, and artists are encouraged to attendand participate with samples of their work. Call Aliso Creek to register at(818) 954-9931.

Pages