The International Game Developers Association (IGDA) has announced the nominees for the annual Game Developers Choice Awards. The winners will be presented at the ceremony on March 21, during the Game Developers Conference (GDC), March 19 - 23 in San Jose, California. The Game Developers Choice Awards are peer-based, and game developers worldwide nominate those games and developers they feel are most deserving of recognition.
Hollywood Shorts 4th Annual Women in Filmmaking Festival.
Hollywood, California, USA.
Sunday, March 17, 2002.
Entry Deadline: Monday, February 25, 2002.
Animation World Network is saddened to report that legendary animator/director Chuck Jones passed away on Friday, February 22, 2002 of congestive heart failure. He was 89 years old. Jones animation career, which spanned 60 years, took off in 1932 when Ub Iwerks hired him as a cel washer. In 1936 Jones became an animator for the Leon Schlesinger Studio (later sold to Warner Bros.), and in 1938 directed his first film, THE NIGHT WATCHMAN. Heading his own unit, Jones remained at Warner Bros. Animation Dept. until it closed in 1962.
Each week, Animation World Magazine offers new articles, special features and theme-based coverage of the art, craft and industry of animation. New this week...
Hayao Miyazaki's SEN TO CHIHIRO NO KAMIKAKUSHI (SPIRITED AWAY) was awarded The Golden Bear, the top prize at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival. SPIRITED AWAY shared the award with Paul Greengrass's live-action film BLOODY SUNDAY. Winning the coveted award, and acceptance of the film by Western audiences, may mean the film will finally be seen in the U.S. SPIRITED AWAY broke box office records in Japan, where it was the number one film of all time, earning 29.4 billion yen (US $221.5M). But as recently as summer 2001, Disney (who released Miyazakis PRINCESS MONONOKE in the U.S.
Pixar Animation Studios recently announced financial results for its fourth quarter and fiscal year ending December 29, 2001. The studios Oscar-nominated film MONSTERS, INC. helped Pixar more than double the previous quarters profits. Fourth quarter profits were $13 million, or $0.25 per share up from the $6.2 million or 12 cents per share earned for the third quarter of 2001, but down from $35.2 million, or $0.71 per share for the same period in 2000. Revenue driven primarily by the $234.2 million domestic box office receipts from MONSTERS, INC.
Paris headquartered animation production and distribution company Millimages, is expanding into the factual programming business with the acquisition of a 50.1% stake in French documentary producer, Gedeon Programmes. Millimages will acquire the majority interest in exchange for Euro 1.37M (US$1.19M) in cash plus stock. In addition, Gedeon Programmes chairman Stephane Milliére will assume a position on Millimages board. Millimages chairman Roch Lener stated that the move was made as part of Millimages overall strategy for growth and development.
Entertainment group Alliance Atlantis Communications Inc. has promoted Ken Faier to vice president, production, distribution and licensing, AAC Kids, the childrens label of Alliance Atlantis. In this new position, Faier will be responsible for developing and implementing the overall strategy for AAC Kids, including all aspects of production and distribution, as well as overseeing merchandising and licensing. Faier joined the company in 2000, heading up distribution for AAC Kids, working closely with production and merchandising and licensing. Prior to AAC Kids, Mr.
Family entertainment company Igel Media has appointed Victoria Valius as head of distribution. In her new role, Valius will head up the company's international television distribution division in London, overseeing all international sales. In addition, she will be actively looking to expand the company's catalogue and sourcing opportunities to co-produce quality programming in the company's key markets including Germany, France and the UK.
Genius Products and Warner Home Video (WHV), the home entertainment distributor for AOL Time Warner, have signed an exclusive, long-term production and distribution deal for the Baby Genius and Kid Genius branded lines of children's entertainment home video product. As a part of the agreement, Warner Home Video will pick up immediate distribution of the three current award-winning Baby Genius videos, MOZART AND FRIENDS, MOZART AND FRIENDS: SLEEPYTIME and THE FOUR SEASONS.
Cowboy Pictures is presenting a tribute to Pixar Animation Studios featuring four feature film classics from Disney/Pixar: TOY STORY, A BUGS LIFE, TOY STORY 2 and MONSTERS, INC. The retrospective will run February 23 - March 17 in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Sunset 5 and February 24 - March 10 at The Quad in New York. All screenings are free. In New York on Tuesday, February 26, director John Lasseter will host a special evening introducing the screening of MONSTERS, INC. and two of Pixars short films, LUXO JR. and 2001 Academy Award nominee FOR THE BIRDS.
On March 1, 2002, Phil Roman will return to Film Roman Studios, the company best known for THE SIMPSONS. Romans existing company, Phil Roman Entertainment, will move to offices in the North Hollywood studios of Film Roman. Roman founded Film Roman in 1984, but resigned from his post as chairman of the company in February 1999 to set up a new studio, Phil Roman Entertainment. That company has produced the television Christmas specials THE GAUDINS and GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER and is currently in production on 26 episodes of HOWDI GAUDI.
Los Angeles-based short film distributor Apollo Cinema will showcase all five Oscar-nominated animated short films, along with the five live-action short film nominees. This is the second consecutive year Apollo has presented the films in association with Laemmle Theatres. Beginning in Los Angeles on February 28, 2002, the screenings will continue to run every weekend until the Academy Award winners are announced on March 24.
Canadian network CTV has picked up a second season of the Studio B Productions series DMYNA LEAGUES. The show chronicles the misadventures of a baseball team comprised of teenaged myna birds, and its new season will premiere on CTV Saturdays at 11:00 am (ET) beginning February 23, 2002.
The nominees are:
Game of the Year
BLACK & WHITE (Lionhead Studios)
GRAND THEFT AUTO III (DMA Design/Rockstar Games)
HALO: COMBAT EVOLVED (Bungie Studios)
ICO (Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc.)
MAX PAYNE (Remedy Entertainment)
Rookie Studio of the Year
Adrenium Games for AZURIK: RISE OF PERATHIA
Bohemia Interactive Studio for OPERATION FLASHPOINT
Croteam for SERIOUS SAM
Pseudo Interactive for CEL DAMAGE
French animation studio Xilam Animation has launched its first initial public offering (IPO) on Paris Second Market (Marché dEuronext). The producers of the series OGGY AND THE COCKROACHES, SPACE GOOFS and THE NEW ADVENTURES OF LUCKY LUKE raised 15 million Euros through this IPO. The company floated 1 million shares representing 27.03% of its capital. Shares rolled out at 15 Euro. The companies founder and CEO Marc du Pontavice will retain the remaining 66.7% of the capital.
Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment (SPDE) has aligned its Websites SoapCity and Screenblast with its wireless and platform service units to form the Digital Networks Division to be headed by senior vice president Patrick Kennedy. Kennedy joined SPDE as senior vice president in 2000. Prior to SPDE, he worked in Sony Pictures Entertainments corporate development group.
Brand management and television production company Silver Lining Productions Ltd. has signed toy manufacturer Gund to create plush toys, outfits and soft accessories for their kids property OLIVIA, based on the book series by Ian Falconer. Other new licensees include The Alexander Doll Company, Inc. (Madame Alexander), which will be introducing a range of vinyl dolls, outfits and gift sets. Universe Publishing also joins the roster to create wall calendars based on the charismatic piglet.
Digital ink & paint software company DigiCel, Inc. has just released FlipBook Pro, the latest enhancement to their 2D animation software. FlipBook Pro features 100 levels, including the background to expand the power of FlipBook and its uses. Other features include linear, multiplane camera moves with variable ease-in and ease-out to let you set the acceleration rate out of a key frame and the deceleration rate into a key frame. Plus high-resolution processing and soft-edged shadows and highlights.
Thanks to THQ, STAR WARS fans will be able to play their Game Boys while waiting in line to buy tickets for EPISODE II, and not feel like theyre missing out on the action. THQ Inc. will be releasing STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES for Game Boy Advance in spring 2002 to coincide with the release of the Lucasfilm feature film. The game will be the only one that follows the story line of the new movie. Players will assume the role of three different characters: Anakin Skywalker, Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Telluride IndieFest 2002, Telluride, Colorado, USA.
Friday, August 30 Monday, September 2, 2002.
Early Entry Deadline: February 28, 2002.
Entry Deadline: June 1, 2002.
The U.S. Presidents Day three-day holiday weekend has proved profitable for new releases as well as some films that have been on the charts for weeks. In third place, Disneys 2D animated PETER PAN sequel enjoyed a solid $16.1M opening. RETURN TO NEVER LAND is set during World War II and finds Peter Pan on the trail of Captain Hook after the pirate kidnaps Wendy's daughter, Jane. The family-friendly film sent Disneys other kid flick SNOW DOGS running to tenth place, where it earned just $7M for a cume of $68.4M.
Rich Ross has been named to the newly created post of president, entertainment, Disney Channel, a division of the ABC Cable Networks Group. In his new position, Ross oversees all creative development, programming and production for Disney Channel including the programming, production, advertising and promotion departments. Ross also oversees the new kids' programming block on ABC Family. The fourteen-hour a week programming block premieres Saturday, March 2. Ross was most recently general manager and executive vice president, programming and production, Disney Channel.
Kids' WB! has announced it will pick-up five animated series for its fall 2002 line-up. Beginning its fifth season, 52 all-new episodes of 4Kids Productions POKÉMON: MASTER QUEST will air six days a week. Both Sony Pictures Family Entertainments JACKIE CHAN ADVENTURES and X-MEN: EVOLUTION, produced by Marvel Studios in association with Film Roman, return for their third seasons, with 13 new episodes each.
NewKidCo International Inc. has signed a three-year agreement with Dr. Seuss Enterprises L.P. to publish interactive entertainment software for next-generation gaming systems based on the classic characters and stories of Dr. Seuss. The games, targeted to children ages six and up, will be distributed to all major retail accounts throughout North America, with distribution into Europe, New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Rim planned as well. The first title, scheduled for release in fall of 2002, will be developed for Game Boy Advance.
