Red Stick Fest Extends Deadline!
Red Stick International Animation FestivalBaton Rouge, Louisiana, USAApril 21-23, 2005Deadline: December 15, 2004
AWN Headline News
Digital Musings From the Editor:
Sun Microsystems, a major player in network servers and engineering workstations, enters the DCC market with a new pair of workstations, the Sun Java W1100z and W2100z, featuring off-the-shelf AMD Opteron CPUs and NVIDIA graphics cards. Sean Wagstaff assesses their entry in the marketplace, almost-daring pricing plan and tests the functionality of the W2100z.
Looney Tunes are Back! Golden Collection Volume Two Arrives on DVD!
Suffering succotash! The Looney Tunes are back! Fans of all ages can experience Warner Bros.' golden era of animation when Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, Tweety & Sylvester and all their friends return in another exciting installment of The Looney Tunes Golden Collection. Volume Two will be available in a four-disc set, and contains 60 cartoon shorts, 4 more than Volume One, that have been beautifully restored and re-mastered to their original, uncut presentation.
Jack Mendelsohn to Receive Annual WGAw Animation Writing Award
The Animation Writers Caucus of the Writers Guild of America, west will present its seventh annual Animation Writing Award for lifetime achievement in the medium to Jack Mendelsohn at its annual reception at 7:00 pm, Nov. 4, 2004, at WGAw headquarters in Los Angeles.
ADV Films' November 2 Releases
ADV Films, the #1 producer-distributor of anime in the U.S., announced its Nov. 2, 2004 street dates. The new titles include ROBOTECH REMASTERED: NEW GENERATION COLLECTION 1, NEW FIST OF THE NORTH STAR: THE FORBIDDEN FIST, MUTANT X and 2009: LOST MEMORIES.
In Anime, Home Entertainment, Anime, Home Entertainment | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Europe
Divya & Nazi Smasher Take Savannah Film Fest Prizes
The Savannah Film Festival, hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design, recently wrapped-up its seventh year, Oct. 23-30, 2004. Award winning REX STEELE: NAZI SMASHER from Alexander Woo garnered the Best Student Film-Animation prize and Siddharth Achrekars DIVYA won the Best SCAD Student Film and Runner-Up for Best Student Film-Animation.
REX STEELE: NAZI SMASHER follows the adventures of Rex Steele, Nazi Smasher, as he attempts to dismantle another Nazi plan for world domination.
Tarantino Returns to Kung Fu
KILL BILL director Quentin Tarantino has said that he will be returning to the kung fu genre for his next film, reports TOTAL FILM. The PULP FICTION maverick says the new film will be in Mandarin Chinese and hopes to be able to release the film with an out-of-synch English language track. Previously, it was suspected that Tarantino would make his next project his long-in-the-work World War II men on a mission flick, INGLORIOUS BASTARDS.
Steamboy Gets U.S. Release Date
Sony Pictures has announced that AKIRA director Katsuhiro Otomo's new film STEAMBOY will be released in U.S. theaters on March 18, 2005. The film is the most expensive anime feature ever produced at $20 million and began production in 1995. Financial issues have plagued the production. The film screened at both the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals. Set in Victorian England, the retro sci-fi epic follows how a powerful new energy source changes the "Age of Steam."
Saw 2 Makes the Cut for Halloween 2005
Hot on the heals of a $18.3 million box office opening, Twisted Pictures and Lions Gate Films are moving ahead with a sequel to the horror film SAW, set for a Halloween 2005 release.
PlayStation Mountain Spot Takes British Ad Craft Awards
Held on Nov. 1, 2004, the British Television Advertising Craft Awards, in association with AFM Lighting, hand out its honors at The Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. The awards were dominated by Sony PlayStation MOUNTAIN commercial, which was shortlisted for 10 out of 20 categories. Produced by Gorgeous Enterprises for TBWA/London, the spot landed six awards, including one awarded in recognition of The Mill's post-production.
Catwoman Scribe Takes a Swipe at Transformers
CATWOMAN scribe John Rogers has been hired to pen the script for DreamWorks and Paramounts feature live-action rendition of TRANSFORMERS, reports VARIETY. Angry Films head Don Murphy and Tom DeSanto are producing the film along with Lorenzo di Bonaventura. Steven Spielberg is exec producing. The picture is set for a summer 2006 release. The film will be based on the Hasbro toy line of vehicles, which transform into giant robot. DeSanto wrote the story that Rogers will base the screenplay on.
Third D&D Flick Goes into Development
Zinc Ent. has announced it is developing a third film in its DUNGEONS & DRAGONS franchise. The second film DUNGEONS & DRAGONS 2: THE ELEMENTAL MIGHT will be released in the U.S. by Warner Bros. in 2005 with Warner Home Video handling the home entertainment distribution in the States as well as certain foreign territories. First Look Intl. holds the worldwide rights.
Paramount Chairman Lansing Leaving
Paramount Pictures chairman Sherry Lansing announced that she would be leaving her post when her contract is up at the end of next year. Serving in the position since 1992, she has become the top female exec in the industry. She says that her decision is not due to the studios slipping box office, but a part of her plan to pursue philanthropy or political interests.
Besner to Help Expand Alias’ 3D Interactive Presence
Alias has appointed former Kaydara president Michel Besner as vp, business development - emerging markets. Besner's appointment follows the recent completion of Alias' acquisition of Kaydara, renowned for MotionBuilder and FBX character animation technology. As a member of the Alias executive management team, Besner will be responsible for identifying strategic opportunities in the growing market of 3D interactive applications.
Win Shake in VFXChallenge
VFX102World Wide WebNovember 1 30, 2004Deadline: November 30, 2004
Send Your Toons to Tehran, Iran
The 4th Biennial Tehran International Animation Festival (TIAF)Tehran, IranMarch 6-10, 2005Deadline: December 5, 2004
Wildcat Realizm Available for HP Workstation xw6000 & xw8000
3Dlabs two new AGP 8x-based professional graphics accelerators, Wildcat Realizm 100 and 200, are now certified and available for the HP Workstation xw6000 and xw8000. The Wildcat Realizm 100 and 200, which have been selected for the HP Tested & Certified Graphics Program, are available through HP channel partners worldwide.
Gelato 1.1 Delivers Comprehensive Support for Maya
Gelato 1.1, the latest version of NVIDIAs hardware-accelerated, final-frame renderer, is now available for sale directly from NVIDIA and through its global network of resellers. The Gelato 1.1 renderer features a new version of its Mango plug-in for Alias Maya and introduces an innovative new feature called Preview Mode that allows for ultra-high speed rendering of an image with user-defined image quality and fidelity to preview the final render.
IMAX Polar Express Marks First All-CGI 3D Feature
IMAX has great success with its DMR conversion of blockbuster hits, venturing internationally into China, India and soon Pakistan. But with THE POLAR EXPRESS: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE, the large-format giant will unveil the first all-CGI 3D feature on its towering screens, Nov. 10, 2004, day-and-date with the 35mm release from Warner Bros. Pictures. THE POLAR EXPRESS: AN IMAX 3D EXPERIENCE will debut on more than 70 IMAX Theaters, the widest worldwide release ever.
Harvey Birdman Election Day Special Telecast on Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network honors U.S. Election Day, Nov. 2, 2004, with a special 24-times-repeated telecast of HARVEY BIRDMAN: ATTORNEY AT LAW. A brand new original episode entitled, "Guitar Control," will air 24 times from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am.
The Internet Celebrates its 35th Birthday
The Internet just had its 35th birthday party Oct. 29, 2004, at UCLA, where it all started. On Sept. 2, 1969, Leonard Kleinrock led a team of engineers to establish the first network connection between two computers, ushering in a new method of global communications. A month later, the second node was added at Stanford, and, on October 29, the first host-to-host Internet-type message was sent from UCLA. The message was LO, which sounds prophetic until Kleinrock explains it.
POW! Gives Superhero Kick to Christmas
POW! Ent. Inc. has announced that it is developing an annual TV Christmas special based on the popular new children's book, STAN LEE'S SUPERHERO CHRISTMAS, published by Harper Collins. The company further anticipates the production of a DVD during the 4th quarter of 2005 to complement the animated annual specials.
Marvel Sues Disney Over Superhero Copyrights
Three months after suing The Walt Disney Co. in a dispute over royalties, Marvel Enterprises Inc. wants to take the copyrights to Marvel superheroes away from the Mouse House, reports REUTERS. In a suit filed on Oct. 29, 2004 in Los Angeles federal court, Marvel requests a judge to declare that Disney never legally assumed copyrights to Marvel characters when it bought the original licensee, Fox Family Worldwide, in 2001.
Looney Tunes Box Set Feature New Daffy Cartoon
For fans of the classic Looney Tunes shorts, the wait for more on DVD is over. On Nov. 2, 2004, Warner Home Video released the highly anticipated four-disc set, THE LOONEY TUNES GOLDEN COLLECTION VOLUME TWO ($64.92), with more than 60 digitally remastered and uncut animated shorts, along with the two-disc set, THE LOONEY TUNES SPOTLIGHT COLLECTION VOLUME TWO ($26.99).
ION Fest Awards Animation Prize to Ryan
Over the weekend of Oct. 29, 2004, ION International Animation, Games and Short Film Festival awarded its competition prizes. Adding to its impressive list of accolades, Chris Landreths RYAN took home the animation award. Previously announced awards went to DPS Film Roman for 20 years of excellence in animation and Fleischer Studios garnered the first Max Fleischer Lifetime Achievement Award.
