AWN Headline News

Square Electronic Arts FINAL FANTASY X game for PlayStation 2 was number one in U.S. sales across all video game software categories in its first week of release, according to NPD Funworld Video Game Data. FINAL FANTASY X shipped to retailers nationwide on December 18, just in time for the Christmas holiday. In Japan, FINAL FANTASY X was released on July 19, 2001 and sold through 90% of the 2.14 million units it shipped in the first four days. It is the first PlayStation 2 title to reach the 2 million unit mark.

Focusing on its action-packed lineup of anime properties, Central Park Media will release two new DVDs on January 14, 2003: VAMPIRE'S LURE, the first volume in the DESCENDANTS OF DARKNESS series; and IMPATIENCE AND LONGING, the continuing adventures of the sword-fighting Utena from REVOLUTIONARY GIRL UTENA. In VAMPIRE'S LURE, an action-packed, supernatural series, a vampire is on the loose, and it's up to dashing supernatural detective Tsuzuki to stop her!

Laurie Goldberg has been promoted from vice president to senior vice president of public relations for Cartoon Network. In addition to overseeing all publicity and public relations activity on behalf of Cartoon Network and sister-channel Boomerang, Goldberg will supervise the national media relations campaign launching the network's first feature film release, THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, scheduled to premiere across the country on July 3, 2002.

San Jose, California-based entertainment software developer BAM! Entertainment has reached an agreement with Cartoon Network and Warner Bros. Consumer Products to publish video games based on the animated series SAMURAI JACK. BAM! Entertainment entered into a strategic relationship with Cartoon Network in 2000 to create video games based on the television shows THE POWERPUFF GIRLS, DEXTER'S LABORATORY and YOGI BEAR. SAMURAI JACK debuted on Cartoon Network in August 2001 and has attracted an audience of all ages.

Another Japanese import comes to NATPE via Nelvana. BEYBLADE is a 51-episode animé series acquired from D-Rights, Inc. BEYBLADE tells the story of a boy who learns to harness the power of his ancestors to perfect his technique in the sport of Beyblade. The heroes bond as they battle their way to the world championship. Nelvana will be located in Booth #3025.

Redmond, Washington's Caldwell Publishing is looking for a MAYA ANIMATOR . . . EmailYourCV is looking for a GAMES ARTIST/ANIMATOR . . . Atlanta, Georgia's Fathom Studios is looking for a CHARACTER ANIMATOR . . . Los Angeles, California's GSA is looking for a REPRESENTATIVE . . . Newcastle, UK's Probe IT is looking for a 3D ANIMATOR/MODELLER . . . Madrid, Spain's Tabano Animation is looking for a LAYOUT ARTIST . . . New York, New York's The Filmmakers is looking for a 3D ANIMATOR . . . Los Angeles, California's Titmouse, Inc is looking for an ARTIST . . .

Twenty-one Academy Awards for scientific and technical achievement will be presented on March 2, 2002 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Out of the 14 Technical Achievement Awards, presented as certificates, the following recipients will be honored for creating technology used in the field of animation and visual effects. The awards are presented based upon recommendations from the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee, chaired by Academy visual effects branch governor Richard Edlund.

The beta release of Toon Boom Studio 1.1 for Mac OS X is now available. The latest version of Toon Boom Technologies 2D desktop application can now export animations as iMovie projects or add them to existing iMovie projects. This release also simplifies the workflow required to create an animated movie using Toon Boom Studio to draw and animate personalized characters and objects. The final release of Toon Boom Studio 1.1 will be available at the end of January 2002.

Kansas City Jubilee 2002 - US/International Short Film Division, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.

Sunday, April 7, 2002 Sunday, April 14, 2002.

Entry Deadline: January 15, 2002.

For submissions in the below categories, all entries must be 30 minutes or under. Work may originate in any film, video or digital medium unless otherwise noted. Cash or inkind prizes are awarded for first place in each division & genre. A single work may be entered in multiple divisions with separate entry forms and screener tapes (VHS NTSC).

Nintendo will showcase its GameCube video console at Milia 2002, weeks before its initial European launch. The video game set-top was released in the United States and Japan in 2001 and has sold nearly 1.5 million units in North America alone. Nintendo will preview GameCube along with 20 new games including LUIGIS MANSION, PIKMIN, STAR WARS ROGUE SQUADRON 2: ROGUE LEADER and SONIC ADVENTURE 2. Milia visitors will receive the exclusive European preview of GameCube at the Milia 2002 conference held February 48, 2002 at the Palais de Festivals in Cannes, France.