Films

NBC Universal Talks DreamWorks Purchase

NBC Universal is in talks to buy DreamWorks SKG, in what could be a deal worth $1 billion, according to the trades. Universal Studios already distributes DreamWorks' videos and DVDs via Universal Studios Home Video, and its films internationally through United Pictures International, the foreign distributor jointly owned by Universal and Paramount. Additionally, the two studios have co-financed films such as the 2000 Oscar-winner GLADIATOR and Steven Spielberg's upcoming MUNICH, which Universal will release in December.

In Business, Business | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Business Headline News

Out of Our Minds Animation Studios Gains Funding For Feature Toon

Out of Our Minds Animation Studios lands nearly $2 million in funding from private investors for production of its first feature-length animated film.

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Films Headline News

EA Rings Tolkien Game Rights

Electronic Arts announced that it has been granted the rights to develop games based on J.R.R. Tolkien's epic literary fiction, THE LORD OF THE RINGS. Since 2001, EA has developed games based exclusively on New Line's Academy Award winning theatrical productions of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, as depicted by Peter Jackson. The expansion of the rights allows EA to introduce players to depths of the fiction never before explored in an EA game.

In Interactive, Games, Interactive | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Films Headline News

Bitfilm Deadline This Week!

Bitfilm Festival 2005Hamburg, GermanyNovember 2-6, 2005Deadline: July 15, 2005

The Bitfilm Festival for digital film and new media shows films that use digital technology in a creative and innovative way. There are six categories:

* 3D SPACE Computer-generated 3D animations * FX MIX - Digitally composed hybrids, mixing for example live action and animation * FLASH ATTACK - Films produced in Macromedia Flash * MACHINIMA - Movies made in real time with game engines

In Call for Entries, Flash, Machinima, Call for Entries, Flash, Machinima | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Europe

Films Headline News

Glitch Fest Calls for Entries

Glitch Fest 2005Montreal, Quebec, CanadaNovember 2005Deadline: August 1, 2005

The Glitch Fest, is comprised of short films of three to 10 minutes in length and in all categories: French or English, from Quebec or elsewhere, be they parodies, fake publicities, dramas, horror films, press reports, animations, trash, etc., so long as the short films are interesting and innovative.

In Call for Entries, Call for Entries | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, North America

Films Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

To celebrate the Independence Day holiday we're turning back the hands of time on VFXWORLD and highlighting the big vfx films of the summer thus far. We're highlighting films ranging from KINGDOM OF H EAVEN to THE HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY to REVENGE OF THE SITH to BATMAN BEGINS. And we still have WAR OF THE WORLDS and FANTASTIC FOUR left to come, among others.

Bill DesowitzEditor

In Visual Effects, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Short Headline News

Films Wanted on Intercultural Dialogue

Short Film Contest "Another Look" World Wide WebDecember 31, 2005Deadline: October 3, 2005

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Film Headline News

Enter Your Sci-Fi Flick In Oporto Fest

26th Oporto International Film FestivalPorto, PortugalFebruary 24 - March 4, 2006Deadline: December 15, 2005

In Call for Entries, Call for Entries | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Festival Headline News

Kid-Friendly Flicks Wanted for San Diego Children's Film Fest

San Diego International Children's Film Festival San Diego, California, USAOctober 21 - 30, 2005Deadline: August 31, 2005

San Diego International Children's Film Festival will showcase full-length films for children of all ages & teens, shorts for children ages 7 & under, at the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego's historic Balboa Park.

The festival held its first-ever event in April, showing 65 short films from around the world. Actor-director LeVar Burton appeared at the festival, as did several other filmmakers.

In Call for Entries, Call for Entries | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, South America

Films Headline News

Spiderwick Author’s Valiant Bought by MTV Films

MTV Films has acquired the film rights to VALIANT, a teen novel about fairies by THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES author Holly Black, according to the trades. Chuck Roven and Alex Gartner will produce through their Mosaic Media Group in conjunction with MTV Films. Paramount Pictures will distribute.

Published by Simon and Schuster on June 1, the book follows on a 17-year-old runaway who joins a group of squatters living in the New York subways. She soon discovers that her new friends hold the dark secret that many New Yorkers are actually a species of fairy.

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Anima Headline News

Deadline for ANIMA 2006 Nears!

ANIMA 2006Brussels, BelgiumFebruary 24 - March 5, 2006Deadline: June 30, 2005

In Call for Entries, Call for Entries | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Europe

Films Events

Reg Hartt Presents The Films Of Ray Harryhausen

Begins: June 18, 2005

Saturday afternoons were meant for Ray Harryhausen films. Celebrate the work of this animation master. Bonus Three Stooges short plus a chapter of one of the greatest of all cliffhanger serials, THE PHANTOM with Tom Tyler.

Coming to Toronto? Got a Harryhausen film you want to see on a big screen and with a superb sound system. Email us. We will set up a special screening just for you.

In Event Types: Screenings, Animation, Features, Live Action, Special Effects, Visual Effects

Films Headline News

Bidding To Begin on Star Wars Films TV Rights

Lucasfilm has sent out a letter to potential network buyers inviting bids for the TV broadcast rights to the STAR WARS film franchise, reports VARIETY. The price tag for the six-film series could go as high as $50 million.

In Television, Visual Effects, Television, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All

Films Events

Cats, Bugs and Perverts: The Films Of Martha Colburn

Begins: June 14, 2005

At 7:30 pm, the Pacific Film Archive will host " Cats, Bugs and Perverts: The Films Of Martha Colburn" with the artist in attendance. Colburn's work is full of energy, obsessive and often outrageous. Her images include drawn animation, puppets, direct animation, images from magazines, found footage (including clips from porno films) and much more. Her soundtracks include the sounds of the Jaunties, Jad Fair and others.

In Event Types: Discussion, Screenings, Animation, Short Films

Films Events

The 2nd Annual New York City PitchXchange

Begins: June 10, 2005

Last year, more than 30 executives (agents, managers, producers) attended the Inaugural New York City PitchXchange to hear five-minute pitches from more than 500 aspiring and working screenwriters. Companies included Miramax Films, Dimension Films, MTV, Abrams Artist Agency, The Howard Stern Production Company and many others.

This year

In Event Types: Discussion, Seminars / Workshops, Animation, Features, Live Action, Television

Films ANIMATIONWorld

'Howl’s Moving Castle': A Work of Modern Art

Joe Strike hits the streets of New York to discover the new wonder from Japan care of animation master Hayao Miyazakis Howls Moving Castle.

In Reviews | ANIMATIONWorld | Columns: Anime

Films Headline News

Annecy 2005 in Final Stretch

All the short and feature films on competition have now been screened at Annecy 2005 and the judges are off to make their final deliberations for the awards ceremony tomorrow night, June 11 in Annecy, France. The week started off a bit cold and dreary, in both the weather and the film selection. But there have certainly been better selections than the previous year, offering a remarkably varied amount of styles, techniques and storytelling.

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Films Headline News

IDT Ent. Pacts with Fox on CG Features

IDT Ent. announced it has signed a two-year, multi-picture distribution deal with Twentieth Century Fox. Under terms of the agreement, Twentieth Century Fox will distribute CG animated theatrical releases produced by IDT Ent.

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Film Headline News

Exodus Gets Colorful With Two New CG-Animated Films

Exodus Film Group announced the addition of two CG-animated features to their film slate THE HERO OF COLOR CITY and AMARILLO ARMADILLO. These two films are a direct response to overwhelming industry and investor interest in Exodus CG-Animated film IGOR, which is currently in production.

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Films Events

Zlin Fest For Children And Youth

Begins: May 29, 2005

Zlin Festival is one of the oldest festivals dedicated to films for children and youth. Films compete in six sections - film for children, for youth, animated film, European debuts, student films and films from Visegrad countries. The project is supported by the Czech Parliament and Ministry of Culture, the EU Media Programme and the International Visegrad Fund. Festival is held under the auspices the Czech UNESCO Commission and the Czech UNICEF Commission. For more information, visit www.zlinfest.cz.

Films Events

Les Nuits Magiques

Begins: May 12, 2005

The International Animated Film Festival "Les Nuits Magiques" show the treasures of animated films to audiences, screening shorts and feature animated films not viewed on TV and in theaters. The event will feature an international short films competition, feature films, special programs, young audience programs, animated film methods lessons, introduction workshops to animation, teacher's day, education day. For more information contact Fabrice de la Rosa at : tel.: (+33) 556517660 fax: (+33) 556511286 e-mail: contact@lesnuitsmagiques.fr Web: http://www.lesnuitsmagiques.fr.

In Event Types: Competitive Festivals, Screenings, Animation, Documentaries, Features, Live Action, Short Films

Send Your Shorts to the Magma Fest

Magma - International Short Films Festival 05Acireale, ItalySeptember 15-17, 2005Deadline: June 10, 2005

In Call for Entries, Call for Entries | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Europe

Films Events

AniFest 2005

Begins: May 5, 2005

Anifest 2005 is a celebration of animation in all forms. The festival accepts feature-length films, shorts, TV films, TV serials, video clips, advertisements, introductory spots and student films. Festival prizes will be awarded by two international professional juries. For more information, contact the festival at Corona s.r.o. - AniFest 2004, Jindricha Plachty 28, 150 00 Praha 5, Czech Republic; tel: + 420 257 324 507; fax: + 420 257 324 508; e-mail: info@anifest.cz; or Web: www.anifest.cz.

In Event Types: Contests, Competitive Festivals, Discussion, Exhibits, Seminars / Workshops, Screenings, Animation, Features, Short Films

DreamWorks ‘Animation Now’ at Lincoln Center

Forty-five years ago, when Walt Disney had a new animated feature to plug he used his Sunday night TV series to give his audience a look at the film and share some secrets of its making. When DreamWorks Animation SKG wanted to let the world know theyve arrived as a publicly owned company spun off from the original DreamWorks with five films scheduled for release between now and 2007 they went Walt one better.

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Films ANIMATIONWorld

The Animation Pimp: Doofs

The Animation Pimp sets the record straight with sensitive artist doofs who get upset when their films dont make a festival competition, but still make a special screening section.

In ANIMATIONWorld | Columns: The Animation Pimp