AWN Headline News

After six weeks of US release, Dreamworks/PDIs computer-animated bug pic Antz saw a rare 20% boost in box office business this weekend placing fifth. Despite losing 300 screens and new competition for the family crowd from the re-release of The Wizard of Oz, the film grossed an estimated $5.4 million in 2,604 theaters bringing the films cume to $74.8 million.

Kids programming syndicator Bohbot Kids Network (BKN), the fourth US broadcast kids network scheduled to launch August 29, 1999, has acquired Los Angeles-based Epoch Ink Animation (founded by Joe Pearson) to establish BKN Studios. Epoch was founded in 1995 and has since completed original and for-hire animated projects for television, home video, interactive and theatrical distribution.

San Francisco-based WILD BRAIN, INC. has launched its first of a multi-spot animated campaign for Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurants. The Young & Rubicam campaign, which combines 2D and 3D animation with live-action, introduces The Colonel, KFCs new animated spokesperson, new KFC products and a new overall look for the fast food company.

PASSION PICTURES finished eight 3-second inserts for a new Adidas campaign featuring British World featherweight boxing champion Prince (Naz) Naseem and an overweight animated ex-boxer, the Cornerman. The spots were directed by Chris Hauge and animated by Chris Hauge, Chuck Gammage, Marco Piersma and Kevin Spruce through the Leagas Delaney agency.

* Saturday, November 7 - Monday, November 9. West Hollywood, California, U.S.A.

1001 Nights, a film from Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano and director Mike Smith, will screen at the Laemmle Sunset 5 this weekend. Show times are 10:00 AM and 11:00 AM on November 7 & 8 and 12:00 PM and 12:30 PM on November 9. For screening info, call (323) 848 - 3500.

* Friday, November 13. Glendale, California, U.S.A

The 26th Annual Annie Awards, a yearly awards ceremony honoring the best inanimation will be held this year at the Alex Theater located at 216 N.Brand Blvd. The event is hosted by the Los Angeles chapter of theInternational Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood. A champagne receptionstarts at 5:00 PM with the awards ceremony following at 7:00 PM. For moreinformation and tickets, call ASIFA-Hollywood at (818) 842-8330 and see the

* Tuesday, November 17, - Thursday, November 19. London, U.K.

The fifth London Effects & Animation Festival (LEAF) will take place duringthe Digital Media World Convention at the Wembley Conference Center inLondon. For more information, call Julie Marshall at (44) 01 81 994 7354 oremail to leaf@atlas.co.uk.

* Thursday, November 19, - Saturday, November 21. Hollywood, California,U.S.A.

Short Pictures International Film Festival (SPIFF) was originally createdto highlight short films, animation, music videos and documentaries created by Sony Pictures Imageworks employees, however thisyear the program has been opened up to all filmmakers. Visithttp://www.spiffest.com to find out more about the event.

For the first time in the 26-year history of the Annie Awards, the show will be nationally televised. FoxFamily Channel will air the presentation honoring the best of the animationindustry at a yet-to-be-announced date in December. Confirmed presentersfor this year's show include voice artists Nancy Cartwright (Bart Simpson)and the legendary June Foray, as well as actress T'keyah Krystal Keymaa("Cosby," "In Living Color," "Waynehead"). Submissions of animated TVshows, feature films, short subjects and commercials will be awarded in

* Tuesday, November 24, - Saturday, November 28. Mendrisio, Switzerland.

The Mendrisio Swiss International Animated Film Festival includes a short,feature and animated "pilot" competition, as well as student films, 3Dcomputer animation, retrospectives, exhibitions, conferences and more. Forinformation call (41) 91 646 16 54.

Fox Family Channels is creating two new digital cable/satellite networks, The Boyz Channel and The Girlz Channel, offering gender-specific entertainment and educational programming for 2-14 year-old boys and girls. The full-time, ad-supported services scheduled to launch sometime in 1999 will also be available as basic analog channels. Much of the programming will come from the library that Fox Kids already owns mixed in with some original productions. In the evenings, the channels' focus will target parents with programs dealing with raising and parenting children of that specific gender.

Pixar, the company behind "Toy Story," posted a third quarter net profit of $2.5 million, or $0.02 per share, down from a third quarter profit of $5.3 million last year. The positive profits however did surprise financial analysts who had forecasted a third quarter loss of $0.02 for the third quarter. The upcoming release of "A Bug's Life" is expected to help further rejuvenate Pixar's revenues.